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Herding Cats to Water: Benchmarking the Use of Computers in Business Education
Journal of Education For Business
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the use of computers by faculty in business school course preparation and delivery. We surveyed a systematic random sample of faculty members and found that computer use varies by faculty demographics, application area, and course load. An analysis of the demographic data indicates that the extrinsic factors examined were not consistently related to technology use. This may support the research identifying intrinsic characteristics as more compelling in technology adoption. Our study's results provide benchmark information, specifically as a catalyst for change.
... mass' (Rogers 1995) of practitioners required to make adoption of new learning technologies self sustaining. Academics are more likely to adapt ICTs for personal use than for enhancing teaching and learning (DETYA, 2000;Brennan, Miller & Moniotte, 2001). At the global level, the literature reports a perceived lack of leadership in 'growth oriented learning opportunities' within the higher education sector (Macchiusi & Trinidad, 2000:2;Hagner & Schneebeck, 2000:1). ...
... The value of TALBI lies in its capacity to enable teaching, learning, research and consultancy to interact so as each becomes a structuring resource for the other. In the past business schools have been among the first to adopt emerging ICTs, but have been among the slowest to appropriate these beyond the level of stand alone applications (Brennan et al 2001). To the extent that teaching, learning and research are linked in practice, the linkage is not one of cause and effect but of resources and negotiation. ...
In response to continuing pressures for change and reform in the higher education sector, this paper outlines and develops a 'smart community' model for developing the strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in university teaching and learning. It presents the 'smart community' as a viable metaphor and model for articulating and managing integrated training, education, consultancy and research initiatives for staff and students alike, and details its application at a specific faculty and regional setting. The concept of a smart community is to develop innovative partnerships among community institutions and organisations, governments, local business and a range of private sector interests, to take full advantage of the digital economy. A smart community is considered to be one that has developed the means and methods to extract economic, social and cultural benefits from electronic networks. This paper identifies how one university has managed to pilot innovative services and applications to create new value and transform the 'rhythms' of its local, host community through the use of ICTs. Yes Yes
... As universities grapple with identifying a future role for LMSs the level of practice by current academics, at large, has not delivered the "critical mass" (Rogers, 1995) of practitioners required to make adoption of new learning technologies self-sustaining. Academics are more likely to adapt LMSs for personal reasons, rather than to enhance teaching and learning (Macchiusi & Trinidad, 2000;Brennan, Miller, & Moniotte, 2001). As Macchiusi and Trinidad (2000) and Hagner and Schneebeck (2000) indicated, the perceived lack of leadership in growth-oriented learning opportunities within the global higher-education sector means many academic managers become bogged down with restructure behaviors at the expense of innovation uptake. ...
... Given the importance of IT to business, does it follow that IT should be important for business education? Clearly, part of learning to conduct business is learning to conduct business with technology (Brennan, Miller, & Moniotte, 2001). IT educators who teach primarily theory classes must not be a laggard or part of the late majority, need not be an innovator, but should be an early adopter (preferably) or in the lead of the early majority. ...
Technology is a constant stream of innovations. Thousands of products are introduced each year. Potential adopters, including IT educators, must determine the right time, if ever, to embrace these new developments and to integrate them into their curricula and/or personal professional endeavors. It is the contention of the author that with regard to the adoption of innovations that purport to improve preparation for and classroom delivery of curriculum, IT educators who teach primarily theory classes must not be a laggard or part of the late majority, need not be an innovator, but should be an early adopter (preferably) or in the lead of the early majority. Further, adoption of IT innovations to improve professional goals and development should follow the same standard.
... Given the importance of IT to business, does it follow that IT should be important for business education? Clearly, part of learning to conduct business is learning to conduct business with technology (Brennan, Miller, & Moniotte, 2001). IT educators who teach primarily theory classes must not be a laggard or part of the late majority, need not be an innovator, but should be an early adopter (preferably) or in the lead of the early majority. ...
