2. Introduction
Students appear to want more interactive
classes that engage student learning (Harasim, 1999;
Ramsden, 2003).
Business faculties have extensively practiced
intensive or âblockâ teaching in tertiary
education since the early 90s.
Many researchers claimed that the outcomes
of intensive learning are equivalent or better
than with the traditional mode of delivery
(Anastasi, 2007; Burton & Nesbit, 2005; Davies, 2006; Ho & Polonsky, 2009; Reardon et
al., 2008).
3. This project investigates graduate business
studentsâ perceptions of intensive (i.e.,
courses delivered in five weeks or less)
delivery courses that they complete as part
of their MBA degree at a mid-size
contemporary university in Minnesota, USA.
4. Intensive Learning
Non-traditional teaching has been defined using many
different names such as intensive, block
mode, accelerated and flexible (Scott, 1994; Daniel, 2000; Grant, 2001;
Seamon, 2004; Burton & Nesbit, 2005).
There have been a number of researchers who have
explored the educational implication of running
intensive classes, with results suggesting that learning
outcomes are equivalent or better than the traditional
mode of delivery (Scott, 1994; Daniel, 2000; Grant, 2000; Seamon, 2004).
The delivery of graduate marketing courses in intensive
mode has not been examined previously and this is the
focus of this project.
5. Case Study
Students involved in this research were
enrolled in a graduate marketing course
called Marketing Management (MBA8350).
MBA8350 is a compulsory course for all
students who enrolled in the MBA degree at
Hamline University in Minnesota.
6. Case Study
Students who involved in this research would
have completed at least two semesters (eight
intensive courses) of a six semester MBA
degree program.
There were 49 students (separated into two
cohorts) enrolled into MBA8350.
Both cohorts were taught by the same
academic to control for any variation in
teaching styles, in addition the same
assessment structure was used to control for
assessment variations.
7. Case Study
There were five pieces of assessment in
MBA8350:
Activity Points Total Possible Total
Each Possible
4 One-page memos 5 20
3 Concept quizzes 10 30
Marketing Analysis 30
Study (Written)
Marketing Analysis 10
Study (Presentation)
Class Participation 10
Total 100
8. Data Collection and
Methodology
The researcher collected data from students
who enrolled in MBA8350 in the spring
semester 2012.
Students were asked to complete a
questionnaire survey that required about five
minutes to complete, which was
administered at the end of the final lecture.
Students were asked a total of 15 questions
developed by the researchers.
9. Data Collection and
Methodology
Most of the questions concentrated on how
studentsâ perceptions of the intensive
marketing course (MBA8350) have
contributed to their learning, as well as the
perceived benefits associated with enrolling in
this intensive course.
Students were also asked to indicate their
perception of whether attending the intensive
course is more enjoyable and/or difficult as
compared with other business courses.
Responses were based on a five point Likert
10. Results âŚ
There were 42 responses collected and
some responses were only partially
completed.
In brief, the MBA students felt that intensive
learning was the same as the traditional
semester long learning or more preferable.
In particular they felt that there was more
opportunity for feedback and interaction with
the Instructor.
11. Results âŚ
In addition it required them to be more
efficient with their time .
They did not believe that there was any
disadvantage to the intensive learning option
in terms of studying nor was the intensive
mode more time consuming .
They did not believe that there was any
disadvantage in the intensive more and
overall preferred this mode to traditional
semester learning.
12. Results âŚ
At the same time, our students reported that
intensive learning is more satisfactory than
any other courses in their previous studies
via traditional mode.
14. CONCLUSIONS
Despite the overall positive results, this study
is limited by the fact that it only involves a
small number of graduate students within the
Hamline School of Business.
This study offers momentum for the idea that
graduate marketing courses that run in the
intensive mode can indeed provide superior
learning to what may be encountered in a
traditional semester-length course.
15. CONCLUSIONS
The work presented here also illustrates that
students in intensive learning constantly
sought for support from the instructor, just as
in traditional semester.
In other words, the instructor is also a key
ingredient in the success or failure of
intensive teaching and learning.
16. Please email me at hho01@hamline.edu
for any questions and/or feedbacks ...
thank you
