Is Distance Education Fun? The Implications of Undergraduates’ Epistemological Beliefs for Improving Their Engagement and Satisfaction with Online Learning

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

The paper examines how undergraduates’ epistemological beliefs shape engagement and satisfaction in online distance education, with a focus on enjoyment. It synthesizes research review findings showing links between epistemological beliefs and academic success, while highlighting that distance-education epistemology remains under-studied. To address this gap, an empirical questionnaire study uses data from 550 distance learners and applies principal component analysis to identify beliefs significantly associated with online studying enjoyment. The discussion connects beliefs about “fun” in materials and activities to higher education design decisions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Epistemological beliefs and academic outcomes

Context of COVID-19 and online distance education

Evidence on the link between beliefs and learning strategies

Subject-discipline differences and “epistemic match”

Fun and enjoyment as a learning factor

Study aims and structure

Is Distance Education Fun? The Implications of Undergraduates’ Epistemological Beliefs for Improving Their Engagement and Satisfaction with Online Learning By Kieron Sheehy ∗, Abigail Mclanachan±, Ale Okada °, Mimi Tatlow-Golden • & Stephen Harrison ♦ The epistemological beliefs of students are an important area for higher education research. This paper firstly reports on a research review concerning the impact of epistemological beliefs on academic outcomes. This review indicates that students’ epistemological beliefs are an influence on their engagement with learning and academic success, and that educators should consider them in developing learning experiences. This issue became particularly pertinent in the context of a global pandemic that necessitated an international trend in moving to online distance education, where student disengagement is more likely to occur. However, research into distance education students’epistemological beliefs emerged as an under-researched field. Consequently, an empirical questionnaire study was conducted with data collected from 550 distance education students. A principal component analysis indicated that particular epistemological beliefs were significantly associated with students’enjoyment of studying online. Their beliefs regarding the role of fun in online learning materials and activities are discussed, and the usefulness of considering fun and epistemological beliefs as factors within distance learning in higher education is highlighted. Keywords: epistemological beliefs, higher education, fun, online learning, academic success Introduction Many universities across the world responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing their online teaching provision. However, online higher education is a context in which the number of students who fail to complete is significantly higher than found in traditional university settings (Woodley & Simpson, 2013) . Therefore, there has been an increased need, worldwide, to understand how best to ∗Professor of Education, Rumpus Research Group, School of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. ±Researcher, Rumpus Research Group, School of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. ° Senior Research Fellow, Rumpus Research Group, School of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. •Senior Lecturer, Rumpus Research Group, School of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. ♦Staff Tutor, Rumpus Research Group, School of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. ensure the success of higher education (HE) students studying online. One potential influence concerns students’ epistemological beliefs. Epistemology concerns the theory and study of knowledge and epistemological beliefs are people’s beliefs about some aspect of knowledge (Schraw, 2013). These beliefs, for example, might be about notions of ability, and the extent to which the a person’s ability to learn is genetically determined or can be enhanced through education and experience (Schommer-Aikins & Hutter, 2002) or the extent to which learning is the process of a simple transmission of information (OECD, 2009). Research has been carried out on the epistemological beliefs of higher education students, and how they develop, for at least 50 years (Richardson, 2013). Research has also investigated the relationship between students’ personal epistemological beliefs and their behaviour and judgements concerning real life issues (Schommer-Aikins & Hutter, 2002; Sheehy, Budiyanto, Kaye, & Rofiah, 2017). There is evidence to suggest that students’ personal epistemological beliefs are reflected in the strategies they use in their academic studies, and that undergraduate students’ epistemological beliefs might be a predictor of both their academ

FAQs

What is the main research focus of the paper?

The paper investigates how undergraduates’ epistemological beliefs relate to engagement, satisfaction, and academic success in online distance learning, especially through students’ enjoyment.

Why is the topic considered especially relevant during the pandemic?

The paper notes that the global shift to online distance education during a pandemic increases the likelihood of student disengagement, making it important to understand factors influencing success.

How was the study conducted and what was analyzed?

It used an empirical questionnaire with responses from 550 distance education students, and a principal component analysis examined associations between specific epistemological beliefs and students’ enjoyment of studying online.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran