Tena B. Crews

Online Course Evaluations: Faculty Perspective and Strategies for Improved Response Rates

This article provides an overview of issues involved with traditional paper versus online course evaluations. Data were gathered from university faculty, who transitioned from traditional paper to online course evaluations. Faculty preferred traditional course evaluations versus online course evaluations by a small margin. However, faculty overwhelmingly believed that traditional course evaluations result in higher response rates from students. Incentives were also believed by faculty to increase student response rates. Suggestions from faculty on how to improve student response rates are also provided in this article.

Incorporating Facebook and Twitter in a Service-Learning Project in a Business Communication Course

Implementing real-world business writing situations and service learning into business communication courses are not new concepts. Business communication students work through a service-learning project with nonprofit organizations to create communication documents to improve the nonprofit’s communication with the public. Writing for social networking sites is also included in the project. Students are asked to create a Facebook slogan for the nonprofit as well as various other Facebook announcements. Students also write tweets to encourage people to donate and to promote various activities. These activities help students write more concisely and think critically about the key elements of writing and of the nonprofit’s mission.

Students’ Perceived Preference for Visual and Auditory Assessment With E-Handwritten Feedback

Undergraduate business communication students were surveyed to determine their perceived most effective method of assessment on writing assignments. The results indicated students’ preference for a process that incorporates visual, auditory, and e-handwritten presentation via a tablet PC. Students also identified this assessment process would improve their writing by helping them understand the types of errors they were making and why these errors were incorrect. Students also indicated this type of assessment would help build a relationship with the instructor and help them be successful in the class.

Virtual and Hybrid Meetings for Generation X: Using the Delphi Method to Determine Best Practices, Opportunities, and Barriers

This study identifies best practices, opportunities, and barriers for marketing and planning virtual and hybrid meetings for Generation X (36 to 49 years old) within the United States. Utilizing a modified Delphi method, a meeting professional panel contributed to four rounds of the Delphi to determine group consent. For virtual meetings, best practice recommendations included having planners collaborate with meeting content designers, including interactive experiences, and including interaction with live experts. For hybrid meetings, best practices identified included real world examples, providing easy to use and convenient technology, and having planners collaborate with meeting content designers. Opportunities and barriers for virtual and hybrid meetings were also identified

Business Report Writing Students’ Perceptions of Their Ability to Succeed in an Online Environment vs. Students’ Performance in an Online Course

The trend for online courses and programs continues to expand as today’s learners request an anytime, anywhere learning environment. To design effective online learning, data must be collected to review students’ perceptions of their ability to succeed in an online environment and their performance in online courses. This manuscript describes an experimental research study conducted with business report writing students in a College of Business. The control group was taught in a traditional classroom setting and the experimental group was taught in a blended learning environment. Students had a high level of perception of their technology abilities and ability to be successful in an online environment; however, there was significance different in performance between the two groups on assignment and post-test scores.

Virtual and Hybrid Meetings: A Mixed Research Synthesis of 2002-2012 Research:

This research presents an examination of literature written within hospitality and tourism studies and within other disciplines pertaining to virtual and hybrid meeting genres over a 10-year period (2002-2012). While 15 articles were found within hospitality and tourism journals, 67 articles were included within this review, with the majority published within refereed journals outside of hospitality and tourism. Articles were categorized by journal, year, methodology, and theme. Using the diffusion of innovation theory, five themes emerged: comparison of virtual and/or hybrid meetings with face-to-face meetings, perceptions and attitudes toward virtual and hybrid meetings, management and design of virtual and/or hybrid meetings, specific audiences for virtual and hybrid meetings, and uses of technology within virtual and hybrid meetings. These articles have been accumulated to identify gaps in the literature and provide future research recommendations within hospitality and tourism to be addressed.

Virtual and Hybrid Meetings: Gaining Generational Insight From Industry Experts

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is to identify best practices, opportunities and barriers for planning and managing virtual and hybrid meetings for baby boomers, generation X, and generation Y. Through application of the generational cohort theory, a modified Delphi method was employed to identify best practices, opportunities and barriers for virtual and hybrid meetings for these three generations. The Delphi method engaged an expert panel of meeting professionals who made planning recommendations for each generational cohort. Results indicate generational perceptions of meeting attendees are considered by meeting professionals, based on their meeting planning experience, as they plan and execute their meetings, thus supporting the generational cohort theory.

Technology use within meetings: a generational perspective

Purpose This paper aims to examine generational formative referents as factors that influence meeting attendees’ adoption and technology use within virtual and hybrid meetings, and test the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) as presented by Davis (1986). This study investigates how attendees’ experiences from their respective formative years (i.e. generational formative referents), the basis of the Generational Cohort Theory (GCT), influence the TAM model constructs. Design/methodology/approach A partial least squares analysis test is utilized to determine technology acceptance within meetings across three generations: Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1978) and Generation Y (1979-2000). Findings The multi-group comparison determined all three generations responded similarly with regard to the paths being tested, indicating each of the three generational cohorts within this study are influenced by the experiences of their formative years, which are different for each generation. Research limitations/implications The findings add to the limited foundation for scholars wanting to further analyze technology use within meetings, and for those interested in generational influences. Practical implications This study provides useful information for marketers and planners to increase meeting attendance, enhance attendee satisfaction, and further explore meeting engagement opportunities. Originality/value Underpinning the GCT, this study is the first within hospitality and tourism studies to investigate a theoretical model on generational technology use within meetings.

Including Virtual and Hybrid Meeting Planning Within the Curriculum: A Knowledge Management Perspective

This study utilizes a knowledge management platform to transfer information from industry to learning institution to industry, therefore incorporating industry knowledge into the curriculum to produce better educated students. Through consultation with industry professionals and use of a modified Delphi technique, best practices, opportunities, and barriers for planning virtual and hybrid meetings were identified and then incorporated into the Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards.

Student Success in a University Introductory Networks and Telecommunications Course: Contributing Factors

Students at a large southeastern university typically find the introductory networking and telecommunications course difficult. This study examines the factors that contribute to the success of undergraduate technology support and training management students in this required course. College transcripts and academic student files provided the data, which were analyzed using multiple regression. In contrast to previous research, only performance in an introductory technology prerequisite course significantly predicted success. These findings have implications for faculty designing or organizing curricula who want to improve the success students in networking and telecommunications courses.