Michele T. Cole

A Comparative Analysis of Online and Traditional Undergraduate Business Law Classes

The trend in academia to online learning has gained momentum in the past decade, due in part to the cost of higher education, a changing student profile, lack of traditional classroom space and the recognition that distance learning has created a new paradigm of instruction. Universities wishing to maintain or expand enrollments need to be able to respond effectively to the educational needs of working adults, students in the military and residents of rural communities as well as of other countries. Online (Internet-based) course offerings constitute a creative and increasingly popular response to these challenges. As more and more institutions of higher learning offer online courses, the question arises whether they are, or can be, as effective as courses offered in the traditional classroom format. Answering the question has been the focus of several studies. Our study compared students enrolled in both online and traditional classroom versions of one business law course where all elements were the same except for the instruction format. The study found no significant difference between the two formats with regard to student satisfaction and student learning. The findings support earlier comparisons of online and traditional instruction modes

Managing Nonprofit Organizations: The Importance of Transformational Leadership and Commitment to Operating Standards for Nonprofit Accountability

Using survey methodology and telephone interviews, this exploratory study proposes a framework for nonprofit leaders to promote accountability in their organizations, an important goal for both management and performance in the nonprofit sector. The study relies on Brodys (2001) four-part construct of organizational accountability (fiscal responsibility, good governance, adherence to mission, and program effectiveness) to examine the issue of promoting accountability in nonprofit organizations. We hypothesize that higher levels of nonprofit accountability are related to higher levels of an organizations commitment to operating standards and to higher levels of transformational leadership as exhibited by the organizations leader. Study results indicate that both predictor variables are positively and significantly related to nonprofit accountability, with transformational leadership being the stronger indicator of accountability. The findings of the study have significant implications for nonprofit managers and for nonprofit organizational performance.

Learning Business Law Online vs. Onland: A Mixed Method Analysis

This is a follow-up study to “A Comparative Analysis of Online and Traditional Undergraduate Business Law Classes†(Shelley, Swartz & Cole, 2007) designed to further examine two critical areas of e-learning, that is, student satisfaction with, and student learning in, an online environment as compared with an onland, or traditional classroom environment. While the initial study found no significant difference between the two, the second study did find statistically significant differences between the online and the onland course formats with regard to two elements of student satisfaction: (1) student satisfaction with the instructor, and (2) student satisfaction with the course structure. The second study went further to look at the effects, if any, of gender, age and nationality on student satisfaction. There was no significant difference found with age or nationality. There was a significant difference between males and females with regard to two of the research questions.

In Re Launching a New Vision in Education and e-Learning: Fostering a Culture of Academic Integrity in e-Learning

This paper presents the results of two studies conducted in 2017 on students’ use of technology, specifically social media, to enhance their e-learning experience. The first study focused on how students had used social media for e-learning. The second shifted the focus from the students’ own experiences to their observations on all students’ use of social media. Both studies emanated from earlier research on students’ perceptions of academic integrity and the use of technology in the online learning environment. One hundred eight-five graduate and undergraduate students participated in the first survey. One hundred sixty graduate and undergraduate students participated in the second. Based on enrollment status and academic level, there were statistically significant differences in both studies with regard to the use of Facebook and Snapchat to enhance students’ learning experience. There were differences between the two studies when the questions focused on the student’s individual use or all students’ use, of social media to cheat. In the first, students admitted to having used one or more social media to cheat “a few times” (3.85%–6.15%). In the second, more students said that other students used social media to cheat “a few times” (10.53%–21.05%). Based on enrollment status and academic level, there were statistically significant differences in the second study on using technology to cheat. Responses to the final questions concerning the student’s own feelings about academic dishonesty and what actions he/she might take to stop others from cheating did not evidence a culture of academic integrity.

Capacity-building in nonprofit organizations: is there a blended learning paradigm for the sector?

Blended learning models are widely-used, successful training vehicles for e-learning and workplace training, in corporate as well as higher education environments. Increasingly, Web 2.0 applications, imbedded within blended learning models, are being recognized for their utility in these settings. Concern for the sustainability and relevance of nonprofit organizations has sharpened the interest in building effective capacity-building models for the sector. Can Web 2.0 technologies enhance capacity-building models in the Third Sector? Because blended learning is a remarkably adaptable and fluid model, its potential for transforming capacity-building models in the nonprofit sector is thought to be significant. This paper introduces the concept of transformational approaches to capacity-building and asks if blended learning paradigms that incorporate interactive next-generation technologies might strike a responsive chord in the sector. The authors present research to date on blended learning and capacity-building to lay the foundation for the introduction of one blended learning model for training and education in the nonprofit sector. While the authors suggest that blended learning, as it is evolving, is the key to driving innovation in capacity-building models, they recognize that tailoring blended learning to the audience is critical in achieving success. It is suggested that for optimal results, capacity-building efforts should be built on holistic approaches to the integration of individual self-actualization goals with mechanisms for organizational and sector empowerment, using the technologies imbedded with blended learning.