Students’ Behavior When Connecting to the LMS: A Case Study at UNED

One of the main advantages of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in distance or online education, is the information that could be obtained regarding the activity of students during the learning process. At the same time, the advantages for students are clear since ICTs allow them to access to information on the courses they follow from anywhere at any time. Knowing how students connect to the Learning Management System (LMS) could help professors to better schedule online activities during the day, the week or throughout the academic year, as well as to determine the tools they need to log in, etc. This behavior could be different depending on several parameters. The aim of this study is to find differences with other studies and possible patterns of students when connecting to the LMS, specifically with task-based methodologies, in order to have information that could help professors, as mentioned. The results show that the number of connections (log sessions) to LMS is lower than in studies using other methodologies. Furthermore, the average connection time (session) per student is also shorter. Moreover, students reduce their activity in the LMS as the academic year progresses or the years enrolled increase.