Exploring the Relationship Between Student Engagement, Twitter, and a Learning Management System: A Study of Undergraduate Marketing Students

Because student engagement is believed to be a predictor of academic achievement, there is significant interest in discovering methods that will improve and increase student engagement at all levels of education. This study investigated the relationship between digital and social media usage and student engagement. In particular, this study sought to investigate how adding (1) a learning management system (LMS) and (2) a dedicated marketing Twitter feed influenced the self-reported engagement levels of undergraduate marketing students. The results show that students were more engaged when the LMS and Twitter feed were used. Specifically, Twitter usage had a positive impact on engagement with a marketing course while LMS usage had a positive impact on engagement with the School of Business. Seniors significantly used the LMS more than underclassmen but there were no differences in Twitter usage between these groups. The results also showed that students were most engaged with their marketing course, followed by the College, and the School of Business respectively.