Understanding the Needs and Wants of Virtual Students
By Mujtaba, Bahaudin G
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was the first higher education institution or university in the United States to offer graduate programs in an online format with their creation of the electronic classroom. As a matter of fact, NSU has been offering online programs and traditional programs with an online component since 1983 (Fact Book, 2007). Today, NSU has over 27,000 students in their onground, online, main campus, as well as national and international sites. According to researchers (Eastmond, 1998; Mujtaba & Preziosi, 2006), the term distance education has become synonymous with instruction and facilitation provided through cyberspace technologies via the Internet. Many such programs are commonly referred to as online education. Eastmond (1998) discussed three different types of Internet-based courses (Mujtaba, 2005b): first, there are the distance learning programs which are supplemented by use of Internet technologies as a support mechanism as opposed to being the primary medium of delivery; second, there is the computer conferencing medium where Internet is the primary delivery utilizing asynchronous discussions and emails; third, there is the virtual course from the virtual institution where all or most aspects of the course are delivered online. The third format is what Huizenga School has been using for its online program where students can complete all of their program requirements online. However, online students may choose to take some of their courses onground at the main campus or at one of the school’s offsite locations.
The facilitator for the virtual course directs discussions, learning, and the submission of assignments; s/he is to provide feedback on a weekly or biweekly basis to students. Experienced and skilled online facilitators at the Huizenga School use colorful graphics, audio and video streams, and hypertext links to enhance instruction as well as to involve the various senses of learners to increase their understanding (Mujtaba & Salghur, 2005a). With a teaching-learning process in the online world, adult students are expected to be actively involved in the knowledge generation process while interacting with the instructor and their colleagues about the material to be learned as guided by the faculty. School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) faculty know that they make the difference in student learning as their facilitation skills can be geared toward learning or simply having students memorize so they can pass an exam.
Online faculty involve the students in the learning process through formal and informal facilitation since their involvement can lead to real learning, application, and long-term retention. As such, the faculty serves as a facilitator in the learning process, as is the case in many of today’s non-traditional schools and adult training sessions in the workforce, rather than being the primary transmitter of knowledge. This is even more important in the online environment if the material is to be learned, utilized, and retained by the graduates of a course or program (Mujtaba, 2005c).
The School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Online Masters Program
The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) of Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has offered graduate programs in the fields of business administration through various distance delivery modes for the past thirty years. NSU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Furthermore, at the program level, SBE is accredited by The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Huizenga School also maintains membership with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Accordingly, the administrators and educators know that it is imperative that they maintain an active scholarly life, and the school supports faculty in this endeavor.
SBE students come from a diverse population from around the globe. The school targets students of diverse backgrounds who have an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Courses are delivered "in a range of flexible formats-on campus, through fieldbased degree programs in more than 40 locations worldwide, online, and through blended learning, combining traditional classroom and online activities" (Fact Book, 2007, p. 48). At this time, over 5,000 students are enrolled in the SBE bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs.
In the late 1990s, the SBE established online programs facilitated through the e-University platform, where students could attend all of their courses using Blackboard(TM) technologies. While there are at least four different delivery methods, each format pursues the same outcomes, uses the same textbooks to achieve the stated learning objectives, and oftentimes uses the same faculty to teach in different modalities. Each program at SBE surveys and assesses its current students as well as its alumni to determine the effectiveness of its operation and curriculum.
The initial e-University platform used for the Online MBA Program from 1998 until 2005 was built by the SBE Office of Information Technology with input from the faculty and students at the outset. Over time, the e-University platform was enhanced and improved as a result of feedback and requests from students and faculty teaching courses online. This platform was specifically geared toward the business students at die masters of business programs at NSU. In 2005, it was decided by the faculty and administrators that the Online MBA Program should switch to the established WebCT(TM) platform since it was already being used for online classes in the undergraduate business programs as well as by other NSU graduate schools (such as the schools of education, law, medicine, psychology, etc.). While there are many similarities between e- University and WebCT, most faculty agreed that WebCT offered more technical options that could be used effectively to further enhance the learning environment for students.
