ERIC Number: EJ852800
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Jun
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-7516
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Research in Online and Blended Learning in the Business Disciplines: Key Findings and Possible Future Directions
Arbaugh, J. B.; Godfrey, Michael R.; Johnson, Marianne; Pollack, Birgit Leisen; Niendorf, Bruce; Wresch, William
Internet and Higher Education, v12 n2 p71-87 Jun 2009
In this literature review, we examine and assess the state of research of online and blended learning in the business disciplines with the intent of assessing the state of the field and identifying opportunities for meaningful future research. We review research from business disciplines such as Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems (IS), Management, Marketing, and Operations/Supply Chain Management. We found that the volume and quality of research in online and blended business education has increased dramatically during the past decade. However, the rate of progress is somewhat uneven across disciplines. IS, Management, and multi-disciplinary studies have the highest volumes of research activity, with markedly less activity in Finance and Economics. Furthermore, scholars of online and blended business education predominantly publish in learning and education journals of the business disciplines rather than also publishing in journals that focus on technology-mediated learning, thereby missing an opportunity to inform scholars in other disciplines about their work. The most common research streams across disciplines were outcome comparison studies with classroom-based learning and studies examining potential predictors of course outcomes. Results from the comparison studies suggest generally that online courses are at least comparable to classroom-based courses in achieving desired learning outcomes, while there is divergence in findings of comparisons of other course aspects. Collectively, the range of untested conceptual frameworks, the lack of discipline-specific theories, and the relative absence of a critical mass of researchers focused on the topic suggest ample opportunities for business scholars seeking to enter this research community. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Online Courses, Business Administration Education, Intellectual Disciplines, Educational Research, Literature Reviews, Research Needs, Program Effectiveness, Outcomes of Education, Comparative Analysis, Educational Technology, Computer Assisted Instruction, Electronic Learning, Web Based Instruction, Blended Learning
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Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A