Manajemen | Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji 08832320209599078
Journal of Education for Business
ISSN: 0883-2323 (Print) 1940-3356 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vjeb20
Investigating the Benefits of Web-Centric
Instruction for Student Learning–An Exploratory
Study of an MBA Course
Michaela Driver
To cite this article: Michaela Driver (2002) Investigating the Benefits of Web-Centric Instruction
for Student Learning–An Exploratory Study of an MBA Course, Journal of Education for
Business, 77:4, 236-245, DOI: 10.1080/08832320209599078
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832320209599078
Published online: 31 Mar 2010.
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Investigating the Benefits of WebCentric Instruction for Student
Learning-An Exploratory Study
of an MBA Course
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MICHAELA DRIVER
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
M
y purpose in this study was to
investigate the effects of Webcentric instruction on students’ social
interaction, involvement with course
content, technical skills, and overall
learning experience. To accomplish this
goal, I first examined the forces driving
business schools to adopt new instructional technologies, particularly those
built around the Internet. Then I developed a conceptual framework that educational institutions such as business
schools may use to structure their own
learning processes as they adopt new
instructional technologies. Then I
undertook a semester-long exploratory
study focusing on the effects of Webcentric learning on various student outcomes in an MBA program.
ABSTRACT. In this article, the
author presents the results of an
exploratory study in which she surveyed students to examine the benefits
of Web-centric learning environments
for the quality of student learning.
More specifically, the author investigated the effects of Web-centric
instruction on the quality of students’
social interaction, involvement with
the course content, technical skills,
and overall learning experience. Preliminary results of this study, conducted in an MBA course, indicate that
students seemed to benefit positively
from the instructional methods used.
on their own to enhance student learning
through the Internet (Roach, 1999). In
fact, the strong push for technologyenhanced instruction has led some
researchers to predict that distance learning and traditional face-to-face instruction
will become indistinguishable in the
future (DuM, 2000). One author has predicted that “by the year 2025, at least 95%
of instruction in the United States will be
digitally enhanced” (Dunn, 2000, p. 36).
This shows that business schools, like
most educational institutions, are under
tremendous pressure to offer technologyenhanced instruction, which is why it is
critical that a process be adopted that allows them to do so while minimizing the
risks of failure. In this article, I show how
such a process can be applied and what
benefits the institution can hope to gain
for its students from experimentation with
precursors to fully Web-based instruction.
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Forces for Change in
Environments of Business
Schools
Powerful forces are driving business
schools toward adopting new instructional
technologies. Like other educational institutions, many business schools already
have embarked on substantial transformations, often without full preparation (Milliron, 1999). According to recent statistics,
U.S. universities currently offer over
54,000 courses online with an enrollment
of over 1.6 million students (Sistek-Chandler, 2000), and online education is
expected to grow from today’s $350-mil-
236
lion to a $Zbillion industry by the year
2003 (McGinn, 2000). These statistics
lend support to predictions that lifelong
learning is not just a passing trend but perhaps will be the driving force behind education in the future (Weber, 1999). As
more and more students, especially working professionals, turn to institutions of
higher education to keep pace with the
growing of the knowledge economy and
to “renew themselves continuously and
intellectually” (Horvath & Teles, 1999, p.
51), colleges and universities are struggling to embrace new computer-assisted
educational technologies to accommodate
the rising demand (Milliron,1999). Distance learning and instructional delivery
via the Internet have become strategic
planning concerns for institutions of higher education (Kessler & Keefe, 1999) as
more and more instructors are setting out
Journal of Education for Business
Technology-Enhanced
Instruction Within an
Organizational Learning
Framework
In this article, I examine technologyenhanced instruction within the framework of an organizational learning
approach to the adoption of such technology in educational institutions. This
framework encourages institutions to
follow an evolutionary pattern in the
adoption of new instructional technolo-
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gies: Institutions should move from a
Web-present stage to a Web-enhanced
stage, then to a Web-centric stage, and
finally to a Web-based stage (Driver,
2000). In the Web-present stage, the
institution uses any instructional delivery system in which the Internet is the
repository of logistical and peripheral
course information. In the Webenhanced stage, the instructional delivery system uses the Internet as a repository for course materials as well as for
student research and communication
(Driver). The Web-centric stage involves any instructional delivery system that uses the Internet (a) for every
purpose described in the Webenhanced stage and (b) as a key
resource to support communications
and the sharing of ideas among students and between students and their
instructor (Driver, 2000). Finally, the
Web-based stage involves any instructional delivery that uses the Internet
almost exclusively to provide course
materials and to facilitate all forms of
communication and idea exchanges
among students and between the students and their instructor (Driver).
Though students and their instructor
are likely to meet face-to-face in Webcentric learning environments, in Webbased environments they can work
entirely in different places and at different times-that is, asynchronously
and at a transactional distance (Driver).
The four stages of instructional
delivery can be viewed as a continuum
of organizational learning requirements with regard to the institution,
which adopts the instructional technology at each stage. This continuum
ranges from a minimal requirement for
new organizational learning in the
Web-present stage to an extensive
requirement in the Web-based stage
(Driver). The transition from the Webcentric to the Web-based stage may
involve the highest potential for failure
for any institution. Though many institutions are being pressured by increasing demand to rush to offer Web-based
programs (Milliron, 1999), spending
additional learning time in the Webcentric stage before doing so may significantly reduce the risk of failure
(Driver, 2000). An understanding of
how Web-centric instruction can bene-
fit students and of how students can be
assured that hoped-for benefits will
accrue at the precursor stage can help
institutions prepare for fully Webbased instruction. In this study, I present the results of two surveys focusing
on the effects of Web-centered instructional resources on the learning experience of students over the course of 1
semester.
Specifically, I collected data to investigate the effect of a Web-centric learning environment on the following
dimensions, which have been identified
previously as critical to student learning
at a transactional distance (Barbera,
2000; Moore & Kearsley, 1996; Porter,
1997; Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995;
Wegegrif, 1998):
today’s business organizations. It was
broadcast via two-way interactive television simultaneously to students at
four different locations. Though content
presented to students on the Web was
reviewed and discussed during the televised section, discussions on content
occurred mainly on the discussion
board; therefore, the course could be
described as Web-centric.
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Social interaction and the development of a community of learners among
students and between students and
instructor,
Student involvement with the subject matterkourse content,
Students’ development of technical
skills for using Internet-based learning
tools and communicating in electronic
environments, and
Overall class learning experience.
Course Details
Method
I designed an exploratory study to
measure, at least tentatively, the impact
of Web-centric learning environments
on student outcomes. My purpose was
strictly to see if expected student outcomes would indeed fall in the direction
indicated by prior research. I administered exploratory surveys to a group of
graduate students enrolled in an MBA
course entitled Managing Organizational Change. These students had never
had either an online course or significant prior experience with Web-centric
learning. The survey instrument consisted of 36 questions on 3-point Likerttype scales and 1 open-ended question
for additional comments. The survey
was administered twice, during the 1st
and the last 2 weeks of class, to a total
of 38 students. If any individual student
failed to complete the survey the 1st or
2nd time around, that student’s data
were eliminated from the final set of
usable responses. (See Appendix for a
list of the survey questions.) The surveys were anonymous, and the instructor did not have access to the results
until after the course was over and
grades turned in (an assistant checked
the responses and collected the data, so
that the students’ anonymity would be
completely preserved). Thirty-four students filled out the survey at both
administrations, resulting in 34 respondents who provided complete information out of an original 38.