To achieve the stated outcomes for the program and create social presence for students, NSU’s Innovation Zone (I-Zone) in the Office of Information Technologies, offers comprehensive training for all full-time and part-time faculty through regularly scheduled on- campus sessions, online sessions, and one-on-one meetings to help them learn the diverse features of effective online teaching and facilitating learning among students. Some of the workshops and training sessions offered by I-Zone for NSU faculty in June 2007 were tided "How do I teach my WebCT course?,""Making changes in my WebCT course,""Communicating with the students in WebCT,""Using the evaluation tools in WebCT,""Posting grades and managing my course in WebCT," and "Introduction to Horizon Wimba – Live Classroom." Full-time and part-time faculty can sign up for these free workshops. To see a list of various topics and the registration website for workshops offered by NSU’s Office of Information Technologies, go to http://www.nova.edu/techtrain/.
MBA Program Goals and Enrollment
MBA graduates from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Nova Southeastern University are expected to have an understanding of managerial knowledge related to all functional areas of business and to develop abilities that will enable them to be successful managers in business. The MBA program’s goal is to develop managers that understand the philosophy of adding value to the organization and integrating the value-driven perspective with employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, third parties, owners, and other shareholders in a rapidly changing global environment. Building on its reputation for flexible program scheduling, the Huizenga School offers master’s programs in different formats to meet the needs of its students. Oneyear full- time students pursue their studies on the Huizenga School main campus by attending weekday classes and participating in optional internships that allow them to put their newly acquired knowledge to work solving real business problems. Working professionals pursue their programs by attending classes in an 18-month/weekend delivery format or taking classes online using advanced Internet-based technology. Depending on the needs of companies and other clients, the Huizenga School provides customized delivery modalities to meet specific needs.
The master’s programs serve more than 2,000 students online and at on-campus and field-based cluster locations throughout Florida, the United States, and the Caribbean. NSU takes the talents of its campus-based (full-time) and part-time faculty to the working professionals, giving students the opportunity to upgrade managerial skills while increasing overall organizational effectiveness and value as a result of advanced management and skills education.
The program schedule consists of four terms per year, commencing in October, January, April, and July. Students attending class on the main campus in Fort Lauderdale in a weekend format or taking classes online may join their program in any term. Students attending one of the Huizenga School’s cluster sites typically begin their program in the first two terms as new clusters are formed. For example, students may join a cluster begun in October in either October or the following January. The weekend programs may be completed utilizing an alternate weekend, Friday night/Saturday format. The online format consists of ten-week terms. As presented in Table 1, the enrollment data taken from the fall term of each year between 2001and 2005 included a total of 7,532 students (3,187 males, 42.31%; and 4,345 females, 57.69%).
The Masters of Business Administration Program’s enrollment has slightly, but gradually, increased over the five years reviewed (20012005). The MBA enrollment is recorded at 1,404 students in 2001 and 1,597 in 2005. While the percentage of males and females have stayed about the same (41.33% male and 58.67% female in 2005), the percentage of students reporting their race-ethnicity as Black increased from 25.78% in 2001 to 31.18% in 2005. The percentage of students reporting their raceethnicity as Hispanic gradually increased from a low of 17.74% in 2001 to a high of 22.10% in 2005. During the same time period, the percentage of students reporting their race-ethnicity as White gradually declined from a high of 34.83% in 2001 to a low of 26.11% in 2005.
Online MBA Student Feedback
For the spring term of 2007, SBE had a total of 95 online sections of various courses in the business program, and there was a total head count of 1,698 students enrolled. In order to provide a sample of a given term and a survey of online students, let us discuss actual quantitative data for one semester in the Online MBA Program. To get feedback from online students, a total of 382 students were targeted in 38 sections of various online business courses in the MBA program. An electronic survey was sent to all students enrolled in the sections selected for the study. About 44 students completed the surveys but only 38 surveys were fully completed and used for the analysis, providing a return rate of approximately 10%. The respondents, as can be seen from Table 2, were asked, "If offered, what other programs would you pursue online through the School of Business and Entrepreneurship?" About 29% of the respondents would prefer having the opportunity to take the Entrepreneurship specialization online and 26% would like International Business courses to be offered online as well.
