The effect of class session length on student performance,homework, and instructor evaluations in an introductory accounting course

The author examines the effect of class format on student performance, time spent on homework, and instructor evaluations. The findings are unique and add to a limited body of literature. Each group comprised similar undergraduate students who received the same number of instructional hours, same assignments and were taught by the same instructor. Students in the one-day-a-week class performed significantly better than students in the two-days-a-week class. Students in the one-day-a-week class spent more time on online homework, although the difference was not statistically significant. Differences in instructor evaluation ratings were nominal.     

Performance differences between face-to-face and online students in economics

The author analyzes differences in student performance in an economics course offered face to face (F2F) and online over a period of four semesters at a comprehensive public university. Apart from mode of delivery, the characteristics of the course stayed nearly identical throughout. Exam and homework assignment scores are used as measures of performance. Although mean comparisons and basic regressions indicate that online students outperform F2F students on exams, once self-selection is addressed, online students no more outperform F2F students. Furthermore, according to assessments that gauge higher levels of learning, there is evidence that online students underperform compared with F2F students.     

Undergraduate business students’ perceptions about engagement

Student perceived engagement and student perceived learning are important concepts in today’s higher education classroom environment. Examining engagement from the students’ perspective is an important aspect to understand more about this multidimensional construct as a tool for active learning. A survey was administered to undergraduate business students to gain insight into multiple factors influencing perceived engagement. Students felt that engagement was enhanced by discussion of current events, positive instructor demeanor, and putting effort into course content. The survey revealed four groups of variables: student connection, pedagogical methods, classroom environment, and student motivation. Multidimensionality of this construct was supported, as well as the need to understand engagement from the learners’ perspective.     

The role of frequent short exams in improving student performance in hybrid global business classes

The authors investigate whether frequent in class exams can improve the performance of students in hybrid global business courses. An experiment was conducted in three hybrid sections of a global business course exposing students to short in class exams. The expectation of a short exam forces students to watch the online lectures and study the course material. By having more prepared students, the professor can devote class time to discussing international business issues. This results in significantly higher student performance. The performance of 182 students was examined and the results show significant improvements for all groups.     

Assessment of learning in business education: Standardized or homegrown?

The author gives an overview of typical learning outcomes in business education and assessment instruments that help measure and test these outcomes. Using data from a recently accredited program the author investigated the determinants of performance on assessment exams to help identify and evaluate differences between homegrown and standardized assessment instruments. The results indicate that performance on assessment exams whether standardized or homegrown is significantly related to the general performance of the students in the program. Accordingly, the ultimate choice of the instrument boils down to 2 important variables: the match between exam objectives and institutional objectives and the total cost of the instrument.     

Authentic simulated startups: Bringing the real world into the classroom

In this changing world, college graduates require new skills to be successful in jobs that may not yet exist. The authors describe an innovative instructional approach to teaching organizational behavior grounded in Kolb’s model of experiential learning and problem-based learning. Specifically, the sample class is scaffolded across the semester by having student teams create and remain part of an authentic simulated startup business and engage in continual reflection. Data come from surveys of 151 undergraduates across six semesters. Students report developing the ability to work on a team and with diverse people, gaining an understanding of oneself, and learning about real-world business.     

Developing a Learning Community Approach to Business Ethics Education

In this paper we discuss a project, still in progress, that moves away from a traditional lecture based educational pedagogy. We present a team taught approach to ethics teaching that embraces a progressive philosophy of education and is focused on the development of a discussion based learning community. We describe our primary pedagogical tools of case discussion and the development of student expert role assignments as a locus, and how they relate to the learning community, course content and course objectives. Finally, we provide our preliminary review of outcomes and emerging issues.     

Achieving Synergy from Synergogy

In face of growing public disaffection with American business and American business schools, business faculty need techniques to improve student learning and performance. Unfortunately, most of the new teaching techniques designed to improve student learning are detrimental to student-teacher relationships. This study applied two Synergogy teaching methodologies to an International Business course, and the results were improved student performance as well as improved student evaluations of teacher performance.     

Does a Student’s Personality Influence Global Attentiveness and Internationalism in an International Business Course?