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The course featured a Web site built
on a Blackboard platform and offered
the following resources to students: an
announcement page, an online syllabus,
lecture slides with audio comments,
online readings, links to other sites and
resources, audiohideo clips from previous student presentations, a student email roster, a general discussion board,
several group discussion boards for
work on group projects, and a chat
room. The course was designed with the
assumption that most of the courserelated interaction would take place at a
distance, with students conducting
course discussions from their own computers at home and at work or from
campus computer labs at their own
leisure and pace. The students were predominantly working professionals and
attended the MBA program on a parttime basis. The course was conducted
on the campus of a regional university
in the southeastern United States and
dealt with the management of change in
Results
I examined the study results with
regard to the effects of Web-centric
learning environments on four student
dimensions: social interaction, involvement with the course content, technical
skills, and overall learning experience.
MurcWApril2002
237
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TABLE 1. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
(occasionally,
response (very much,
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Social interaction
dimension ( N = 34)
How well do you know
the other students in
the class at this point?
To what extent do you
feel part of a learning
community in this
course at this point?
How comfortable would
you feel at this point to
exchange your views or
experiences with other
members of this class?
highly, a Zot) (%)
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
sometimes) (%)
never) (%)
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
0
29
62
62
38
9
1.6
2.2
36
15
76
70
21
15
3
2
2.7
35
32
76
53
18
15
6
2.1
2.7
29
56
68
32
24
12
9
2.4
2.6
8
%
How important do you
think it is that you
exchange ideas in
written format with
your classmates and
the instructor?
How well do you feel
that you know the
instructor at this point?
How comfortable would
you be asking the
instructor for help at
this point?
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0
56
53
38
47
6
1.5
2.5
67
59
88
41
12
0
0
2.6
2.9
12
The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Student Social
Interaction
Social interaction in a course encompasses both student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions and has
been identified as a critical dimension
of effective learning environments
(Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995; Wegegrif,
1998). In fact, the extent to which students and instructors are able to build a
community of learners will positively
affect the students’ involvement with
the course and the absorption and
application of concepts presented
(Wegegrif, 1998). A community of
learners refers to a group’s perception
that all members share the responsibility for teaching and learning and that
they can learn by freely sharing ideas
and experiences within the group
(Wegegrif).
The survey contained several ques-
238
Journal of Education for Business
tions asking students about their perceptions with regard to social interaction
and the development of a community of
learners within the class. In Table 1, I
show the results for these questions for
the first administration of the survey,
labeled “pre” for pretest, and for the
second administration, labeled “post”
for post test.
In Table 1, I present the responses to
the questions by percentage of respondents, the cumulative average response
for each question, and the percentage
differences between the first and second
administrations of the survey. I computed the cumulative average responses by
adding the point values for each respondent’s answer (e.g., a rating of “highly
effective” equaled three points on a 3point Likert-type scale) and dividing
that by the number of respondents. I
computed the percentage differences
between the pre-and posttest averages by
calculating the difference between the
pre-and posttest averages and then dividing it by the average for the pretest to
show the percentage by which responses
changed when compared with the beginning of the semester. According to the
data in Table 1, there was a noticeable
effect on students’ perceptions of the
level of social interaction in the class.
Prior to taking the class, students felt that
they did not know each other very well
and did not feel part of a learning community. By the end of the course, they
felt strongly that they knew each other
and were part of a community of learners. They also felt very comfortable with
exchanging their views with each other
and believed that they knew the instructor much better by the end of the class.
All of these results seem to indicate that
the Web-centric learning environment
had a positive effect on students’ social
interaction and that it indeed facilitated
the development of a community of
learners, as has been claimed in earlier
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TABLE 2. Percentages and Cumulative Averages From Second Survey Administration for Follow-Up Questions
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Survey 2: Follow-up
questions ( N = 34)
How much did the discussion activities
help you understand the material?
How much did the discussion activities
help you apply the materials?
How much did you learn from sharing
your experiences with other students
in this class on the discussion board?
How much did other students’experiences
and perspectives that you read about on
the discussion board enrich your
learning experience in this course?
How important was it that the instructor
was involved on a regular basis in the
discussion board activities?
How much did the instructor’sfacilitation
skills contribute to your feeling a part of
this learning community?
How comfortable were you about
contributing to the discussions?
How would you rate your involvement
with the course overall?
How much did the Internet resources allow
you to study more at your own pace?
How much did the Internet resources fit
with the way you study?
How much did the Internet resources
contribute to your being more involved
with this class?
How do you feel about this course overall?
How effective do you think the Web-based
format is compared with interactive
television?
research (Hiltz & Wellman, 1997;
Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995).
Some follow-up questions were also
asked at the second survey administration-that
is, after the students had
completed the course work (see Table
2). Responses to these follow-up questions also support the finding that the
Web-centric learning environments had
a positive effect on students’ social
interaction. I present these percentages
and cumulative averages in Table 2.
The data in Table 2 indicate that the
Web-centric instructional format in
which social interaction took place primarily via Internet-based resources was
an effective means for building a community of learners in this class. When
comparing the Web-based format with
Respondents
selecting a positive
response (very much,
Respondents
selecting the
“somewhat” response
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Cumulative
average
highly, a lot) (%)
(occasionally,
sometimes) (%)
62
32
2.6
65
29
2.6
59
35
2.5
71
24
5
2.6
85
6
9
2.8
88
6
6
2.8
74
15
11
2.6
82
15
3
2.8
65
24
11
2.5
65
15
20
2.4
68
85
21
9
11
6
2.6
2.8
44
41
15
2.3
interactive television, over 40% of the
respondents described the Web-based
format as highly effective and over 40%
described it as somewhat effective. This
response indicates that (a) interactive
television, though more resource
intense for the institution, is not necessarily a more effective tool for the delivery of distance education and (b) investments into less capital-intensive,
Web-based tools may have at least equal
or greater benefits for student learning.
Another apparent finding shown in
Table 2 is that the course format resulted in a significant level of student
involvement: Nearly 90% of the respondents rated their involvement with the
course as high. Because only 68% of the
respondents rated the Internet resources
as contributing to this involvement, it is
likely that the activities that took place;
the instructors’ facilitation online (rated
as important by over 80% of the respondents); and the ideas shared with other
students online (rated as important to
the learning experience by over 70%)
contributed significantly to student
involvement with the course. Further
evidence for the importance of Webcentric instructional resources for social
interaction is seen in the respondent
rankings of the effectiveness of the various learning tools provided on the Web
site. I present these rankings in Figure 1.
As shown in Figure 1, respondents
selected the discussion board as the
most effective of the 10 learning tools
provided to them on the Web site. On
MarcWApril2002
239
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FIGURE 1. Student Rankings of Internet Resources
lo 1
This study’s exploratory survey
results, shown in Table 3, support this
previous research. As can be seen from
the percentages for each answer on the
first and second administrations of the
survey as well as from the cumulative
averages for each question and the percentage difference between the averages, students’ level of involvement with
the course content improved noticeably.
Though the interest in the course content and the relevance of the subject matter were rated as high from the beginning
by over 60% of students, their knowledge of the subject matter increased dramatically. Before taking the course, 7 1%
of the students indicated that they had
only some knowledge of the course’s
subject matter+rganizational learning
and change-but none of the students
felt that they knew a great deal about it.
By the end of the course, 85% of the students felt that they knew a great deal
about the subject matter. This result
seems to indicate that the Web-centric
environment was an effective means for
facilitating student learning.
Follow-up questions asked in the second survey administration and presented
in Table 2 provide a little more insight
into exactly how the Web-centric environment may have increased the level of
student involvement with the course
content. At the end of the course, over
90% of the respondents indicated that
the discussion activities on the Web site
had helped them in understanding and
applying the materials. Over 90% indicated that they learned from sharing
experiences with other students. Over
80% stated that the Internet resources fit
with the way they studied and allowed
them to study more at their own pace.
