Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 57 - Gender differences in online participation: examining a History and a Mathematics Open Foundation online course

Oct 15, 2026

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 57 Number 2 July 2017 analyzes gender differences in online participation within University of Newcastle’s Open Foundation enabling program. The study compares male and female students’ engagement in two subject areas—History and Mathematics—using enrollment and completion data and examining online behavior, time spent online, and student results. It investigates whether low or no online interaction hinders retention or affects genders and subjects differently, and explores factors such as understanding Blackboard use and engagement patterns that support successful course completion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature on gender and online learning

Motivation and self-regulation

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 57, Number 2, July 2017 Gender differences in online participation: examining a History and a Mathematics Open Foundation online course Annette Morante Valerie Djenidi Helene Clark Susan West Newcastle University With enrolment and completion rates in the University of Newcastle’sonline Open Foundation enabling program being considerably higher for women than for men, this case study investigates the engagement of male and female students in two different subject areas. History and Mathematics students’ online behaviour is examined to identify whether they differ and if there is a correlation between time spent online and student results. Is low-level, or no online interaction a problem or does it differ for the two genders, and the two subjects? It is generally accepted that women engage more but does this lead to higher results for them? Students do not always appreciate how different the world of online learning is, and, in addition, some experience difficulties in understanding how to use Blackboard effectively. By examining students’ online engagement we seek to identify the behaviours that lead to retention of students and ultimately to their successful completion of the program. Gender differences in online participation: examining a History anda Mathematics Open Foundation online course 267 Keywords: gender, Blackboard, Higher Education, online learning, online participation Introduction As learning and technology intersect in tertiary institutions worldwide, implications about the ways women and men engage in online learning environments have become an important issue to examine. The growth of online courses requires researchers of higher education to consider how their students engage and find ways that ensure the learning environment can be successful for all. As lecturers, we were concerned that our students were not participating in the online courses as much as we had anticipated. We also noticed there were differences between how men and women were engaging with their course and each other. Further, research about enabling online education is limited, with little research on the ways men and women engage in online enabling courses. This case study will examine the differences in how men and women engage in two online Open Foundation courses; Mathematics and Australian History in their first semester of their courses. We seek to understand the engagement patterns of male and female students who are new to online university study, and to examine how engagement of both genders drops off as the semester progresses. The first aim in studying the literature was to examine how men and women learn in the online environment and to discover if gender differences observed in the two cohorts of enabling students at the University of Newcastle were similar to the differences other researchers had found. McKnight-Tutein and Thackaberry (2011) asserted there was a strong body of evidence that suggested women learned differently from men, which made women inherently more successful in the online learning environment. They believed that women were uniquely positioned to be effective learners because they used affective learning methods that allowed them to learn in relational ways by drawing on connections. Further, a study conducted in 2002-2004 with 191 learners at Open University UK indicated that,“women’s access to technology and enrolment on the online version of the course was comparable to men’s”(Price, 2006: 353). This study also found that women were significantly 268 Annette Morante, Valerie Djenidi, Helene Clark and Susan West more academically successful in the online version of the course than men, and a greater percentage of women than men completed the course. Similarly, a survey of 406 university students between the ages of 18 and 39 years old, found that female students were more receptive to online learning than male students (Selwyn, 2007) .

FAQs

What does the case study examine about gender differences in online learning?

It investigates how male and female students engage in two online Open Foundation courses—Mathematics and Australian History—and whether differences appear in online behavior and outcomes.

How do the authors connect online engagement with retention and completion?

By examining students’ online engagement patterns and identifying behaviors associated with retention and ultimately successful completion of the program.

What role does Blackboard use and online interaction play in the study?

The study notes that students may experience difficulties using Blackboard effectively and considers whether low-level or no online interaction is a problem, and whether it differs by gender and subject.

Oct 15, 2026

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