Learning outcomes for international business (IB) courses are designed to do more than simply impart IB knowledge. However, past studies have had mixed results on the impact of learning in IB courses. This study examines whether a student’s personality may affect learning outcomes. The results suggest that after completing an IB course, students become more interested in keeping up with important international issues (i.e., global attentiveness) and also benefit from a stronger global outlook (i.e., internationalism). The Big Five personality trait, openness to experience, partially affected these learning outcomes. Students in our study with a high degree of openness to experience were the most global attentive before and after taking the IB course. However, openness to experience levels did not significantly influence levels of internationalism. Implications of this study and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

National culture,effectuation, and new venture performance: global evidence from student entrepreneurs

Studies examining the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurial activity have largely ignored the influence of culture on individual decision-making. Recent years have witnessed considerable interest in cognitive logics employed by entrepreneurs. A growing body of literature examines factors contributing to the relative reliance on causal and effectual reasoning as entrepreneurs attempt to launch and grow new ventures, with evidence suggesting expert entrepreneurs engage more heavily in effectual reasoning than do novice entrepreneurs. The present study examines the mediating role of cognitive logic in explaining venture performance in differing cultural contexts. A series of hypotheses are tested using a sample of 3411 new ventures started by student entrepreneurs from 24 countries based on the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey. The findings indicate that both venture cognitive logics have positive effects on new venture performance and serve as mediators in the culture-performance relationship. Based on these findings, we conclude entrepreneurial reasoning is shaped not only by personal characteristics of entrepreneurs but also by aspects of the cultural context.     

Market Orientation,Learning Orientation and Product Innovation: Delving into the Organization's Black Box

Many scholars now agree that market orientation is necessary, but not sufficient to facilitate the type of innovation that breeds long-term competitive advantage (cf. Dickson, 1996). In addition to a strong market orientation, a firm must also be able to institutionalize higher order learning processes, the type of learning that enables radical innovation. Recent research (cf. Baker and Sinkula, 1999) has empirically established a synergistic effect of market orientation and learning orientation on organizational performance. This paper attempts to add to the literature by offering a more complete theoretical explanation of how these two constructs interact to affect product innovation capabilities. Three types of marketing firms are identified. Phase I firms learn primarily through modeling and are typically limited to manager-driven incremental innovation. Phase II firms learn primarily through adaptive learning and are typically limited to market-driven incremental innovation. Phase III firms engage in generative learning and pursue ongoing radical innovation. We propose that only Phase III firms are capable of maintaining competitive advantage in dynamic market environments.     

Students' Perception of the Ethical Business Climate: A Comparison With Leaders in the Community

Although undergraduate students are exposed to ethical issues through class assignments, discussions, and readings, they typically do not have first hand experience with business dilemmas. Student opinions on ethical standards and behavior in American business have received scant attention in the literature. The purpose of the study is to provide additional information to both educators and organizations about the ethical perceptions of students. Furthermore, the study contrasts student responses to business and community leaders' responses obtained in a prior study conducted by Touche Ross (1988). The findings from this study are based on an opinion survey about ethics in American business, completed by 476 liberal arts and business students attending a private, religiously affiliated college in New York State. The data indicate numerous differences in perceptions between students and business and community leaders. Differences were also found when students were classified by school (Arts &; Science versus Business) and by gender. Overall, students appear to place a strong value on education. Students are the source of new entrants to the business world and the foundation for ethical structures being built by organizations. The findings from this study should assist both educators and employers in the development of necessary programs to maximize the ethical potential of their constituents.     

Student Reports and Faculty Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty

As college students prepare for the businessworld, what they learn as acceptable behavioron campus may well inform their expectations ofacceptable behavior in their professionallives. Numerous studies have reported thatmost college students admit to cheating onmultiple occasions (e.g., McCabe and Trevino,1993; Sims, 1993; McCabe, Trevino andButterfield, 1996, 1999). Furthermore,studies have linked academic integrity withethical business practices (McCabe, Trevinoand Butterfield, 1996; Sims, 1993). Oneapproach to reducing academic dishonesty hasbeen the student honor code. Such codes havebeen on the rise for the last decade (Pavelaand McCabe, 1993). Honor codes have been usedas a teaching tool to underscore the importanceof professional ethics among business students(Kidwell, 2001).In the effort to establish a culture ofacademic integrity, a university must firstunderstand the current state. This paperdiscusses a two-year study at a small liberalarts university without an honor code at thepresent time. Students were surveyed abouttheir cheating behaviors as well as theirreceptiveness to an honor code. Over seventypercent of the students surveyed reported thatthey were habitual cheaters, i.e., they hadcheated on exams, plagiarized papers, orcommitted other forms of academic dishonesty onmultiple occasions. A survey similar to thatadministered to students was subsequentlyadministered to faculty in order to determinetheir understanding of student cheating norms. This paper compares the student and facultyperceptions, and the prospects for an honorcode at the university are also explored.     