Finally, 82% of the respondents rated
their overall involvement with the course
as high. These results seem to indicate
that Web-centric learning environments,
particularly subject-related resources,
have a positive effect on student involvement with the course content.
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Note. Averages are based on ratings on a scale ranging from 1 (least valuable) to 10 (most valuable).
average, the respondents gave the discussion board a score of 9 on a scale
ranging from 1 (least effective) to 10
(most effective). The discussion board
was in fact at the heart of the Web-centric learning environment and was the
students’ main source of interaction in
the course, with over 90% of the students accessing the discussion board at
least once a week. Over 90% of the students also accessed the lecture slides
either once at the beginning of the
semester to download and print out the
slides or weekly to view the slides online. Over 90% of the students viewed
the readings and articles online on a
weekly basis and accessed course information at least once during the semester. All students accessed the announcement section every time they logged on,
whereas the chat room was used only
once by all class members. Over 80% of
the students used the e-mail feature on a
regular basis, and over 70% used the
group discussion pages. External links
and audiohideo clips were accessed by
only over 10% of the students, indicating that students did not spend significant time on nonessential activities and
had some trouble downloading the pre240
Journal of Education for Business
sentations because of their computer
set-ups or connection speeds.
The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Students’ Involvement
With Course Content
Previous research has suggested that
Internet resources and Web-centric
learning environments have a positive
effect on students’ level of involvement
with course content (Andriole, Lytle, &
Monsanto, 1995; Freberg, 2000; Hiltz &
Wellman, 1997). Internet resources have
been found to enhance students’ level of
comprehension of materials and
increased their perceptions of the materials’ relevance (Gaud, 1999). Researchers have also found that Internet
resources encourage students to engage
in more active learning by providing
more opportunities to “interact with the
core concepts” (Freberg, 2000, p. 48).
Additionally, Web-centric learning environments have been found to enhance
student class preparation and make inclass note taking easier for students,
thereby helping them to use lectures
more effectively and to listen more
actively (Karuppan & Karuppan, 1999)
The Effects of Web-CentricLearning
Environments on Students’
Technical Skills
Technical skills with regard to using
computers and functioning effectively
in electronic environments have been
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TABLE 3. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Student InvolvementWith the Course Content
Involvement with
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course content
dimension ( N = 34)
How much do you know
at this point about
organizational learning
and change
management?
How much is the subject
area (organizational
learning and change)
of interest to you at
this point?
How relevant is the
subject area to your
professional
development?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
(occasionally,
response (very much,
highly, a lot) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
0
85
71
9
29
6
1.7
2.8
65
76
32
18
3
6
2.6
2.1
65
71
32
24
3
6
2.6
2.6
identified as critical for college students-not just as a basic educational
standard but as a requirement for
obtaining attractive and well-paying
jobs (Furnell, Evans, Phippen, & AbuRgheff, 1999; Marsick, 1998; Young,
1998). Computer literacy, together with
the ability to communicate effectively in
virtually connected work groups, may
become a prerequisite for most jobs in
the near future (Marsick, 1998). Webcentric and Web-based learning environments are uniquely suited to provide
such technical skills as part of the curriculum, and the participation of students in Internet-oriented courses
should positively affect such skills
(Schultz, 1998; Young, 1998).
My exploratory survey results, shown
in Table 4, seem to demonstrate these
previous claims. As can be seen from
the percentages for each answer on the
first and second survey administration
as well as from the cumulative averages
for each question and the percentage
difference between the averages in
Table 4, there was an apparent noticeable effect on students’ technical skills.
At the beginning of the course, only a
little over half of the students were comfortable navigating the Internet and
accessing resources made available on a
course Web site. By the end of the
course, over 80% of the respondents felt
comfortable navigating the Internet and
accessing Web resources. Eighty-eight
percent felt positive about using a computer as a learning tool (up from 82% in
the pretest), and over 60% felt comfortable interacting with others in an electronic format (up from 38% in the
pretest). By the end of the course, over
70% of the students were comfortable
exchanging their views with others in a
virtual discussion format (up from 26%
in the pretest) and uploading and downloading electronic files (up from 41% in
the pretest). All of this indicates that, by
the end of the course, students had significantly increased their perceived
competencies with regard to working in
electronic environments-competencies
that are critical in the workplace today.
Average
difference
%
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4
0
1999). In one study, researchers found
that students in Web-centric learning
environments felt that they learned
more and that this environment was
more exciting than traditional instruction (Andriole). In another study,
researchers found that students in Webcentric environments were more satisfied than those in a traditional classroom and that their overall mastery of
the material was equal to or greater than
the mastery that students gained in a traditional classroom (Hiltz & Wellman,
1997). Therefore, one would expect that
Web-centric environments have a positive effect on the students’ overall learning experience.
My exploratory survey results, shown
in Table 5, seem to support these findings. As can be seen from the percentages for each answer on the first and
second survey administrations, as well
as from the cumulative averages for
each question and the percentage differences between the averages in Table 5,
there was a noticeable effect on students’ overall learning experience. At
the beginning of the semester, 59% of
the respondents expected that the Web
site for the course would enrich their
learning experience, and 56% thought
that the Internet-based resources would
enrich their learning experience over
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The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Students’ Overall
Learning Experience
Previous research has suggested that
Web-centric and Web-based learning
environments have a positive effect on
students’ overall learning experience
(Andriole, Lytle, & Monsanto, 1995;
Barnes, Sims, & Jamison, 1999; Freberg, 2000; Gaud, 1999; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Karuppan & Karuppan,
MarcWApril2002
241
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TABLE 4. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Students’ Technical Skills
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Technical skill
dimension ( N = 34)
How comfortable are
you navigating the
Internet?
How comfortable are
you accessing Internet
resources made
available for a
specific course?
How comfortable do
you feel using a
computer as a learning
tool?
How comfortable do
you feel interacting
with others in an
electronic format?
How comfortable do
you feel exchanging
your views with
others in a virtual
discussion forum
(i.e., communicating
by posting messages
to each other)?
How comfortable are
you with uploading
and downloading
electronic files?
How comfortable are
you with creating
your own Web page?
How comfortable are
you with computer
conferencing ?
How would you rate
yourself as a computer
user (expert, average,
or novice)?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
response (very much,
(occasionally,
highly, a lor) (%)
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
%
62
82
35
18
3
0
2.6
2.8
9
59
85
38
12
3
3
2.6
2.8
9
82
88
15
9
3
3
2.8
2.9
2
38
65
41
32
15
3
2.2
2.6
17
26
74
62
18
12
9
2.1
2.6
23
41
74
38
21
21
6
2.2
2.7
22
21
38
29
29
50
32
1.7
2
18
12
29
15
18
and beyond traditional teaching methods. By the end of the course, 79% of
the respondents thought that the Web
site did enrich their learning experience,
and 68% believed that the Internet
resources enriched their learning experience more than traditional instructional
resources had. These results seem to
indicate that the Internet resources provided had the desired effect on student
learning outcomes and enriched student
learning significantly. This positive
effect was also evident in various com-
242
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (nor at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
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56
62
32
9
1.8
2.1
17
79
79
6
3
I .6
2.2
38
ments made on the survey at both
administrations (see Table 6 for a representative sample of these comments).
Comments on the survey administered at the beginning of the class indicated that students were excited about
using the Internet as a learning tool and
about learning to use new technologies
and functioning effectively in electronic
environments. In comments on the survey administered at the end of the class,
students remarked on the Web-centric
environment’s overall superiority as a
learning tool compared with televised
and traditional classes. The students
also stated that the Web-centric format
was convenient to their busy life styles,
called it an “exciting and innovative
way of obtaining an education,” and
rated the course as the “highest ranking
in involvement, knowledge and learning
opportunities.” These comments indicate that the course format was perceived by students as having a significantly positive effect on their
experience, not just on how and when
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Journal of Education for Business
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TABLE 5. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Dlfferences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Students’ Overall Learning Experience
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Overall learning
experience
dimension ( N = 34)
How effective is a course
Web site for enriching
your learning
experience?
