Dr. Bob Hurt, C.M.A., C.F.M.
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Accounting Department
College of Business Administration
3801 W. Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
Phone: (909) 869-2372
FAX: (909) 869-4511
E-mail: RLHurt@csupomona.edu
I required students in this graduate course to meet in groups outside of class to complete routine homework. They e-mailed their solutions to me, after which I posted homework answers on the course Web page. In class, we discussed problem areas on the homework briefly, but spent most of our time on case studies.
This course meets weekly for four hours in the evening. Practically, however, students (who are working professionals) "zone out" after about two hours. Thus, I was looking for a way to promote learning while cutting down on class meeting time.
Not only does this approach allow us to spend class time more productively; it also allows students to get to know one another and work collaboratively in completing the homework.
The primary drawback to this approach is the time the faculty member must spend preparing the online solutions to the homework. I spent an average of an hour per homework assignment in constructing the files.
To replicate this idea, a faculty member needs to have a clear understanding of basic computer tools, how to combine word processing and spreadsheet files, and how to upload files to the Web.
My own learning wasn't the primary objective here. But, students clearly learned more about accounting. They had to complete the problems in advance and e-mail them to me, rather than waiting for me to give them the correct answers in class. They also learned how to use the Web as an information resource.
This idea prepares students for the business world by allowing them to be self-starters in their own learning process. They also become more disciplined about class preparation.
I've since changed the course approach, so there's no Web link available to illustrate this technique.