Perceived value of interactive digital textbook and adaptive learning: Implications on student learning effectiveness

The authors studied the perceived value of an interactive digital textbook LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY) and examined its implications on adaptive learning and student learning effectiveness. Constructionism and constructivism provided the theoretical foundation. Data were collected from an American public university over three semesters. Multiple regression analysis results show that LearnSmart improves students’ perceived competency and their satisfaction with LearnSmart, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart. In addition, perceived value of LearnSmart varies across different course delivery formats and devices, while perceived challenge has no influence on perceived value. Pedagogical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Using current consumer issues to involve students in research

The value of involving students in research has been well documented. By including students in research, active and independent learning opportunities are provided, the importance of inquiry and investigation is emphasized, and connections between course material and the discipline become evident. Relevant opportunities for involving students in research projects can sometimes be elusive. Faculty time constraints limit the number of projects that can be undertaken and the number of students involved. Furthermore, many students become intimidated when told that they are required to carry out a research project. The purpose of this study was to use current consumer issues to involve undergraduate students in a relevant research project. The research project was implemented in class settings with teams of students. Faculty selected contemporary consumer issues based upon perceived student interest and experiences as consumers. By using issues of high relevance and familiarity to students and using the team approach within a course that faculty members were already assigned to teach, the issues of time constraint for the faculty members and increased levels of comfort for students were addressed. Prior to undertaking the project, students were instructed in appropriate research methods. Research methods utilized included student development of survey instruments, collection and recording of data, interpretation of data and presentation of results. Students became familiar with various research practices. By working as team members, the students’ comfort level for being involved in research increased; however, other common group challenges arose. Relevant, contemporary consumer issues carry high relevance and interest for student groups, helping generate enthusiasm for the research process. The focus on involving students in research continues to be emphasized. By using research topics related to student's experiences as consumers, students are more readily engaged in undertaking research projects. Through these relevant research projects, students’ consumer decision making is positively impacted.     

The case of flow and learning revisited

Many business schools are criticized for being ineffective in helping students learn proper management skills and knowledge. Flow theory has been cited as being helpful in many learning environments in that flow experience can enhance student learning. The authors conducted a study of 315 students in an undergraduate operations management (OM) class to assess learning outcomes and flow experience. Results show that student learning performance and flow are related. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided.     

Higher Education Students' Attitudes Towards Experiential Learning in International Business

Using qualitative and quantitative analysis this paper presents a teaching model based on experiential learning in a large ‘International Business’ unit. Preliminary analysis of 92 student evaluations determined the effectiveness of experiential learning to allow students to explore the association between theory and practice. The analysis of the student responses identify that the students were able to complete all four stages of Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI), the components of experience, critical reflection, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, through the participation in experiential activities in this unit.The cognitive and affective experiences of students learning were measured using a battery of 15 Likert scale items. The scores for all the 15 items were found to be significantly above the scale midpoint of 3 validating a positive learning experience. The respondents were strongly of the opinion that the experiential learning activities helped them learn (Cognitive) and they liked participating in the activity (Affective). The attitudinal scores of Asian students were compared to the other students and a significant difference was found in only one of the 15 attitudinal items of the likert scale administered to the students. The Asian students found experiential activities material too complex as opposed to the other students.     

Teaching information technology alongside business analytics: Case study

Business analytics can be described as the statistical analysis of data to make decisions and meaningful conclusions. As the demand to advance the curriculum of undergraduate business education increases, courses in business analytics aim to provide students with fundamental skills in critical thinking. Educators have found that spreadsheet applications that include statistical features are easy to use and facilitate student learning. The authors analyzed student performance in an introductory business analytics course that used Microsoft Excel as a statistical tool by comparing scores from this introductory course with those from an information technology course in which only Excel skills were learned.     

LearnSmart,adaptive teaching,and student learning effectiveness: An empirical investigation

Facing the growing number of digital natives entering the classroom, business professors look for innovative ways to enhance the student learning experience. The authors focus on the online interactive learning tool LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill, New York, NY), and examine its impact on student learning effectiveness by testing the direct and indirect relationships among perceived competence, perceived challenge, instructors, perceived value, and satisfaction with LearnSmart. Constructionism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. About 215 students at a public university in the United States took the survey and 197 valid responses were received. Regression analysis results showed that the use of LearnSmart improved students' perceived competency, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart, as well as their satisfaction with LearnSmart. Perceived value was also found to mediate the impact of perceived competency on satisfaction with LearnSmart, and the instructor played a significant role in facilitating and improving student learning. Perceived challenge impacted student's perceived value of using LearnSmart, but it did not influence satisfaction with LearnSmart.