Pseudo social media classrooms: Student perceptions of engagement techniques in an online academic literacy class

Abstract

the academic literacy (AL) class, fostering engagement between educators and students in the online environment is challenging. However, students are familiar with game shows and social media, where they are used to sharing opinions and expressing themselves. Therefore, simulation of this in the online AL classroom may provide a solution to low participation rates. When combined with social constructivism, in which student interaction is key to learning, the tools on an online platform may assist educators in enhancing engagement and the acquisition of AL skills. In popular game shows, there is a powershift when the audience gains more control through participation, which improves the ratings of game shows (Enli & Ihlebæk, 2011). This tactic of audience participation can be applied to online learning with tools (such as Polls, Like, and Mic and Chat functions), especially in AL where student expression is so important. By applying these tactics, students may experience a sense of community which increases engagement and vital AL skills. Thus, this paper demonstrates how the simulation of game shows and social media can enhance student engagement and AL skills in an online classroom. To achieve this goal, student perceptions were analysed, following a convergent parallel mixed methods approach.