Topic: The Impact of Online Learning on Student Engagement and Academic

Performance

Research Question: What is the effect of the shift to online learning during the COVID-19
pandemic on student engagement and academic performance at the university level?

Working Thesis:

The COVID-19 pandemic caused universities to abruptly change their direction, turning away
from the traditional campus that is home to lecture halls for group studies to the digital world
where now there is only a video call and online assignments. This was very rapid transition from
the classroom to online learning that was a need out of a health reason. Taking this into
consideration, the shadow of this dilemma tends to fall on students' participation and their
academic performance at the university level. The conventional way of higher education modes,
which is face-to-face interaction, has been eliminated. This, in turn, makes the students to be
lonely and also lost. The warm and inclusive environment of the face-to-face setting is now
substituted with a non-interactive computer screen which is even worse in terms of cooperation,
one of the most crucial processes that leads to deeper comprehension and higher levels of
knowledge retention. This distancing is the reason why students who are used to being in a
physical campus and also the ones that need the support from such a campus feel lonely. This is
a problem because apart from those scores, it is also the disengagement of the whole
learning. Such a case may lead to them feeling as they are not part of the group and hence their
self-esteem may reduce to the point they may not be willing to study and may leave school.

Roadmap:

My thesis, which I will begin with a part of research on student engagement, explains how
factors such as in-person instruction, hands-on learning activities, and social interaction have a
positive impact on their level of engagement in academic work. I will explore studies that have
looked at university students' marks during the pandemic, and their gpa, course completion and
learning outcomes. This process of pinning down empirical evidence, in my opinion, should be
able to demonstrate how the whole educational experience is affected negatively during the
transition to online learning. Moreover, I will give a thought to the mediating factors such as
internet access, prior online study experience, and psychological challenges of students as a
result of the pandemic. These factors may help us comprehend the implications of the COVID-
19 epidemic on students as they differ greatly. The strategies outlined in the part will also
include the institutions’ previous tactics such as the advanced student support services or the
synchronous online teaching.
Limitations and Counter-Arguments:

The narrative about the advantages of the web-based learning in the university is not a simple
one and it's quite challenging. The studies show that the factor is shared to the people who are in
the online classes have low engagement as well as academic achievement compared to those who
are in a traditional face-to-face classroom. On the other hand, there are some very important
deviations from this phenomenon. A great number of students are able to enjoy a more relaxed
learning experience and fewer social anxieties as a result of the convenient online
schedule. Furthermore, the very nature of the pandemic and a sudden change from the traditional
mode to the remote learning could impact the research findings – the learning transition that was
carefully planned by the instructor may result in some other outcomes. Along with this, the
institutional support also plays a very pivotal part. It is shown that the design of online courses,
the training of the faculty and student support services are the best options as online learning is
as effective as the face-to-face instruction. To wrap it up, the cause of online learning success
might be due to a number of factors such as student choices, online course design quality,
institutional support and so on.

Significance:
Knowing the consequences of the shift to online learning should be regarded as a necessary step,
especially when many universities are planning to continue and expand the number of online
courses even after the pandemic is over. The paper highlights the results of the studies being
conducted in this area, with the aim of providing the institutional leadership with valuable
insights that can guide them towards making the right education quality decisions and improving
online education. As the universities are at the heart of creating the future leaders, policymakers
and educators must make sure that the learning experience is efficient, active and fair for all
students, in no matter what mode of studying they are using.
Annotated Bibliography

Bauerlein, Mark. "Online Literacy Is a Lesser Breed." The Chronicle of Higher Education, 17
Sept. 2008, www.chronicle.com/article/online-literacy-is-a-lesser-breed/. Accessed 19 Apr.
2024.

Bauerlein argues that the skills required for online reading and research are inferior to those
developed through engaging with printed texts. He suggests online reading promotes cursory
reading without deep comprehension. While raising some valid concerns about the impact of
digital technologies, Bauerlein's polemic stance is not fully substantiated by empirical evidence.
His criticism feels outdated given how online literacy practices have further evolved and been
integrated into curricula.

Coiro, Julie. "Exploring Literacy Practices Across Multiple Contexts." Language Arts, vol. 85,
no. 6, 2008, pp. 449-458. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41962323. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

This journal article by educator Julie Coiro provides a framework for understanding the new
literacies required for comprehending digital texts and participating in online spaces. Coiro
identifies key skills like questioning sources, synthesizing across mediums, and creating
multimodal texts. Her research highlights how literacy must adapt to encompass emerging
technologies while building on foundational print-based competencies. This source offers a
balanced perspective on integrating digital literacies in the classroom.

McGrail, Ewa. "Net... Cyber... Digital... Plus New Literacies." Educational Leadership, vol. 75,
no. 5, 2018, pp. 74-77. ASCD,
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb18/vol75/num05/Net...-Cyber...-
Digital...-Plus-New-Literacies.aspx. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

McGrail reviews the evolving terminology around digital and new literacies, clarifying
distinctions between these terms. She argues that new literacies, like online reading
comprehension, require specific pedagogical approaches beyond simply transferring traditional
skills to a digital medium. This source concisely explains key concepts surrounding digital
literacy instruction and validates the need to adapt teaching methods appropriately.