Technology is a constant stream of innovations. Thousands of products are introduced each year. Potential adopters, including IT educators, must determine the right time, if ever, to embrace these new developments and to integrate them into their curricula and/or personal professional endeav- ors. It is the contention of the author that with regard to the adoption of innovations that purport to improve preparation for and classroom delivery of curriculum, IT educators who teach primarily theory classes must not be a laggard or part of the late majority, need not be an innovator, but should be an early adopter (preferably) or in the lead of the early majority. Further, adoption of IT innovations to improve professional goals and development should follow the same standard.
Using data collected from a sample of 52 engineering faculty members at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, we explore the relative impact of faculty members' personal characteristics, computer self-efficacy, and attitudes toward the Internet on integration of electronic communication in teaching. The study reveals that computer self-efficacy in using the WWW is the only predictor of integration of electronic communication in teaching courses. Our results also show that computer self-efficacy in using the WWW was related to attitudes toward the Internet, age, and gender. The results suggest that these variables need to be considered when planning training programs or differential staffing for reconciling faculty and their integration of electronic communication in teaching courses.
Our study focused on the relative impact of faculty members' personal characteristics, computer self-efficacy, and attitudes toward the Internet on integration of electronic communication in teaching. By using survey methodology, data collected from 133 faculty members, who are from four different faculties at Istanbul Technical University. This study shows that computer self-efficacy in using the WWW is the only predictor of integration of electronic communication in teaching courses. Furthermore, we found out that computer self-efficacy in using the WWW was related to computer self-efficacy in using computer, computer self-efficacy in using e-mail, and faculty they belong to. The results suggest that these variables need to be considered when planning training programs or differential staffing for reconciling faculty and their integration of electronic communication in teaching courses.
Prior studies have identified the skills and abilities that employers expect graduates of business schools to possess for entry into the workplace. In general, as the business environment changes, the desired skills and abilities of business school graduates change. For this study, we surveyed prospective employers and university faculty on their perceptions of the skills and abilities business school graduates should possess to contribute effectively in the new century. The findings indicate some significant changes in the skills and abilities expected of business school graduates in comparison with earlier studies. Further, some significant differences between prospective employers and faculty are identified.
This study examined the effects of learning group gender composition and the use of nonverbal communication by a computer on performance and motivation following a computer-assisted biology lesson. The results showed that before the lesson began, group gender composition influenced self-reports of experience and knowledge about computers and also how subjects arranged their computer desktop. During the lesson, when a computer image of a human face was present on the screen, girls who reported low anxiety performed better and were more motivated to use the program relative to girls who reported high anxiety. In contrast, boys who reported high anxiety performed better and were more motivated to use the program when the tutor was present on the screen relative to boys who reported low anxiety. The implications of these findings for classroom gender organization and for using gender-appropriate educational software are discussed.
As early efforts to introduce learning technologies into higher education mature, evaluation becomes important. This article pursues two ends: to describe, evaluate, and compare various methodologies and strategies available for evaluating learning technologies, and to illustrate several key strategies in practice.
Business school deans rated the present and future importance of factors driving organizational change, including technology, competition, and factors specific to the workplace or industry. Some specific items of high perceived importance were student recruitment, multimedia classrooms, and the Internet for instruction. Analysis was performed to investigate differences in the perceptions of respondents from AACSB- versus non-AACSB-accredited institutions and public versus private institutions. Results demonstrate that the importance of key forces driving organizational change will intensify in the future.
This article explores how contemporary strategic agendas in higher education-formed by dominant paradigms of academic management-are misconceiving the potential power of computer and information technology to produce radically different ways of educating students. It traces the history of several postmodern technologies to produce a new instructional technology agenda.
This experiment examined the affective consequences of sex-stereotyped educational software on students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of a private school. All students worked with the same two experimental programs either in the school computer center or at single computer stations. The results showed that situational stress was an affective consequence of working with cross-gender educational software if the students were asked to perform in the public context of the computer center. This was not true if the student worked in more privacy. It is concluded that such stress in females while using the more predominant male-stereotyped aggressive video game formats in the public, ego-involving environment of the computer center or classroom may be a possible factor in their avoidance of computers as documented in most recent literature.
