Visual and Verbal Engagement of Higher Education Students in Videoconferencing
Given that videoconferencing serves as a crucial means for remote teaching, the current study investigated higher education students’ (non)use of webcams and engagement in synchronous online courses. Three phases were studied: (1) A state of engagement; (2) antecedents that influence it; and (3) consequences of engagement. In particular, the aim of the study was to describe the status quo of students’ situation-specific engagement and to analyze potential factors contributing to it, namely, course characteristics, behavior of others, and individuals’ perceptions. Furthermore, the extent to which verbal and visual engagement influence each other was investigated. The cross-sectional online survey encompassed 4,143 students from all fields of studies of a comprehensive university. Results indicated that visual and verbal engagement were only slightly related to each other. Structural equation modelling revealed different direct and indirect influences on either visual or verbal engagement in synchronous online higher education courses. Due to the novelty of the research scope, results of this study provide a foundation for further investigation.