Association between Student Achievement and Engagement in Computer-Enhanced Instruction in Mathematics

Learning analytics has provided significant insights on how students learn in a computer-enhanced environment. The present study investigated the association between the math achievement of 43 4th grade pupils and their extent of engagement to a math computer program. Achievement test scores were correlated with learning analytics data from the program. Results revealed that pupils spend an average of 539 minutes in the computer with 460 minutes spent engaging with the program. An average of 26 minutes was recorded as wasted time. For an entire year, an average of 43 topics were mastered, 3182 problems were attempted to be answered, and 460 worksheets were successfully completed by the pupils. Further, it was found out that the engagement time of the pupils either to the computer (r=0.289) or to the program (r=0.259) did not significantly associate with their math achievement. Rather, the number of topics mastered (r=0.420), total points earned (r=0.386), number of problems attempted (r=0.317), and worksheets completed (r=0.305) proved to have significant relationship with the math achievement of the pupils. The results enrich previous studies highlighting the association between student engagement and achievement in computer-enhanced environments. Results emphasize that it is not the mere engagement time that may impact student achievement, but rather, the quality of activities that they engage into.