As can be seen from Figure 1, most of the respondents are accessing classroom material from home (84%) and 5% of students only have access to the online classroom from their offices. About 11% of students are able to access online classes both from home and from their office locations.
Over 76% of online students stated that cable modern or DSL connections are available in their areas and over 44% of the respondents are using them. However, 46% of the respondents are using modems to connect to the class. A good number of the respondents, as shown in Table 3, recommend new technologies and features added to enhance their learning and 89% stated that they would use the added features if made available. The other 11% could not use the new features, if added, because their computers or hardware were not capable of handling more features.
On the satisfaction scale of 1 to 5 (five being most satisfied), over 87% of the respondents rated the online program as 4 or 5, signifying above average level of satisfaction.
In today’s environment, it is apparent that educators and higher education administrators should continuously improve their courses, curriculums, and programs if they are to remain successful by offering a competitive learning environment where their graduates can eventually compete with the very best from around the globe. Since students of higher education institutions must be learning partners in the curriculum if they are to effectively learn about knowledge acquisition, knowledge generation, knowledge assessment, and knowledge dissemination; they must take personal responsibility for learning by selecting an appropriate medium – their best learning styles – for earning their degrees.
A student who would like to pursue a degree online should continue to sharpen his/her skills to be the best learner in this modality. Furthermore, the student should also work on selecting the right school for the achievement of his or her education. Christ and Ganey’s (2003) book, "100 Things Every Online Student Ought to Know," is a vital resource that current and prospective online students can use, as it provides exceptional insights on how to successfully complete online courses. Christ and Ganey mention that (as cited by Mujtaba & Salghur, 2005) not all programs are offered by a "Regionally Accredited Institution". Hence, it is the students’ responsibility to find out about the credibility of the degree program and the usefulness of the program in their future. Online courses have different and unique features compared to conventional face-to-face course structures and formats, particularly in their "modes of delivery" and differences in their content and the level of self-discipline and time management skills required for each structure.
Christ and Ganey also mention that the quality of online programs should be evaluated based on measurable outcomes following completion of courses and the program. According to a survey conducted by the Distance Education and Training Council that surveyed 1,300 online graduates from 21 accredited online schools, 54% reported a pay increase due to their online degrees, while 50% of the candidates were granted job promotions or had a career change. In determining a student’s readiness and competence in distance learning, a pre-assessment can help evaluate certain skills such as computer, time management, and organizational skills. However, everyone should understand that an online student must be a motivated self-learner to maintain the level of discipline required in succeeding in online courses.
Networking and Creating Social Presence
SBE students are encouraged to network with the business stars of today and stay connected with current practices. One way to connect students and create a social presence is by bringing industry experts to speak with students. As mentioned before, Online MBA students have access to the same facilities, classes, and honored guests on the main campus as traditional onground students. Many online students are not able to take advantage of the campus life because their work situation may not provide a flexible schedule for them to attend live classes and lectures; however, they can still benefit from the Distinguished Lecturers who visit the campus as their colleagues and faculty might expose them to the information that was presented.
After speaking with two 2006 Online MBA alumni on May 7, 2007 at the Distinguished Lecture Series held at the Huizenga School’s Dr. William S. Spears Courtyard Atrium, both mentioned that what they really enjoyed in their MBA Program was to have opportunities to learn from practitioner-oriented faculty who have "done it and been there." They also mentioned that they appreciated hearing from, networking with, and having access to great leaders like H. Wayne Huizenga, Richard Wagoner, Jack Welch, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Louis Gerstner, and others who have come to the School of Business and Entrepreneurship to discuss their thoughts, successes, mistakes, regrets, and recommendations with students. Although not a direct measure of learning, such positive comments and attitudes toward the distinguished lecture series’ speakers and today’s business stars are indicative of students’ appreciation for continuous learning and staying current in their fields of study. Listening to, networking with, and learning from the business stars help students become committed partners with the faculty in the learning process as they see the link between the curriculum, courses, theories, cases, and facilitation styles of different professors
Survey of MBA Alumni in 2007
Alumni survey data collected by the MBA Program Office in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at NSU during January through May 01, 2007 are analyzed and discussed in this section. A total of 100 usable surveys were returned by the end of April 2007 (a 10.5% response rate). About 88% (or 88 students) of the responses came from Online and Onground MBA students who graduated in 2004,2005, and 2006 calendar years; the rest came from graduates in 2001, 2002, and 2003 academic years. About 56% percent of the responses came from female graduates and the rest were from males. Nearly 50% of the respondents completed their degree on the main campus, 16% completed their entire degree online, while the rest of the responses came from graduates in West Palm Beach, Tampa, Kendall, Orlando, and other onground sites.