To what extent do you
think that Internet-based
resources enrich your
learning experience
over and beyond
traditional teaching
methods?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
response (very much,
(occasionally,
highly, a lot) (%)
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
%
59
79
41
21
0
0
2.6
2.8
8
56
68
44
26
0
6
2.6
2.6
0
TABLE 6. Sample of Additional Student Comments From First and Second Survey Administrations
Representative general remarks about the course
Pretest
Posttest
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I am very glad that you are taking the initiative and utilizing
the extensive technology available to us to enhance your
course. Your class is the first class I have taken in the MBA
program (and I only have three classes left after this Spring)
that had anything like this. I am sure it will be a great benefit
while working on group projects because it is always difficult
to get everyone together. Also, being able to access all the
class notes and other information will be very convenient.
I like this class format because everyone has an equal chance
to contribute. In most traditional classes, one or two people
contribute while everyone else listens or loses interest.
I feel you should be commended for putting together this
course using the Internet. Graduate students complained of not
having enough time to complete course work and projects due
to their work schedules, and you listened and have done something about it.
Probably the best course I have ever attended. Highest ranking in course materials, course content, instructor preparedness,
instructor optimism, involvement and knowledge, learning
opportunities, new learning methods, and application of new
technology.
I am most appreciative of the opportunity to be using the
Internet as a learning tool.
I really enjoyed this class, and it was a refreshing experience.
Thanks.
My humble opinion is that this an exciting and innovative
way of obtaining an education. Utilizing technologies such as
these by means of a course puts one in the driver’s seat for utilizing it more creatively on the job. I think this is splendid!
The Internet helped me stay involved with the class and keep
up to date while I was dealing with some very dificult problems at work and was not able to attend class.
I look forward to taking this class, and feel it will strengthen
my abilities as far as the Internet is concerned. I also feel that
the course will provide an alternative approach to conversing
among students and may therefore facilitate ideas that may not
have been presented or considered before.
I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I feel that the discussion
board was very helpful to my understanding the material. After
reading what others had to say on the discussion board, I was
able to have a greater understanding of the course material.
I think that this is a wonderful idea! I work full time and
have a hard time scheduling group meetings. Being able to
meet via the Internet (and sit at home in my pajamas) will be
very convenient for me. Also, I look for any ways to improve
my computer and Internet knowledge.
I have to say that the Internet is a much more effective tool
than television classes or even regular class settings.
MarcWApril2002
243
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they learned, but also on their level of
involvement and enthusiasm overall.
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Conclusion
The results of this exploratory study
indicate, at least tentatively, that Webcentric learning environments have a
positive effect on student social interaction, involvement with course content,
technical skills, and overall learning
experience. Consequently, if an institution that is moving toward Web-based
course offerings can experiment with
Web-centric instructional methods and
validate that these outcomes are indeed
accruing to students, the institution
should be in a good position to move
further toward distance teaching. Alternatively, even if an institution is not currently in a position to offer fully Webbased programs, the institution may still
find it worthwhile to supplement its regular offerings with Web-centric instructional methods because of the benefits
that students seem to derive from this
format.
Nevertheless, some limitations of the
study and potential concerns over the
use of Web-centric learning environments should be noted. First of all, the
sample in this study was very small,
consisting of only 34 respondents.
Therefore, these finding may not be
generalizable to larger or other student
populations. Second, because of the
sample size, the ordinal nature of the
data collected in the survey, the presence of only three answer categories on
the response scales, and the absence of
inferential statistics used for their interpretation, the potential validity of the
findings is questionable for populations
outside the sample itself. More research
based on larger sample sizes, more
response categories, and more inferential statistics for examining the reliability and validity of potential findings
needs to be undertaken on the benefits
and shortcomings of Web-centric
instruction. However, this study still
makes an important contribution as an
example of the kind of investigation that
business schools should undertake
before offering instruction entirely
based on the Internet. As my results in
this study show, the benefits of precursor
forms of Web-oriented instruction must
244
be carefully examined, and student
learning outcomes must be validated,
before the organization can consider
itself ready for such a step. If the hopedfor outcomes for student learning
offered at a distance do not accrue to stu-
dents in Web-centric courses, they are
not likely to materialize in Web-based
courses. Therefore, it is critical that the
organization validate such outcomes
before continuing its move toward more
course offerings at a distance.
APPENDIX. The Survey Questions
1. How effective is a course Web site for enriching your learning experience?
2. How comfortable are you navigating the Internet?
3. How comfortable are you accessing Internet resources made available for a
specific course?
4. How comfortable do you feel using a computer as a learning tool?
5. How comfortable do you feel interacting with others in an electronic format?
6. How comfortable do you feel exchanging your views with others in a virtual
discussion forum (i.e., communicating by posting messages to one another)?
7. How comfortable are you with uploading and downloading electronic files?
8. How comfortable are you with creating your own Web page?
9. How comfortable are you with computer conferencing?
10. How well do you know the other students in this class at this point?
11. How much do you feel part of a learning community in this course at this
point?
12. How comfortable would you feel at this point to exchange your views or
experiences with other members of this class?
13. How much do you know at this point about organizational learning and change
management?
14. How much is the subject area (organizationallearning and change) of interest
to you at this point?
15. How relevant is the subject area to your professional development?
16. How important do you think it is that you exchange ideas in written format
with your classmates and the instructor?
17. To what extend do you think that Internet-based resources enrich your learning
experience over and beyond traditional teaching methods?
18. How well do you feel you know the instructor at this point?
19. How comfortable would you be asking the instructor for help at this point?
20. At this point, do you foresee any barriers to using an Internet Web site as a
learning tool in this course? If yes, please explain.
21. How would you rate yourself as a computer user: expert (3), average (2), or
novice (l)?
22. How do you feel about this course being offered entirely online via the
Internet?
23. Please rank each of the resources used in this course for its effectiveness as a
learning tool for you, on a scale ranging from 10 (most effective) to
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2 (not effective at all):
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Announcement page
Course information (syllabus online)
Lecture slides with audio comments
Readings/articles on line
Links to other sites and resources
f. Audiohide0 clips from previous student presentations
g. E-mail roster of students
h. Discussion board
i. Group discussion boards
j. Chat room
How much did the discussion activities help you understand the material?
How much did the discussion activities help you apply the materials?
How much did you learn from sharing your experiences with other students in
this class on the discussion board?
How much did the other students’ experiences and perspectives that you read
about on the discussion board enrich your learning experience in this course?
How important was it that the instructor was involved on a regular basis in the
discussion board activities?
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Journal of Education for Business
28.
continued on next page
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APPENDIX (Continued)
29. How much did the instructor’s facilitation skills contribute to your feeling a
part of this learning community?
30. How comfortable were you about contributing to the discussions?
3 1. How would you rate your involvement with the course overall?
32. How much did the Internet resources allow you to study more at your own
pace?
33. How much did the Internet resources fit with the way you study?
34. How much did the Internet resources contribute to your being more involved
with this class?
35. How do you feel about this course overall?
36. How effective do you think the Web-based format is compared with interactive
television?
