Abstract:
Introduction
Online learning is a progressively becoming a standard practice in nursing education. It is
crucial for university instructors to prioritize enhancing engagement among undergraduate
nursing students in their online courses. However, the studies about the perceptions of online
learning engagement strategies among the undergraduate nursing students at the University of
Rwanda are limited. Thus, the aim of this study is to find out how the undergraduate nursing
students at the University of Rwanda perceive online learning engaging strategies
Methods
The study used cross sectional design with quantitative method. Data from 288 undergraduate
nursing students from three campuses (Rwamagana, Remera and Huye) of University of
Rwanda were used to assess their perceptions on the various online learning engagement
strategies. The research questionnaire was designed in google form and a link to the
questionnaire was distributed to the study participants through WhatsApp messenger service.
Data were analyzed by SPSS version 28. Descriptive statistics was utilized to analyze
participants’ demographic characteristics while independent sample t-test was used to test
effect of online learning engagement strategies and participant demographics. The results
were presented in tables.
Findings
The findings indicated that undergraduate nursing students have positive perception towards
engagement with collaborative work using online communication tools for academic tasks.
The majority of respondents (61.1%) agreed that they often work collaboratively with their
peers using online tools, such as for case studies and projects. Similarly, a significant
percentage of participants reported frequent interaction with peers through student
presentations. However, certain activities, such as posting audio and/or video files in threaded
discussions, received lower engagement scores. The participants highly valued (M=4.18,
SD=0.963) the instructor's creation of a course orientation, as it provided them with an
overview of the course structure, expectations, and resources. Furthermore, the study
revealed that students actively utilized optional online resources to gather further knowledge,
indicating their motivation and initiative in seeking supplementary materials for enhanced
learning.
Conclusion
This aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of three online learning engagement
strategies: learner to learner, learner to instructor, and learner to content interaction. The
findings revealed that students highly value collaborative work and frequently interact with
their peers through student presentations. The participants also placed significant value on the
instructor's creation of a course orientation, which helps familiarize students with the course
structure and available resources. Moreover, the majority of students actively utilized
optional online resources to develop deeper into topics, showcasing their motivation and
initiative to enhance their learning experience.
