Marketing Web-Assisted Courses for Business Education : An Examination of Two Sections of Principles of

This research investigates student responses to two technologically different teaching methods for two sections of a Principles of Marketing course. A traditional method of teaching using lectures, in-class discussions, assignments, and exams is compared to a " Web-assisted " method in which 7 of the 14 class sessions met asynchronously online. Overall, students were more satisfied with the traditional course, preferred the traditional format, and felt the course was more effective in developing their skills and course knowledge. In addition, students in the traditional class felt that the course helped them develop their skills, including team building, critical thinking, oral and written communications, global perspective, and social interaction. Student performance on a comprehensive final exam was not, however, significantly different between the two sections. Implications for those considering such hybrid courses are provided for both faculty and administration. Distance education, delivering courses via the Internet or through interactive video, is becoming an increasingly popular method for educating students remotely and is expected to continue to grow at a rate of about 20% (Allen and Seaman 2003). In 2002, 81% of higher education providers offered at least one online course, and 34% had complete online degree programs (Conhaim 2003). As the top universities continue to adopt distance learning, it gains credibility as an instructional method while reducing cost of delivery and geographic limitations. It is, however, important to determine the appropriateness of such offerings because some faculty and some students may prefer traditional methods of teaching and learning. Virtual learning environments have certain advantageous characteristics including interactivity and direct feedback, media enhancements, the opportunity for students to learn at their own pace, sharing among students, and the potential for flexibility (Huang 2000). Integration of technology and learning is believed to lead to more student participation and teamwork, and to even higher test scores (Jones 1999; Sweeney and Ingram 2001; Ueltschy 2001). Numerous sources discuss the benefits of integrating technology into the marketing curriculum. Benbunan-Fich et al. (2001) developed a comprehensive framework for creating a technologically rich platform for the Principles of Marketing course, and Eastman and Swift (2001) offered suggestions for delivering online marketing education. The general consensus is, however, that information technology is a tool that can be used to enhance learning and problem solving but is not effective in the absence of learning goals. Distance learning has some limitations. First, online classes have high dropout rates because students may …

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