It appears that out of 97 alumni responses, 92 students (92%) felt that their education at NSU prepared them either "adequately,""more than adequately’ or "exceptionally well" for employment in their chosen fields.
Responding to the second question in the survey, of the 100 respondents, 92 (92%) said they were employed full time, 5 (5%) were employed part-time, 2 (2%) were unemployed (they may or may not be seeking employment), and 1 respondent said that he or she was retired.
To the third question, 44 (44%) of the respondents responded that their current position was "very related" to the degree they earned at NSU. Another 38 (about 38%) of the respondents said that their current position was "somewhat related" to the degree they earned at NSU, and 15 (about 15%) said that their current position was "not related" to the degree they earned at NSU. With regard to salary, the fourth question, it appears that 25% of the respondents earned over $100,000 per year (with 6 students reporting that they earned $150,000 or more). About 70% (70 students) of the respondents reported that they earn more than $50,000 per year.
Conclusion Reviewing the information from the online respondents at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Online MBA Program highlights several points with regard to the needs, wants, and satisfaction of online students with the program and how the classes are facilitated. It is apparent that effective faculty participation and continuous involvement of online students can help them stay on target, and each faculty can guide learners in the right direction by asking leading questions to make sure they are focused on the objectives for each week and the course.
"The MBA program’s goal is to develop managers that understand the philosophy of adding value to the organization … in a rapidly changing global environment?
References
Boyd, D. (2004, Spring). The characteristics of successful online students. New Horizons in Adult Education 18(2), 31-39.
Christ, F. L. & Ganey, L. R. (2003). 100 things every online student ought to know. Williamsville, NY: Cambridge Stratford Study Skills Institute.
Eastmond, D. (1998). Adult learners and Internet-based distance education. In B. Cahoon (Ed.), Adult Learning and the Internet, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 78, (pp. 33-41). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Fact Book. (2007, January). Nova Southeastern University Fact Book. Prepared by the Office of Institutional Research.
Mujtaba, B. (2005a, June). What do online students need and want from their Masters of Business Administration Program? Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 2(6).
Mujtaba, B. (2005b, April). Comparing Jamaican students’ performance with students in the United States, the Grand Bahamas and the online program. The International College Teaching Methods and Styles Journal, 1(2).
Mujtaba, B. (2005c, April). Faculty development practices in distance education for success with culturally diverse students. International Business and Economics Research Journal, 4(4), 1-13.
Mujtaba, B. & Salghur, S. (2005, May). Essentials of cyberspace education for online students. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 2(5).
Mujtaba, B. G., & Preziosi, R. C. (2006). Adult education in academia: Recruiting and retaining extraordinary facilitators of learning (2nd ed.). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Terry, N. (2001). Assessing enrollment and attrition rates for the Online MBA. T.H.E. Journal, 28(7), 64-68.
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba is the Department Chair and an Associate Professor of Management for Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He received the 2005 NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty of the Year Award. He has taught over 100 online courses and trained over 200 faculty members for online classes. Bahaudin is author and co-author of more than fifteen books and nearly one hundred academic as well as professional articles and presentations. In 2006 he co-authored, with Robert Preziosi, Adult Education in Academia: Recruiting and Retaining Extraordinary Facilitators of Learning 2nd ed., by Information Age Publishing.
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