Owen P. Hall

Assessing the role of mobile learning systems in graduate management education

Mobile learning has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. The demands of globalization call for new and innovative learning systems for enhancing graduate management education. One approach for meeting these challenges is through the increased use of mobile learning systems like the iPad. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the results from an iPad initiative in a program of graduate management education. The preliminary data shows that while learning outcomes did not vary between the iPad and non-iPad sections student convenience and flexibility along with energy and environmental sustainability were enhanced.

A comparative modelling analysis of firm performance

The ongoing financial and economic crisis throughout the industrialised world has spotlighted a number of significant deficiencies in corporate governance and management. The strength and composition of the management team along with effective corporate governance policy should play an important role in addressing these challenges. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how analytics can be used to identify the importance of specific organisational factors that could impact corporate performance. A WRDS database consisting of a variety of factors was examined using Logit, neural net and CART modelling techniques. The results from the analysis indicate that diversity and governance policies appear to have played only a modest role in explaining corporate performance as measured by Tobins Q for the year 2004.

Hybrid learning systems: meeting the challenges of graduate management education

Distance learning has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today the challenges of globalization call for new and innovative learning systems for management education. To meet these challenges the traditional classroom model for delivering business education is giving way to a more holistic learning paradigm in which both the pedagogical and andragogical focus are on knowledge acquisition and application. The one-size-fits-all educational approach of the past is being augmented by hybrid learning systems. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the overall hybrid learning model design that combines the best of both web-based learning and time-honed classroom practices for delivering cost-effective graduate management education. One of the major benefits of the hybrid learning model is that it supports economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Management Education Collaboration Networks

Management education has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today the demands from a globalized economy are causing a sea change in the way business education is being delivered. The traditional one-size-fits-all educational approach of the past is being replaced with a customized and flexible learning paradigm that focuses on student outcomes and performance. Management education collaboration networks can assist in this transformation. A primary function of a collaboration network is to provide the management education community with access to curriculum innovation, databases, cloud computing resources, mobile learning technologies and implementation strategies. The network design should be based on stakeholder attitudes, new learning technologies, globalization, changing demographics and sustainability. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of a global survey on collaboration networks and to outline the role of cloud-based collaboration in the future of business education.

The role of conditional release technologies and intelligent tutors in graduate management education

Learning management systems have come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today, the demands of globalization call for new and innovative learning systems for enhancing graduate management education. One approach for meeting these challenges is through the increased use of learning management systems, in general, and conditional release technologies (CRT), in particular. The primary aim of CRTs is to distribute knowledge in small and more management learning packages based on student performance and characteristics. Intelligent tutors provide the vehicle for helping identify the appropriate material. The purpose of this paper is to highlight new developments in the use of CRTs and intelligent tutors in a program of graduate management education.

The growing role of e-learning on sustainable growth: Applications to management education

The schism between globalization and sustainable growth continues to widen. One strategy for helping ameliorate this chasm is the delivery of “Green-based” higher education. The inefficient use of fossil fuel energy in commuting to and from campus, coupled with the high-energy content associated with production and delivery of print books, suggests an expanded role for distance learning. More specifically, rising gas prices throughout most of 2008 has generated increased interest in using the Internet to support higher education. One specific strategy called blended learning combines the best features of the traditional classroom with the power of the Internet. Providing enhanced blended learning opportunities throughout higher education can contribute to the goal of achieving sustainable growth in a globalized economy. The purpose of this research is to explore how blended learning can serve as an important education vehicle to support sustainable growth on a worldwide basis.

Customized Content Delivery for Graduate Management Education: Application to Business Statistics.

Globalization is bringing about a radical “rethink” regarding the delivery of graduate management education. Today, many students entering a residential MBA program do not possess an undergraduate degree in business. As a result, many business schools are increasingly turning to the Internet to provide “customized” instructional content to ensure that students can remain competitive throughout the program. The purpose of this paper is threefold: 1) to estimate student performance in a residential MBA program; 2) to outline a process for identifying specific learning support resources based on student backgrounds and capabilities; and 3) to illustrate the screening process in providing business statistics support content to students requiring additional preparation. The results show that neural net based classification techniques can effectively identify students for the purpose of providing additional learning resources. Business statistics is one area in which this screening process has been used to deliver specialized content to students with a variety of backgrounds enrolled in a MBA residential program.

Enhancing the Blended Learning Experience Through Crowdsourcing: Applications to Management Education

The world of blended learning is now becoming the new norm throughout the management education universe. Under growing pressure from a variety of stakeholders, business educators are increasingly turning to the blended learning model as a vehicle to provide world-class education. The approach being adopted in many programs is to engage faculty and students in a virtual crowdsourcing learning experience via the blended learning model. Crowdsourcing as applied to business education is the process of connecting students and faculty with a broad-based group of both internal and external resources for the general purpose of problem solving, developing new skill sets, and measuring results. The purpose of this article is to identify the growing opportunities for crowdsourcing in management education and to highlight specific implementation strategies for helping facilitate this revolutionary learning process throughout the community of practice.

How Online and Hybrid Programs Can Be Used to Reform Curricula

Graduate business education, and in particular MBA programs, are under increasing scrutiny for their questionable relevance to the business com- munity. The rapidly evolving global economy calls for school curricula to be updated on a regular basis. There are inherent challenges endemic to curriculum reform that protects the status quo, and these obstacles can be difficult to over- come. The development of online and hybrid programs offers a new dynamic to the curriculum review process, and may provide an opportunity to disrupt the inertia that often characterizes curricula review processes. The interaction of the steps necessary for building an online or hybrid program provide a vehicle for engaging in curricula reform, even in on-ground program settings. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the recent insights gained from implementing both online and hybrid programs on curricula design and reform.

Information and communication technology for groups: Applications to management education

The demand for students who can compete in the expanding global marketplace is growing rapidly. One of the key requirements of the global economy is the ability to communicate using the latest technology. These dynamics call for new and innovative learning systems. Distance learning has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today, Internet-based distance learning systems, often referred to as learning networks (LN), have reached the state of development for significantly enhancing the group communication and learning process. The purpose of this research is to assess how LN based intelligent tutors can serve as an important information and communication technology for students and student groups engaged in a program of management education. Providing customized business educational content in a group leaning environment is essential for insuring that Americapsilas workforce remains competitive in the global economy.