37. Please make any additional comments:
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REFERENCES
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Driver, M. (2000). Integrating Internet-based
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Freberg, L. (2000). Integrating Internet resources
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Gaud, W. S. (1999). Assessing the impact of Web
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Horvath, A,, & Teles, L. (1999). Novice users’
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MarcWApril2002
245
ISSN: 0883-2323 (Print) 1940-3356 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vjeb20
Investigating the Benefits of Web-Centric
Instruction for Student Learning–An Exploratory
Study of an MBA Course
Michaela Driver
To cite this article: Michaela Driver (2002) Investigating the Benefits of Web-Centric Instruction
for Student Learning–An Exploratory Study of an MBA Course, Journal of Education for
Business, 77:4, 236-245, DOI: 10.1080/08832320209599078
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832320209599078
Published online: 31 Mar 2010.
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Date: 13 January 2016, At: 00:24
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 00:24 13 January 2016
Investigating the Benefits of WebCentric Instruction for Student
Learning-An Exploratory Study
of an MBA Course
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MICHAELA DRIVER
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
M
y purpose in this study was to
investigate the effects of Webcentric instruction on students’ social
interaction, involvement with course
content, technical skills, and overall
learning experience. To accomplish this
goal, I first examined the forces driving
business schools to adopt new instructional technologies, particularly those
built around the Internet. Then I developed a conceptual framework that educational institutions such as business
schools may use to structure their own
learning processes as they adopt new
instructional technologies. Then I
undertook a semester-long exploratory
study focusing on the effects of Webcentric learning on various student outcomes in an MBA program.
ABSTRACT. In this article, the
author presents the results of an
exploratory study in which she surveyed students to examine the benefits
of Web-centric learning environments
for the quality of student learning.
More specifically, the author investigated the effects of Web-centric
instruction on the quality of students’
social interaction, involvement with
the course content, technical skills,
and overall learning experience. Preliminary results of this study, conducted in an MBA course, indicate that
students seemed to benefit positively
from the instructional methods used.
on their own to enhance student learning
through the Internet (Roach, 1999). In
fact, the strong push for technologyenhanced instruction has led some
researchers to predict that distance learning and traditional face-to-face instruction
will become indistinguishable in the
future (DuM, 2000). One author has predicted that “by the year 2025, at least 95%
of instruction in the United States will be
digitally enhanced” (Dunn, 2000, p. 36).
This shows that business schools, like
most educational institutions, are under
tremendous pressure to offer technologyenhanced instruction, which is why it is
critical that a process be adopted that allows them to do so while minimizing the
risks of failure. In this article, I show how
such a process can be applied and what
benefits the institution can hope to gain
for its students from experimentation with
precursors to fully Web-based instruction.
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Forces for Change in
Environments of Business
Schools
Powerful forces are driving business
schools toward adopting new instructional
technologies. Like other educational institutions, many business schools already
have embarked on substantial transformations, often without full preparation (Milliron, 1999). According to recent statistics,
U.S. universities currently offer over
54,000 courses online with an enrollment
of over 1.6 million students (Sistek-Chandler, 2000), and online education is
expected to grow from today’s $350-mil-
236
lion to a $Zbillion industry by the year
2003 (McGinn, 2000). These statistics
lend support to predictions that lifelong
learning is not just a passing trend but perhaps will be the driving force behind education in the future (Weber, 1999). As
more and more students, especially working professionals, turn to institutions of
higher education to keep pace with the
growing of the knowledge economy and
to “renew themselves continuously and
intellectually” (Horvath & Teles, 1999, p.
51), colleges and universities are struggling to embrace new computer-assisted
educational technologies to accommodate
the rising demand (Milliron,1999). Distance learning and instructional delivery
via the Internet have become strategic
planning concerns for institutions of higher education (Kessler & Keefe, 1999) as
more and more instructors are setting out
Journal of Education for Business
Technology-Enhanced
Instruction Within an
Organizational Learning
Framework
In this article, I examine technologyenhanced instruction within the framework of an organizational learning
approach to the adoption of such technology in educational institutions. This
framework encourages institutions to
follow an evolutionary pattern in the
adoption of new instructional technolo-
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gies: Institutions should move from a
Web-present stage to a Web-enhanced
stage, then to a Web-centric stage, and
finally to a Web-based stage (Driver,
2000). In the Web-present stage, the
institution uses any instructional delivery system in which the Internet is the
repository of logistical and peripheral
course information. In the Webenhanced stage, the instructional delivery system uses the Internet as a repository for course materials as well as for
student research and communication
(Driver). The Web-centric stage involves any instructional delivery system that uses the Internet (a) for every
purpose described in the Webenhanced stage and (b) as a key
resource to support communications
and the sharing of ideas among students and between students and their
instructor (Driver, 2000). Finally, the
Web-based stage involves any instructional delivery that uses the Internet
almost exclusively to provide course
materials and to facilitate all forms of
communication and idea exchanges
among students and between the students and their instructor (Driver).
Though students and their instructor
are likely to meet face-to-face in Webcentric learning environments, in Webbased environments they can work
entirely in different places and at different times-that is, asynchronously
and at a transactional distance (Driver).
The four stages of instructional
delivery can be viewed as a continuum
of organizational learning requirements with regard to the institution,
which adopts the instructional technology at each stage. This continuum
ranges from a minimal requirement for
new organizational learning in the
Web-present stage to an extensive
requirement in the Web-based stage
(Driver). The transition from the Webcentric to the Web-based stage may
involve the highest potential for failure
for any institution. Though many institutions are being pressured by increasing demand to rush to offer Web-based
programs (Milliron, 1999), spending
additional learning time in the Webcentric stage before doing so may significantly reduce the risk of failure
(Driver, 2000). An understanding of
how Web-centric instruction can bene-
fit students and of how students can be
assured that hoped-for benefits will
accrue at the precursor stage can help
institutions prepare for fully Webbased instruction. In this study, I present the results of two surveys focusing
on the effects of Web-centered instructional resources on the learning experience of students over the course of 1
semester.
Specifically, I collected data to investigate the effect of a Web-centric learning environment on the following
dimensions, which have been identified
previously as critical to student learning
at a transactional distance (Barbera,
2000; Moore & Kearsley, 1996; Porter,
1997; Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995;
Wegegrif, 1998):
today’s business organizations. It was
broadcast via two-way interactive television simultaneously to students at
four different locations. Though content
presented to students on the Web was
reviewed and discussed during the televised section, discussions on content
occurred mainly on the discussion
board; therefore, the course could be
described as Web-centric.
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Social interaction and the development of a community of learners among
students and between students and
instructor,
Student involvement with the subject matterkourse content,
Students’ development of technical
skills for using Internet-based learning
tools and communicating in electronic
environments, and
Overall class learning experience.
Course Details
Method
I designed an exploratory study to
measure, at least tentatively, the impact
of Web-centric learning environments
on student outcomes. My purpose was
strictly to see if expected student outcomes would indeed fall in the direction
indicated by prior research. I administered exploratory surveys to a group of
graduate students enrolled in an MBA
course entitled Managing Organizational Change. These students had never
had either an online course or significant prior experience with Web-centric
learning. The survey instrument consisted of 36 questions on 3-point Likerttype scales and 1 open-ended question
for additional comments. The survey
was administered twice, during the 1st
and the last 2 weeks of class, to a total
of 38 students. If any individual student
failed to complete the survey the 1st or
2nd time around, that student’s data
were eliminated from the final set of
usable responses. (See Appendix for a
list of the survey questions.) The surveys were anonymous, and the instructor did not have access to the results
until after the course was over and
grades turned in (an assistant checked
the responses and collected the data, so
that the students’ anonymity would be
completely preserved). Thirty-four students filled out the survey at both
administrations, resulting in 34 respondents who provided complete information out of an original 38.
