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Session 2542

The Effectiveness of An On-Line Graduate Engineering Management Course: A Preliminary Study

Rosemarie M. Evans, Madison Daily, PhD, Susan L. Murray; PhD, P.E. University of Missouri - Rolla

Abstract

In the summer of 1997, the University of Missouri-Rolla's (UMR) Engineering Management Department began offering its first completely Web-based course. This graduate level course, Advanced Production Management, was designed to utilize a combination of Web-based tools to create a conducive, yet non-traditional, learning environment for its students. The students in the course did not physically have to attend any lectures and only met for an initial and final class period. The remainder of the course was conducted exclusively via Web-based tools. Accordingly, the Engineering Management Department commenced a research effort to determine the effectiveness of this new learning environment. This paper will discuss the initial results of this study, based on the first of three consecutive offerings of this course. Specifically, this paper addresses student subjective expectations and corresponding experiences as to the time required and learning effectiveness in comparison to a traditional, in-class, course. In addition, the expectations and learning experiences as related to specific Web-based tools are examined.

Introduction

Khan noted that the Internet is increasingly becoming an influential medium for delivering “dynamic and global education” while concurrently enabling students and instructors to interact regardless of time or place.1 In the past several years, the use of Internet technology, enabling the connection between individual computer networks, has exploded in the United States and around the world. From electronic commerce to education, the Internet has become a vital resource to companies, government, and academia. In the academic community, there is much fanfare and excitement concerning its revolutionary implications for educational improvements. However, there exists little overwhelming evidence that this technology actually increases the learning effectiveness in comparison to traditional, classroom, teaching tools.

Many definitions of an Internet-based, or web-based, course exist in the literature. Depending on which subset of Web tools is chosen, Internet-based courses can range from those totally Internet dependent to those which just supplement traditional lectures with complementary Internet-based material. In the former case, a course is taught entirely across the Internet and does not require any physical interaction between students and teachers, as all communications are performed electronically. In the latter case, a professor might complement his or her campus course with an Internet site or “Web page” containing such information as the class syllabus, assignments, and announcements.

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Evans, R. M., & Daily, M., & Murray, S. L. (1998, June), The Effectiveness Of An On Line Graduate Engineering Management Course: A Preliminary Study Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--7069