Intensive learning presentation
- 1. Intensive Learning: Graduate Students’ Perception and the Implications for Global Educators Prepared by: Henry Ho Hamline University, St Paul, USA
- 2. Introduction Students appear to want more interactive classes that engage student learning (Harasim, 1999; Ramsden, 2003). Business faculties have extensively practiced intensive or ‘block’ teaching in tertiary education since the early 90s. Many researchers claimed that the outcomes of intensive learning are equivalent or better than with the traditional mode of delivery (Anastasi, 2007; Burton & Nesbit, 2005; Davies, 2006; Ho & Polonsky, 2009; Reardon et al., 2008).
- 3. This project investigates graduate business students’ perceptions of intensive (i.e., courses delivered in five weeks or less) delivery courses that they complete as part of their MBA degree at a mid-size contemporary university in Minnesota, USA.
- 4. Intensive Learning Non-traditional teaching has been defined using many different names such as intensive, block mode, accelerated and flexible (Scott, 1994; Daniel, 2000; Grant, 2001; Seamon, 2004; Burton & Nesbit, 2005). There have been a number of researchers who have explored the educational implication of running intensive classes, with results suggesting that learning outcomes are equivalent or better than the traditional mode of delivery (Scott, 1994; Daniel, 2000; Grant, 2000; Seamon, 2004). The delivery of graduate marketing courses in intensive mode has not been examined previously and this is the focus of this project.
- 5. Case Study Students involved in this research were enrolled in a graduate marketing course called Marketing Management (MBA8350). MBA8350 is a compulsory course for all students who enrolled in the MBA degree at Hamline University in Minnesota.
- 6. Case Study Students who involved in this research would have completed at least two semesters (eight intensive courses) of a six semester MBA degree program. There were 49 students (separated into two cohorts) enrolled into MBA8350. Both cohorts were taught by the same academic to control for any variation in teaching styles, in addition the same assessment structure was used to control for assessment variations.
- 7. Case Study There were five pieces of assessment in MBA8350: Activity Points Total Possible Total Each Possible 4 One-page memos 5 20 3 Concept quizzes 10 30 Marketing Analysis 30 Study (Written) Marketing Analysis 10 Study (Presentation) Class Participation 10 Total 100
- 8. Data Collection and Methodology The researcher collected data from students who enrolled in MBA8350 in the spring semester 2012. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire survey that required about five minutes to complete, which was administered at the end of the final lecture. Students were asked a total of 15 questions developed by the researchers.
- 9. Data Collection and Methodology Most of the questions concentrated on how students’ perceptions of the intensive marketing course (MBA8350) have contributed to their learning, as well as the perceived benefits associated with enrolling in this intensive course. Students were also asked to indicate their perception of whether attending the intensive course is more enjoyable and/or difficult as compared with other business courses. Responses were based on a five point Likert
- 10. Results … There were 42 responses collected and some responses were only partially completed. In brief, the MBA students felt that intensive learning was the same as the traditional semester long learning or more preferable. In particular they felt that there was more opportunity for feedback and interaction with the Instructor.
- 11. Results … In addition it required them to be more efficient with their time . They did not believe that there was any disadvantage to the intensive learning option in terms of studying nor was the intensive mode more time consuming . They did not believe that there was any disadvantage in the intensive more and overall preferred this mode to traditional semester learning.
- 12. Results … At the same time, our students reported that intensive learning is more satisfactory than any other courses in their previous studies via traditional mode.
- 13. Students Overall Performance in MBA8350
- 14. CONCLUSIONS Despite the overall positive results, this study is limited by the fact that it only involves a small number of graduate students within the Hamline School of Business. This study offers momentum for the idea that graduate marketing courses that run in the intensive mode can indeed provide superior learning to what may be encountered in a traditional semester-length course.
- 15. CONCLUSIONS The work presented here also illustrates that students in intensive learning constantly sought for support from the instructor, just as in traditional semester. In other words, the instructor is also a key ingredient in the success or failure of intensive teaching and learning.
- 16. Please email me at hho01@hamline.edu for any questions and/or feedbacks ... thank you