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The course featured a Web site built
on a Blackboard platform and offered
the following resources to students: an
announcement page, an online syllabus,
lecture slides with audio comments,
online readings, links to other sites and
resources, audiohideo clips from previous student presentations, a student email roster, a general discussion board,
several group discussion boards for
work on group projects, and a chat
room. The course was designed with the
assumption that most of the courserelated interaction would take place at a
distance, with students conducting
course discussions from their own computers at home and at work or from
campus computer labs at their own
leisure and pace. The students were predominantly working professionals and
attended the MBA program on a parttime basis. The course was conducted
on the campus of a regional university
in the southeastern United States and
dealt with the management of change in
Results
I examined the study results with
regard to the effects of Web-centric
learning environments on four student
dimensions: social interaction, involvement with the course content, technical
skills, and overall learning experience.
MurcWApril2002
237
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TABLE 1. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
(occasionally,
response (very much,
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Social interaction
dimension ( N = 34)
How well do you know
the other students in
the class at this point?
To what extent do you
feel part of a learning
community in this
course at this point?
How comfortable would
you feel at this point to
exchange your views or
experiences with other
members of this class?
highly, a Zot) (%)
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
sometimes) (%)
never) (%)
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
0
29
62
62
38
9
1.6
2.2
36
15
76
70
21
15
3
2
2.7
35
32
76
53
18
15
6
2.1
2.7
29
56
68
32
24
12
9
2.4
2.6
8
%
How important do you
think it is that you
exchange ideas in
written format with
your classmates and
the instructor?
How well do you feel
that you know the
instructor at this point?
How comfortable would
you be asking the
instructor for help at
this point?
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0
56
53
38
47
6
1.5
2.5
67
59
88
41
12
0
0
2.6
2.9
12
The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Student Social
Interaction
Social interaction in a course encompasses both student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions and has
been identified as a critical dimension
of effective learning environments
(Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995; Wegegrif,
1998). In fact, the extent to which students and instructors are able to build a
community of learners will positively
affect the students’ involvement with
the course and the absorption and
application of concepts presented
(Wegegrif, 1998). A community of
learners refers to a group’s perception
that all members share the responsibility for teaching and learning and that
they can learn by freely sharing ideas
and experiences within the group
(Wegegrif).
The survey contained several ques-
238
Journal of Education for Business
tions asking students about their perceptions with regard to social interaction
and the development of a community of
learners within the class. In Table 1, I
show the results for these questions for
the first administration of the survey,
labeled “pre” for pretest, and for the
second administration, labeled “post”
for post test.
In Table 1, I present the responses to
the questions by percentage of respondents, the cumulative average response
for each question, and the percentage
differences between the first and second
administrations of the survey. I computed the cumulative average responses by
adding the point values for each respondent’s answer (e.g., a rating of “highly
effective” equaled three points on a 3point Likert-type scale) and dividing
that by the number of respondents. I
computed the percentage differences
between the pre-and posttest averages by
calculating the difference between the
pre-and posttest averages and then dividing it by the average for the pretest to
show the percentage by which responses
changed when compared with the beginning of the semester. According to the
data in Table 1, there was a noticeable
effect on students’ perceptions of the
level of social interaction in the class.
Prior to taking the class, students felt that
they did not know each other very well
and did not feel part of a learning community. By the end of the course, they
felt strongly that they knew each other
and were part of a community of learners. They also felt very comfortable with
exchanging their views with each other
and believed that they knew the instructor much better by the end of the class.
All of these results seem to indicate that
the Web-centric learning environment
had a positive effect on students’ social
interaction and that it indeed facilitated
the development of a community of
learners, as has been claimed in earlier
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TABLE 2. Percentages and Cumulative Averages From Second Survey Administration for Follow-Up Questions
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Survey 2: Follow-up
questions ( N = 34)
How much did the discussion activities
help you understand the material?
How much did the discussion activities
help you apply the materials?
How much did you learn from sharing
your experiences with other students
in this class on the discussion board?
How much did other students’experiences
and perspectives that you read about on
the discussion board enrich your
learning experience in this course?
How important was it that the instructor
was involved on a regular basis in the
discussion board activities?
How much did the instructor’sfacilitation
skills contribute to your feeling a part of
this learning community?
How comfortable were you about
contributing to the discussions?
How would you rate your involvement
with the course overall?
How much did the Internet resources allow
you to study more at your own pace?
How much did the Internet resources fit
with the way you study?
How much did the Internet resources
contribute to your being more involved
with this class?
How do you feel about this course overall?
How effective do you think the Web-based
format is compared with interactive
television?
research (Hiltz & Wellman, 1997;
Rohfeld & Hiemstra, 1995).
Some follow-up questions were also
asked at the second survey administration-that
is, after the students had
completed the course work (see Table
2). Responses to these follow-up questions also support the finding that the
Web-centric learning environments had
a positive effect on students’ social
interaction. I present these percentages
and cumulative averages in Table 2.
The data in Table 2 indicate that the
Web-centric instructional format in
which social interaction took place primarily via Internet-based resources was
an effective means for building a community of learners in this class. When
comparing the Web-based format with
Respondents
selecting a positive
response (very much,
Respondents
selecting the
“somewhat” response
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Cumulative
average
highly, a lot) (%)
(occasionally,
sometimes) (%)
62
32
2.6
65
29
2.6
59
35
2.5
71
24
5
2.6
85
6
9
2.8
88
6
6
2.8
74
15
11
2.6
82
15
3
2.8
65
24
11
2.5
65
15
20
2.4
68
85
21
9
11
6
2.6
2.8
44
41
15
2.3
interactive television, over 40% of the
respondents described the Web-based
format as highly effective and over 40%
described it as somewhat effective. This
response indicates that (a) interactive
television, though more resource
intense for the institution, is not necessarily a more effective tool for the delivery of distance education and (b) investments into less capital-intensive,
Web-based tools may have at least equal
or greater benefits for student learning.
Another apparent finding shown in
Table 2 is that the course format resulted in a significant level of student
involvement: Nearly 90% of the respondents rated their involvement with the
course as high. Because only 68% of the
respondents rated the Internet resources
as contributing to this involvement, it is
likely that the activities that took place;
the instructors’ facilitation online (rated
as important by over 80% of the respondents); and the ideas shared with other
students online (rated as important to
the learning experience by over 70%)
contributed significantly to student
involvement with the course. Further
evidence for the importance of Webcentric instructional resources for social
interaction is seen in the respondent
rankings of the effectiveness of the various learning tools provided on the Web
site. I present these rankings in Figure 1.
As shown in Figure 1, respondents
selected the discussion board as the
most effective of the 10 learning tools
provided to them on the Web site. On
MarcWApril2002
239
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FIGURE 1. Student Rankings of Internet Resources
lo 1
This study’s exploratory survey
results, shown in Table 3, support this
previous research. As can be seen from
the percentages for each answer on the
first and second administrations of the
survey as well as from the cumulative
averages for each question and the percentage difference between the averages, students’ level of involvement with
the course content improved noticeably.
Though the interest in the course content and the relevance of the subject matter were rated as high from the beginning
by over 60% of students, their knowledge of the subject matter increased dramatically. Before taking the course, 7 1%
of the students indicated that they had
only some knowledge of the course’s
subject matter+rganizational learning
and change-but none of the students
felt that they knew a great deal about it.
By the end of the course, 85% of the students felt that they knew a great deal
about the subject matter. This result
seems to indicate that the Web-centric
environment was an effective means for
facilitating student learning.
Follow-up questions asked in the second survey administration and presented
in Table 2 provide a little more insight
into exactly how the Web-centric environment may have increased the level of
student involvement with the course
content. At the end of the course, over
90% of the respondents indicated that
the discussion activities on the Web site
had helped them in understanding and
applying the materials. Over 90% indicated that they learned from sharing
experiences with other students. Over
80% stated that the Internet resources fit
with the way they studied and allowed
them to study more at their own pace.
Finally, 82% of the respondents rated
their overall involvement with the course
as high. These results seem to indicate
that Web-centric learning environments,
particularly subject-related resources,
have a positive effect on student involvement with the course content.
