As web-based teaching and learning has become more widely used in academia, more research is need... more As web-based teaching and learning has become more widely used in academia, more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of online courses. This study is an attempt to add to the literature on interaction in web environments as well as the literature exploring instructor-centered and learner-centered as an instructional strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of instructional strategy and communication mode on student learning and interaction in a web-based environment. The quasi-experimental design featured two treatment groups, instructor-centered and learner-centered to provide a comparative analysis of student learning and volume of interactions. The study included fifty-eight (58) participants in an undergraduate business program from a historically Black land-grant university located on the eastern shores of Maryland. The Web-CT course management system was used to create online learning delivery contexts for two sections of the face-to-face Business Communications course offered during the spring, 2003. The study examined a unit from the face-to-face course in the adjunct mode. The delivery of unit content and activities were introduced and guided by the instructor in the instructor-centered group, while participants in the learner-centered group were allowed to work at their own pace and become self-directed. Both treatment groups studied the same content and were provided the opportunity for appropriate and equal interactions with content, the instructor, and other students on a voluntary basis. Additionally, both treatment groups were provided the opportunity to contribute to the unit of study through the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. Data sources included a letter portfolio and objective test to analyze student learning and frequency calculations to determine the volume of interaction in the synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication. The analysis revealed: (1) no significant difference across treatment groups for student learning; (2) the volume of interactions within treatment groups was statistically significant with strong evidence to suggest that there is more activity with the asynchronous mode compared to the synchronous mode in both groups; and (3) the volume of interactions between treatments groups was not statistically significant.
Social media has become extremely popular among college students. It is estimated that several mi... more Social media has become extremely popular among college students. It is estimated that several million students across the globe use these resources for personal interactions on a daily basis. As Web-based technologies are designed to support the social architecture of a community, educators and researchers are exploring the integration of social media in education. As scholars explore these new online communities, it is necessary to examine the use of social media tools by students of color, a segment of the population that has historically experienced inequalities associated with the use of and access to technology. The current literature review reports on (a) the use of social media by students and faculty; (b) the integration of social media in traditional and distance learning environments; and (c) the pros and cons of using social media for academic practice. The published research provides evidence that faculty and students are amenable to using social media tools for teachin...
Assessment of student learning outcomes plays an important role in educational effectiveness, imp... more Assessment of student learning outcomes plays an important role in educational effectiveness, improvement, and sustainability that is increasingly being recognized and required by accrediting bodies (Buzzetto-More, 2006; Haken, 2006). A form of performance-based assessment that is growing in popularity and is heralded for its purposeful, dynamic, and integrated nature is the portfolio (Cooper, 1999; ePort, 2003; Paulson, Paulson, & Meyer, 1991). Electronic portfolios encourage students to engage in self reflection by providing a broad range of means for expressing the total learning experience as linked to standards and learning outcomes (AAHE, 2001; Barett, 2004; ePort, 2003; Martell & Calderon, 2005; Popper, 2005). They are an effective form of assessment that encourages students and educators to examine skills that may not be otherwise accessed using traditional means such as higher order thinking, communications, and collaborative abilities (Buzzetto-More, 2006; Wright, 2004). E...
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
Simulations have been shown to be an effective tool in traditional learning environments; however... more Simulations have been shown to be an effective tool in traditional learning environments; however, as distance learning grows in popularity, the need to examine simulation effectiveness in this environment has become paramount. A casual-comparative design was chosen for this study to determine whether students using a computer-based instructional simulation in hybrid and fully online environments learned better than traditional classroom learners. The study spans a period of 6 years beginning fall 2008 through spring 2014. The population studied was 281 undergraduate business students self-enrolled in a 200-level microcomputer application course. The overall results support previous studies in that computer simulations are most effective when used as a supplement to face-to-face lectures and in hybrid environments.
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
The authors present the results of a study conducted at a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, la... more The authors present the results of a study conducted at a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, land-grant university. A quasi-experimental design was chosen for this study to compare student performance in two different classroom environments, traditional versus flipped. The study spanned 3 years, beginning fall 2012 through spring 2015. The participants included 433 declared business majors who self-enrolled in several sections of the Management Information Systems course during the study. The results of the current study mirrored those of previous works as the instructional method impacted students’ final grade. Thus, reporting that the flipped classroom approach offers flexibility with no loss of performance when compared to traditional lecture-based environments.
Mobile Learning: Pilot Projects and Initiatives, 2010
Learning has always, since its conception thousands of years ago, been mobile in nature. In the e... more Learning has always, since its conception thousands of years ago, been mobile in nature. In the early 1800s the use of chalk and slate facilitated the ability to 'move'material, thus giving learning a mobility factor. This increased with the advent of printed textbooks in the 1900s. This natural mobility is enhanced through school field trips and outings that also require the student to move beyond a fixed classroom location. Current mobile and wireless technologies offer a solution to put learning back into its own sphere of mobility, thus, ...
