EXPLORING LEARNING ENGAGEMENT FACTORS INFLUENCING BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE, AND EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND CHALLENGES IN LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become central to modern education, offering flexible and interactive platforms for delivering content. Yet, fostering behavioral, cognitive, and emotional student engagement within these systems remains a persistent challenge. This study conducts a comprehensive literature review to examine the factors influencing student engagement in LMS environments and to identify key obstacles. As expected, factors such as intuitive user interface design, timely instructor feedback, and the inclusion of interactive content were consistently associated with higher engagement, which aligns with common pedagogical understanding. More surprisingly, the review highlights the critical impact of less obvious factors, including psychological elements like peer support, intrinsic motivation, and the perceived relevance of tasks, which are often underemphasized in LMS design. Additionally, challenges such as cognitive overload, limited personalization, and inadequate scaffolding mechanisms emerged as significant barriers to effective engagement. This paper contributes by mapping out the existing research landscape and offering practical insights for educators, LMS developers, and institutional stakeholders. It underscores the importance of a holistic, student-centered approach to LMS implementation that goes beyond technical functionality to address the diverse needs of learners.