Building a Framework for the Influence of Digital Content on Student Course Engagement

Grounded in the Motivated Learning Strategies Model, this paper proposes a testable framework to explore how access to digital information impacts learning through examining the mediating factor of engagement. While the implications of patterns of behavior on learning and learning outcomes are significant, we first must understand what drives students to engage with their course content in the first place. In this paper, we propose to explore whether students perceive electronic content delivery (engaging e-textbooks, YouTube videos, Ted Talks, professor-presented video lectures, etc.) will improve their likelihood of engagement with the material. The purpose of this paper is to present the framework for a testable model examining the impact of digital, open educational resources (OER) on student engagement and involvement in learning.