As web-based teaching and learning has become more widely used in academia, more research is need... more As web-based teaching and learning has become more widely used in academia, more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of online courses. This study is an attempt to add to the literature on interaction in web environments as well as the literature exploring instructor-centered and learner-centered as an instructional strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of instructional strategy and communication mode on student learning and interaction in a web-based environment. The quasi-experimental design featured two treatment groups, instructor-centered and learner-centered to provide a comparative analysis of student learning and volume of interactions. The study included fifty-eight (58) participants in an undergraduate business program from a historically Black land-grant university located on the eastern shores of Maryland. The Web-CT course management system was used to create online learning delivery contexts for two sections of the face-to-face Business Communications course offered during the spring, 2003. The study examined a unit from the face-to-face course in the adjunct mode. The delivery of unit content and activities were introduced and guided by the instructor in the instructor-centered group, while participants in the learner-centered group were allowed to work at their own pace and become self-directed. Both treatment groups studied the same content and were provided the opportunity for appropriate and equal interactions with content, the instructor, and other students on a voluntary basis. Additionally, both treatment groups were provided the opportunity to contribute to the unit of study through the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. Data sources included a letter portfolio and objective test to analyze student learning and frequency calculations to determine the volume of interaction in the synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication. The analysis revealed: (1) no significant difference across treatment groups for student learning; (2) the volume of interactions within treatment groups was statistically significant with strong evidence to suggest that there is more activity with the asynchronous mode compared to the synchronous mode in both groups; and (3) the volume of interactions between treatments groups was not statistically significant.
Social media has become extremely popular among college students. It is estimated that several mi... more Social media has become extremely popular among college students. It is estimated that several million students across the globe use these resources for personal interactions on a daily basis. As Web-based technologies are designed to support the social architecture of a community, educators and researchers are exploring the integration of social media in education. As scholars explore these new online communities, it is necessary to examine the use of social media tools by students of color, a segment of the population that has historically experienced inequalities associated with the use of and access to technology. The current literature review reports on (a) the use of social media by students and faculty; (b) the integration of social media in traditional and distance learning environments; and (c) the pros and cons of using social media for academic practice. The published research provides evidence that faculty and students are amenable to using social media tools for teachin...
Assessment of student learning outcomes plays an important role in educational effectiveness, imp... more Assessment of student learning outcomes plays an important role in educational effectiveness, improvement, and sustainability that is increasingly being recognized and required by accrediting bodies (Buzzetto-More, 2006; Haken, 2006). A form of performance-based assessment that is growing in popularity and is heralded for its purposeful, dynamic, and integrated nature is the portfolio (Cooper, 1999; ePort, 2003; Paulson, Paulson, & Meyer, 1991). Electronic portfolios encourage students to engage in self reflection by providing a broad range of means for expressing the total learning experience as linked to standards and learning outcomes (AAHE, 2001; Barett, 2004; ePort, 2003; Martell & Calderon, 2005; Popper, 2005). They are an effective form of assessment that encourages students and educators to examine skills that may not be otherwise accessed using traditional means such as higher order thinking, communications, and collaborative abilities (Buzzetto-More, 2006; Wright, 2004). E...
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
Simulations have been shown to be an effective tool in traditional learning environments; however... more Simulations have been shown to be an effective tool in traditional learning environments; however, as distance learning grows in popularity, the need to examine simulation effectiveness in this environment has become paramount. A casual-comparative design was chosen for this study to determine whether students using a computer-based instructional simulation in hybrid and fully online environments learned better than traditional classroom learners. The study spans a period of 6 years beginning fall 2008 through spring 2014. The population studied was 281 undergraduate business students self-enrolled in a 200-level microcomputer application course. The overall results support previous studies in that computer simulations are most effective when used as a supplement to face-to-face lectures and in hybrid environments.
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
The authors present the results of a study conducted at a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, la... more The authors present the results of a study conducted at a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, land-grant university. A quasi-experimental design was chosen for this study to compare student performance in two different classroom environments, traditional versus flipped. The study spanned 3 years, beginning fall 2012 through spring 2015. The participants included 433 declared business majors who self-enrolled in several sections of the Management Information Systems course during the study. The results of the current study mirrored those of previous works as the instructional method impacted students’ final grade. Thus, reporting that the flipped classroom approach offers flexibility with no loss of performance when compared to traditional lecture-based environments.
Mobile Learning: Pilot Projects and Initiatives, 2010
Learning has always, since its conception thousands of years ago, been mobile in nature. In the e... more Learning has always, since its conception thousands of years ago, been mobile in nature. In the early 1800s the use of chalk and slate facilitated the ability to 'move'material, thus giving learning a mobility factor. This increased with the advent of printed textbooks in the 1900s. This natural mobility is enhanced through school field trips and outings that also require the student to move beyond a fixed classroom location. Current mobile and wireless technologies offer a solution to put learning back into its own sphere of mobility, thus, ...
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