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B
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OD
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Note. Averages are based on ratings on a scale ranging from 1 (least valuable) to 10 (most valuable).
average, the respondents gave the discussion board a score of 9 on a scale
ranging from 1 (least effective) to 10
(most effective). The discussion board
was in fact at the heart of the Web-centric learning environment and was the
students’ main source of interaction in
the course, with over 90% of the students accessing the discussion board at
least once a week. Over 90% of the students also accessed the lecture slides
either once at the beginning of the
semester to download and print out the
slides or weekly to view the slides online. Over 90% of the students viewed
the readings and articles online on a
weekly basis and accessed course information at least once during the semester. All students accessed the announcement section every time they logged on,
whereas the chat room was used only
once by all class members. Over 80% of
the students used the e-mail feature on a
regular basis, and over 70% used the
group discussion pages. External links
and audiohideo clips were accessed by
only over 10% of the students, indicating that students did not spend significant time on nonessential activities and
had some trouble downloading the pre240
Journal of Education for Business
sentations because of their computer
set-ups or connection speeds.
The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Students’ Involvement
With Course Content
Previous research has suggested that
Internet resources and Web-centric
learning environments have a positive
effect on students’ level of involvement
with course content (Andriole, Lytle, &
Monsanto, 1995; Freberg, 2000; Hiltz &
Wellman, 1997). Internet resources have
been found to enhance students’ level of
comprehension of materials and
increased their perceptions of the materials’ relevance (Gaud, 1999). Researchers have also found that Internet
resources encourage students to engage
in more active learning by providing
more opportunities to “interact with the
core concepts” (Freberg, 2000, p. 48).
Additionally, Web-centric learning environments have been found to enhance
student class preparation and make inclass note taking easier for students,
thereby helping them to use lectures
more effectively and to listen more
actively (Karuppan & Karuppan, 1999)
The Effects of Web-CentricLearning
Environments on Students’
Technical Skills
Technical skills with regard to using
computers and functioning effectively
in electronic environments have been
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TABLE 3. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Student InvolvementWith the Course Content
Involvement with
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course content
dimension ( N = 34)
How much do you know
at this point about
organizational learning
and change
management?
How much is the subject
area (organizational
learning and change)
of interest to you at
this point?
How relevant is the
subject area to your
professional
development?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
(occasionally,
response (very much,
highly, a lot) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
0
85
71
9
29
6
1.7
2.8
65
76
32
18
3
6
2.6
2.1
65
71
32
24
3
6
2.6
2.6
identified as critical for college students-not just as a basic educational
standard but as a requirement for
obtaining attractive and well-paying
jobs (Furnell, Evans, Phippen, & AbuRgheff, 1999; Marsick, 1998; Young,
1998). Computer literacy, together with
the ability to communicate effectively in
virtually connected work groups, may
become a prerequisite for most jobs in
the near future (Marsick, 1998). Webcentric and Web-based learning environments are uniquely suited to provide
such technical skills as part of the curriculum, and the participation of students in Internet-oriented courses
should positively affect such skills
(Schultz, 1998; Young, 1998).
My exploratory survey results, shown
in Table 4, seem to demonstrate these
previous claims. As can be seen from
the percentages for each answer on the
first and second survey administration
as well as from the cumulative averages
for each question and the percentage
difference between the averages in
Table 4, there was an apparent noticeable effect on students’ technical skills.
At the beginning of the course, only a
little over half of the students were comfortable navigating the Internet and
accessing resources made available on a
course Web site. By the end of the
course, over 80% of the respondents felt
comfortable navigating the Internet and
accessing Web resources. Eighty-eight
percent felt positive about using a computer as a learning tool (up from 82% in
the pretest), and over 60% felt comfortable interacting with others in an electronic format (up from 38% in the
pretest). By the end of the course, over
70% of the students were comfortable
exchanging their views with others in a
virtual discussion format (up from 26%
in the pretest) and uploading and downloading electronic files (up from 41% in
the pretest). All of this indicates that, by
the end of the course, students had significantly increased their perceived
competencies with regard to working in
electronic environments-competencies
that are critical in the workplace today.
Average
difference
%
64
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4
0
1999). In one study, researchers found
that students in Web-centric learning
environments felt that they learned
more and that this environment was
more exciting than traditional instruction (Andriole). In another study,
researchers found that students in Webcentric environments were more satisfied than those in a traditional classroom and that their overall mastery of
the material was equal to or greater than
the mastery that students gained in a traditional classroom (Hiltz & Wellman,
1997). Therefore, one would expect that
Web-centric environments have a positive effect on the students’ overall learning experience.
My exploratory survey results, shown
in Table 5, seem to support these findings. As can be seen from the percentages for each answer on the first and
second survey administrations, as well
as from the cumulative averages for
each question and the percentage differences between the averages in Table 5,
there was a noticeable effect on students’ overall learning experience. At
the beginning of the semester, 59% of
the respondents expected that the Web
site for the course would enrich their
learning experience, and 56% thought
that the Internet-based resources would
enrich their learning experience over
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The Effects of Web-Centric Learning
Environments on Students’ Overall
Learning Experience
Previous research has suggested that
Web-centric and Web-based learning
environments have a positive effect on
students’ overall learning experience
(Andriole, Lytle, & Monsanto, 1995;
Barnes, Sims, & Jamison, 1999; Freberg, 2000; Gaud, 1999; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Karuppan & Karuppan,
MarcWApril2002
241
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TABLE 4. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Differences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Students’ Technical Skills
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Technical skill
dimension ( N = 34)
How comfortable are
you navigating the
Internet?
How comfortable are
you accessing Internet
resources made
available for a
specific course?
How comfortable do
you feel using a
computer as a learning
tool?
How comfortable do
you feel interacting
with others in an
electronic format?
How comfortable do
you feel exchanging
your views with
others in a virtual
discussion forum
(i.e., communicating
by posting messages
to each other)?
How comfortable are
you with uploading
and downloading
electronic files?
How comfortable are
you with creating
your own Web page?
How comfortable are
you with computer
conferencing ?
How would you rate
yourself as a computer
user (expert, average,
or novice)?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
response (very much,
(occasionally,
highly, a lor) (%)
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
%
62
82
35
18
3
0
2.6
2.8
9
59
85
38
12
3
3
2.6
2.8
9
82
88
15
9
3
3
2.8
2.9
2
38
65
41
32
15
3
2.2
2.6
17
26
74
62
18
12
9
2.1
2.6
23
41
74
38
21
21
6
2.2
2.7
22
21
38
29
29
50
32
1.7
2
18
12
29
15
18
and beyond traditional teaching methods. By the end of the course, 79% of
the respondents thought that the Web
site did enrich their learning experience,
and 68% believed that the Internet
resources enriched their learning experience more than traditional instructional
resources had. These results seem to
indicate that the Internet resources provided had the desired effect on student
learning outcomes and enriched student
learning significantly. This positive
effect was also evident in various com-
242
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (nor at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
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56
62
32
9
1.8
2.1
17
79
79
6
3
I .6
2.2
38
ments made on the survey at both
administrations (see Table 6 for a representative sample of these comments).
Comments on the survey administered at the beginning of the class indicated that students were excited about
using the Internet as a learning tool and
about learning to use new technologies
and functioning effectively in electronic
environments. In comments on the survey administered at the end of the class,
students remarked on the Web-centric
environment’s overall superiority as a
learning tool compared with televised
and traditional classes. The students
also stated that the Web-centric format
was convenient to their busy life styles,
called it an “exciting and innovative
way of obtaining an education,” and
rated the course as the “highest ranking
in involvement, knowledge and learning
opportunities.” These comments indicate that the course format was perceived by students as having a significantly positive effect on their
experience, not just on how and when
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Journal of Education for Business
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TABLE 5. Percentages, Cumulative Averages, and Percentage Dlfferences From First Survey Administration for
Responses to Questions Relating to Students’ Overall Learning Experience
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Overall learning
experience
dimension ( N = 34)
How effective is a course
Web site for enriching
your learning
experience?