This study aimed to investigate whether gender, group composition, or self-efficacy in computing has any impact on cooperation, giving or getting task-related help, and level of activity in student groups. The groups were established during a computer course among 150 college students in business administration. According to our results, students with low self-efficacy in computing, and students in groups with a majority of females, cooperated more than any other categories in their work with computers. Furthermore, students with high self-efficacy in computing, and students with a high degree of previous computer experience, offered more task-related help to other students than did the rest. In terms of gender, the level of activity was evaluated as highest in majority-female or majority-male groups. Moreover, female students had significantly lower self-efficacy in computing, less previous computer experience, and they had received less previous encouragement to work with computers. Finally, female students were receiving more task-related help, while at the same time giving less task-related help than male students.
This study established the Secondary Colleges Classroom Environment Inventory (SCCEI) as a reliable instrument for use in providing teachers in the postsecondary sector with information about the learning environment in their classrooms. The SCCEI was constructed for this study as a perceptual measure of classroom environment using scales from the Learning Environment Inventory and the College and University Classroom Environment Instrument. The study also demonstrated the suitability of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as an instrument for classroom research involving the assessment of teacher personality types. The associations between teacher personality type and perception of classroom environment showed considerable consistency between teacher and student perceptions. For example, extravert teachers were positively associated with classrooms characterized by high levels of student cohesion, while perceiving type preferences were associated with both student perceptions and teacher self-perceptions of informality and individualization of work in the classroom. The relationship between teacher personality type and classroom environment can be understood using social cognition theory as a conceptual model. (Contains 48 references.) (JLS)
An online discussion of information technology use in higher education is excerpted here. Comments were elicited on the need for a different support infrastructure for "mainstream" faculty than for "early adopters" of information technology. A sampling of 26 responses is presented. Information on joining the discussion group is also provided. (MSE)
This article examines the integration of computers into the management curriculum. Results from a survey of 228 universities show that many schools possess the technology but are not incorporating it into the classroom. Schools not accredited by the AACSB tended to have a higher level of integration than did AACSB-accredited schools.
Bill Gates’ first book, “The Road Ahead”, focused on the broad impact of technology. His new book, “Business @ the Speed of Thought”, asks what this means for business. How should firms organize themselves differently? In what new ways should information flow? What metrics can managers use to judge how far down the path they are to what he calls the “digital nervous system” approach? In this article, Mr Gates comments on some of the themes of the book, including issues within Microsoft itself.
The notion of academic disciplines being characterized as high- or low-paradigm technologies was developed by Lodahl and Gordon from Kuhn''s concept of a paradigm. Using this concept, the voting pattern of high-paradigm faculty (chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering) was compared to low-paradigm faculty (sociology, political science, history, and education) concerning a controversial campus issue to liberalize curriculum choices for students. It was found that high-paradigm faculty were not willing to grant students more latitude to select courses for degree requirements, while low-paradigm faculty members were in favor of giving students more latitude to select academic courses for degree requirements. The unique aspect of this study is that faculty behavior, as described in an actual case study, corresponds to theoretical positions supported by questionnaire data.
In reviewing the extant research correlating college teachers'' personality (and related attitudinal) characteristics with the teachers'' effectiveness in the classroom (measured by the overall evaluations of the teachers'' students), the wide variety of personality traits that have been studied were grouped into 14 clusters of traits. Considering those studies measuring the teacher''s personality characteristics through the teacher''s self-reporting (on personality inventories, self-description questionnaires, and the like), only 4 of 14 trait clusters showed statistically significantaverage correlations between the teacher''s personality traits and students'' overall evaluations; and 2 of these correlations were very small. By contrast, across those studies measuring personality traits by the perception of the teacher''s students or colleagues, statistically significantaverage correlations between the traits and overall evaluations were found for 11 of the 14 clusters, and the correlations were moderate to large. Various considerations about either the lack or the weakness of the associations for the first set of studies are presented, followed by a discussion of some possible interpretations of the relatively strong associations found for the second set.