Supporting children’s engagement through learning experience design, situational interest, and user experience: implementing a blended learning math experience in the classroom

Abstract With the prevalence of digital technologies in the classrooms, educators continue to seek ways to augment traditional in-person teaching with the benefits of educational technologies, utilizing blended learning approaches. This study investigates the role of learning experience design (LXD) in supporting children’s engagement in blended, video-based math lessons on proportional reasoning. The research focuses on operationalizing LXD through the integration of instructional design (ID) techniques to promote situational interest (SI) and prioritize user experience (UX). By combining SI and UX principles, the aim is to foster student engagement in a blended classroom learning environment. The quantitative findings demonstrate significant correlations between students’ situational interests, user experience, and their level of course engagement. The results from the multiple regressions also showed that students’ situational interests and user experience significantly predicted their course engagement. The qualitative analysis highlights three key themes: the positive impact of Learning Experience Design on student engagement, the pedagogical value of employing multiple solution strategies by the teacher, and the influence of the blended course’s user experience on students’ learning journey. These mixed-method results provide practical insights for refining future designs, ensuring sustained active engagement and effective math learning within blended learning environments, and preparing for various instructional modalities, including traditional, online, and blended formats.