Improving the tracking of student participation and effort in online learning

Much research into educational technology is focused on tools for supporting teaching and learning. In contrast to this work, relatively little research is conducted into technology that tracks student participation and effort. No matter how good the educational technology, learning is dependent on a sufficient input of effort from the student. Most Learning Management Systems have some tools for tracking students, but they are currently difficult to use and underused by instructors. This chapter examines the importance of tracking in student management, reviews attempts to improve the quality of tracking tools, and suggests paths for future research based on the deficiencies in current tools.