Blended Learning in Principles of Marketing: The Effects of Student Differences on Student Performance

Blended learning, which combines the benefits of both online learning and face-to-face instruction, is becoming popular in higher education. Despite its increase in application, there is limited research on the mechanisms to improve student performance in blended learning courses. This article aims to identify and empirically test individual factors influencing student performance in an introductory marketing course offered in a blended learning format. Through two surveys conducted during the semester at two large, public business schools, we find that metacognitive regulation, metacognitive knowledge, and student effort enhance student performance in blended learning courses. We also find that self-efficacy and course-specific attitudes affect metacognition and student effort. Based on the results, we provide practical strategies to design blended learning courses that improve student performance.

Obstacles as Building Blocks

Although individuals generally do not wish to be expected to do good work with bad tools, there are some activities for which there are advantages to having to face certain types of obstacles. One of these is mental processing, an important facet of cognitive psychology. This study extends the work of cognitive psychologists by introducing font disfluency, or the use of difficult-to-read font or typeface, to the exam-taking phase of economics principles courses. Difference-in-means tests indicate that students completing exams that were formatted in the difficult-to-read font scored as many as 9.6 points higher than their counterparts who completed exams formatted in the traditional font. On the other hand, regression analysis controlling for student demographics and human capital failed to produce a statistically significant result. The authors believe, however, that this result is likely due to the omission of student effort in the regression specification. As such, further research on the impact of font disfluency on exam performance is clearly warranted.

Shaping student confidence and their perception of learning in undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry courses

This study examined factors influencing student confidence and their perception of learning in the context of undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry courses. Anonymous online surveys were used to measure the extent to which small group work influenced student confidence in solving problems compared to working individually, as well as how various course factors and the amount of effort and pleasure students experienced during their coursework influenced their perception of learning. Upon examining over 2500 student responses to more than 150 unique problems/exercises across 3 different courses, student confidence in solving problems improved to an average of approximately 8 out of 10 when they worked in small groups, compared to that of 6.5 out of 10 when working alone. Students ranked (i) opportunities to revisit assessments, (ii) the class environment, and (iii) instructor feedback as course factors that were most influential on their learning. There was little if any correlation between student effort and their perception of learning, and their perception of learning only slightly correlated with the amount of pleasure they experienced during their coursework. Taken together, these data highlight the importance of facilitating regular small group work, multistage assessments, good feedback and a pleasurable learning environment for students.

Shaping student confidence and their perception of learning in undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry courses

This study examined factors influencing student confidence and their perception of learning in the context of undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry courses. Anonymous online surveys were used to measure the extent to which small group work influenced student confidence in solving problems compared to working individually, as well as how various course factors and the amount of effort and pleasure students experienced during their coursework influenced their perception of learning. Upon examining over 2500 student responses to more than 150 unique problems/exercises across 3 different courses, student confidence in solving problems improved to an average of approximately 8 out of 10 when they worked in small groups, compared to that of 6.5 out of 10 when working alone. Students ranked (i) opportunities to revisit assessments, (ii) the class environment, and (iii) instructor feedback as course factors that were most influential on their learning. There was little if any correlation between student effort and their perception of learning, and their perception of learning only slightly correlated with the amount of pleasure they experienced during their coursework. Taken together, these data highlight the importance of facilitating regular small group work, multistage assessments, good feedback and a pleasurable learning environment for students.

Voice’s Effect on Student Effort Ratings and Recall Performance While Under Cognitive Stress

Computer-generated speech is becoming more commonplace in classrooms, so it is important to examine the impact of computer voice on students’ cognition in a variety of learning situations. The current study investigated the effects of voice in a cognitively stressful, audio-only learning situation. In this experiment, 122 college students were recruited to listen to an audio lecture and respond to test questions. Our findings indicated that participants rated the classic voice engine as demanding the most effort and the human voice as demanding the least effort. Students also had the best recall performance in the human voice condition and the worst recall performance in the classic voice condition. Our results indicated that when learners are placed under cognitive stress, the human voice is the superior pedagogical agent. These results contribute to a growing body of research examining modern computer voice as a pedagogical agent.

The Pedagogy of Vulnerability and Marketing Education: Cultivating Self-expansion in a Time of Separation

Applying the pedagogy of vulnerability and self-expansion theory, the exercise known as the Know Me Activity (KMA) enhances self-expansion by encouraging connections between students and the instructor. The pedagogy of vulnerability is premised on risking self-disclosure as an act of courage. Self-expansion theory is grounded in personal relationships whereby individuals are motivated for personal growth and identify with others to gain access to their resources. In the context of marketing education, self-expansion stems from enhancing student self-awareness for personal growth as well as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the instructor to encourage access to expertise. The KMA was conducted at three universities and assessed to determine its usefulness as a self-expansion exercise. Survey results indicate that students found the activity contained self-expansion characteristics, and they recommend it for future use. The results of the pretest and posttest analyses also demonstrated an increase in student self-awareness, perceived instructor vulnerability, and perceived instructor relatedness. Self-expansion activities enhance relationships by design and participating in them can lead to increased student effort and persistence. Marketing educators can, therefore, have confidence in utilizing the KMA as a means for mitigating social isolation and encouraging perseverance.

The Scourge of Online Solutions and an Academic Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram

We report on preliminary results of a statistical study of student performance in more than a decade of calculus-based introductory physics courses. Treating average homework and test grades as proxies for student effort and comprehension, respectively, we plot comprehension versus effort in an academic version of the astronomical Hertzsprung–Russell diagram (which plots stellar luminosity versus temperature). We study the evolution of this diagram with time, finding that the “academic main sequence” has begun to break down in recent years as student achievement on tests has become decoupled from homework grades. We present evidence that this breakdown is likely related to the emergence of easily accessible online solutions to most textbook problems, and discuss possible responses and strategies for maintaining and enhancing student learning in the online era.

It’s time to (climate) change the way we teach

This article outlines pedagogical practices and methodologies for increasing student engagement in the classroom and in the broader community on the topic of climate change. The emphases are placed on (1) preliminary assessments of student understanding and emotional responses to the topic of climate change, (2) assignments that enable student groups to assess and increase campus-wide awareness of various aspects of climate change, and (3) public engagement and service-learning opportunities that allow students to expand their impact beyond the local campus and into their broader community. These practices have proven effective, for large format lecture courses as well as smaller seminar-style courses, in encouraging student participation, overcoming apathy and motivating student effort and action far beyond what can be stimulated by traditional classroom assignments and assessments.