To what extent do you
think that Internet-based
resources enrich your
learning experience
over and beyond
traditional teaching
methods?
Respondents
Respondents
selecting the
selecting a positive “somewhat” response
response (very much,
(occasionally,
highly, a lot) (%)
sometimes) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Pretest
Posttest
Respondents
selecting a negative
response (not at all,
never) (%)
Pretest
Posttest
Cumulative
average
Pretest
Posttest
Average
difference
%
59
79
41
21
0
0
2.6
2.8
8
56
68
44
26
0
6
2.6
2.6
0
TABLE 6. Sample of Additional Student Comments From First and Second Survey Administrations
Representative general remarks about the course
Pretest
Posttest
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I am very glad that you are taking the initiative and utilizing
the extensive technology available to us to enhance your
course. Your class is the first class I have taken in the MBA
program (and I only have three classes left after this Spring)
that had anything like this. I am sure it will be a great benefit
while working on group projects because it is always difficult
to get everyone together. Also, being able to access all the
class notes and other information will be very convenient.
I like this class format because everyone has an equal chance
to contribute. In most traditional classes, one or two people
contribute while everyone else listens or loses interest.
I feel you should be commended for putting together this
course using the Internet. Graduate students complained of not
having enough time to complete course work and projects due
to their work schedules, and you listened and have done something about it.
Probably the best course I have ever attended. Highest ranking in course materials, course content, instructor preparedness,
instructor optimism, involvement and knowledge, learning
opportunities, new learning methods, and application of new
technology.
I am most appreciative of the opportunity to be using the
Internet as a learning tool.
I really enjoyed this class, and it was a refreshing experience.
Thanks.
My humble opinion is that this an exciting and innovative
way of obtaining an education. Utilizing technologies such as
these by means of a course puts one in the driver’s seat for utilizing it more creatively on the job. I think this is splendid!
The Internet helped me stay involved with the class and keep
up to date while I was dealing with some very dificult problems at work and was not able to attend class.
I look forward to taking this class, and feel it will strengthen
my abilities as far as the Internet is concerned. I also feel that
the course will provide an alternative approach to conversing
among students and may therefore facilitate ideas that may not
have been presented or considered before.
I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I feel that the discussion
board was very helpful to my understanding the material. After
reading what others had to say on the discussion board, I was
able to have a greater understanding of the course material.
I think that this is a wonderful idea! I work full time and
have a hard time scheduling group meetings. Being able to
meet via the Internet (and sit at home in my pajamas) will be
very convenient for me. Also, I look for any ways to improve
my computer and Internet knowledge.
I have to say that the Internet is a much more effective tool
than television classes or even regular class settings.
MarcWApril2002
243
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they learned, but also on their level of
involvement and enthusiasm overall.
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Conclusion
The results of this exploratory study
indicate, at least tentatively, that Webcentric learning environments have a
positive effect on student social interaction, involvement with course content,
technical skills, and overall learning
experience. Consequently, if an institution that is moving toward Web-based
course offerings can experiment with
Web-centric instructional methods and
validate that these outcomes are indeed
accruing to students, the institution
should be in a good position to move
further toward distance teaching. Alternatively, even if an institution is not currently in a position to offer fully Webbased programs, the institution may still
find it worthwhile to supplement its regular offerings with Web-centric instructional methods because of the benefits
that students seem to derive from this
format.
Nevertheless, some limitations of the
study and potential concerns over the
use of Web-centric learning environments should be noted. First of all, the
sample in this study was very small,
consisting of only 34 respondents.
Therefore, these finding may not be
generalizable to larger or other student
populations. Second, because of the
sample size, the ordinal nature of the
data collected in the survey, the presence of only three answer categories on
the response scales, and the absence of
inferential statistics used for their interpretation, the potential validity of the
findings is questionable for populations
outside the sample itself. More research
based on larger sample sizes, more
response categories, and more inferential statistics for examining the reliability and validity of potential findings
needs to be undertaken on the benefits
and shortcomings of Web-centric
instruction. However, this study still
makes an important contribution as an
example of the kind of investigation that
business schools should undertake
before offering instruction entirely
based on the Internet. As my results in
this study show, the benefits of precursor
forms of Web-oriented instruction must
244
be carefully examined, and student
learning outcomes must be validated,
before the organization can consider
itself ready for such a step. If the hopedfor outcomes for student learning
offered at a distance do not accrue to stu-
dents in Web-centric courses, they are
not likely to materialize in Web-based
courses. Therefore, it is critical that the
organization validate such outcomes
before continuing its move toward more
course offerings at a distance.
APPENDIX. The Survey Questions
1. How effective is a course Web site for enriching your learning experience?
2. How comfortable are you navigating the Internet?
3. How comfortable are you accessing Internet resources made available for a
specific course?
4. How comfortable do you feel using a computer as a learning tool?
5. How comfortable do you feel interacting with others in an electronic format?
6. How comfortable do you feel exchanging your views with others in a virtual
discussion forum (i.e., communicating by posting messages to one another)?
7. How comfortable are you with uploading and downloading electronic files?
8. How comfortable are you with creating your own Web page?
9. How comfortable are you with computer conferencing?
10. How well do you know the other students in this class at this point?
11. How much do you feel part of a learning community in this course at this
point?
12. How comfortable would you feel at this point to exchange your views or
experiences with other members of this class?
13. How much do you know at this point about organizational learning and change
management?
14. How much is the subject area (organizationallearning and change) of interest
to you at this point?
15. How relevant is the subject area to your professional development?
16. How important do you think it is that you exchange ideas in written format
with your classmates and the instructor?
17. To what extend do you think that Internet-based resources enrich your learning
experience over and beyond traditional teaching methods?
18. How well do you feel you know the instructor at this point?
19. How comfortable would you be asking the instructor for help at this point?
20. At this point, do you foresee any barriers to using an Internet Web site as a
learning tool in this course? If yes, please explain.
21. How would you rate yourself as a computer user: expert (3), average (2), or
novice (l)?
22. How do you feel about this course being offered entirely online via the
Internet?
23. Please rank each of the resources used in this course for its effectiveness as a
learning tool for you, on a scale ranging from 10 (most effective) to
zyxw
2 (not effective at all):
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Announcement page
Course information (syllabus online)
Lecture slides with audio comments
Readings/articles on line
Links to other sites and resources
f. Audiohide0 clips from previous student presentations
g. E-mail roster of students
h. Discussion board
i. Group discussion boards
j. Chat room
How much did the discussion activities help you understand the material?
How much did the discussion activities help you apply the materials?
How much did you learn from sharing your experiences with other students in
this class on the discussion board?
How much did the other students’ experiences and perspectives that you read
about on the discussion board enrich your learning experience in this course?
How important was it that the instructor was involved on a regular basis in the
discussion board activities?
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Journal of Education for Business
28.
continued on next page
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APPENDIX (Continued)
29. How much did the instructor’s facilitation skills contribute to your feeling a
part of this learning community?
30. How comfortable were you about contributing to the discussions?
3 1. How would you rate your involvement with the course overall?
32. How much did the Internet resources allow you to study more at your own
pace?
33. How much did the Internet resources fit with the way you study?
34. How much did the Internet resources contribute to your being more involved
with this class?
35. How do you feel about this course overall?
36. How effective do you think the Web-based format is compared with interactive
television?
37. Please make any additional comments:
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