COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND COMPREHENSION IN ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORMS

Abstract

Online learning has become increasingly prevalent, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, ensuring student engagement and comprehension in these environments remains a challenge. This research investigates the difference in students' engagement and comprehension of online learning platforms. A total of 159 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the two public tertiary institutions in Edo State, Nigeria, participated in the study. The samples completed a self-report measure assessing behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement and learning comprehension in the online platform. A significant difference was observed in undergraduates' and postgraduates' comprehension of engagement in online learning platforms. The study concluded that cognitive engagement has a more significant effect on learning comprehension for postgraduate students. In contrast, behavioral engagement has a more significant effect on learning comprehension for undergraduate students. The findings provide insights into best practices for educators and instructional designers to improve online learning experiences.