USING INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION AMONG STUDENTS

As teams have become more important in organizations, a similar emphasis on collaboration has grown in business schools and IS programs. Yet teachers often struggle with how best to teach students to work collaboratively and how to assess the affect of instruction designed to promote collaboration. In this study, we examine the impact of instructional methods and information technology on student learning styles using the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Styles Scales, with an emphasis on assessing students’ preference for working collaboratively. Specifically, we look at (1) measuring a student’s preference for collaboration as a learning style and (2) assessing how specific instructional methods and the use of information technology affect a student’s learning preference for collaboration. The results of the study show that students’ preference for collaboration can significantly increase through specific instructional strategies coupled with the appropriate integration of information technology.