In reviewing the research study by Shelley Evans, Sara Robertson, Thomas Dyer, and John Steele, I am quite impressed by the thorough job they have done in their literature review on the topic as they set the stage for their research.  As an online instructor, I can validate many of the findings reported.

With regard to their research study protocol, I appreciate the clean design of the personalized versus non-personalized post headings.  I like the four group delineation with the timeframe utilized. I wonder if there might have been any impact of awareness on the instructors for the non-personalized courses, that might have skewed the data somewhat as a possible source of error.

Otherwise, I found this research study to be a valuable contribution to the literature in online learning and it will assist me as I move forward as an online instructor.  I do find that my engagement and customization does impact the student engagement.  

The work of Evans, Robertson, Dyer, and Steele, is solid and paves the way for future research perhaps at the graduate level to see if there may be a difference with online students at the undergraduate versus graduate level.  

Regards,

Gloria Bravo-Gutiérrez, Ph.D.

Hello Dr. Bravo-Gutierrez,

Thank you for commenting on our manuscript. We agree that personalization in the online classroom does lead to greater engagement. That being said we were surprised by the outcomes. As we noted in our Implications section posting may have increased due to students needing clarification. Thank you for your recommendations in comparing undergrad and grad students. This could be a very interesting extension.

Tom