Measuring cognitive engagement through interactive, constructive, active and passive learning activities

Among previous work on the benefits of active learning and engagement strategies when implemented in engineering learning environments, Chi's interactive, constructive, active and passive (ICAP) framework provided a way of categorizing learning activities. ICAP hypothesizes students' cognitive processing increases as they engage in active learning activities. The ICAP framework focuses on observable overt learning activities instructors can implement within their classrooms to increase student engagement and deep learning. With interactive activities being the most desirous of the four, Chi characterizes the various ways in which classroom activities span the passive to interactive continuum. The ICAP framework describes cognitive processing as being at its highest when students engage in meaningful dialogue about the topic with their peers and/or instructor. However, while Chi and colleagues operationalized each construct of the framework and subsequent theories of the level of student engagement, there is a lack in the development of instruments that can measure the level of cognitive engagement associated with these constructs. Consequently, this study is aimed at operationalizing the construct of cognitive engagement. This is the first phase in our attempt to develop an instrument that can be used to measure the cognitive processes associated with each construct of the ICAP framework.