I am now in the process of the data collection and last wee was the first group I conducted an interview. Like most researchers, when you act as the moderator of the interview, you really feel that you can't control the flow of conversation. Sometimes, when I threw a question to the participants (students) I wasn't sure if the response was right for the question. Again, there is no right/wrong idea in giving your ideas and feedbacks regarding online learning.
so far, technical aspects of the e-learning at RMIT has been raised quite repeatedly and that doesn't surprise me. Not because of the service isn't good but because of the visibility of this problem for all students. Some other pedagogical and cultural aspects were mentioned in the conversation. I hope to hear more of these points (and some other points) from the next round of data collection.
Next week, I'm scheduled to interview 4 more students to finalize the perspectives from management students and the preliminary findings will be presented at the Academy of International Business Australia and New Zealand at the University of Sydney in December.
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Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
ANZCIES Conference
The 2008 Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society Conference
Meeting of Comparative Minds: Education in all its forms
24 - 27 November 2008
Curtin University, Perth
Comparative and international education examines all aspects of schooling and education across the globe. Research analyses can range from single nation case studies to large cross-national studies, but they usually share commonalities in approach, method, or conceptual framework. As educational contexts, structures and practices become increasingly valued in a 'globalising' world, comparative analyses serve as potent vehicles for interpreting and discovering patterns among educational phenomena.
The primary aim of the conference is to promote dialogue on comparative and international education research throughout the Asia-Pacific region. As the region is comprised of countries with a wide range of educational systems, cultures, political regimes and levels of economic development, the conference is an ideal venue for critical analysis and interpretation.
Meeting of Comparative Minds: Education in all its forms
24 - 27 November 2008
Curtin University, Perth
Comparative and international education examines all aspects of schooling and education across the globe. Research analyses can range from single nation case studies to large cross-national studies, but they usually share commonalities in approach, method, or conceptual framework. As educational contexts, structures and practices become increasingly valued in a 'globalising' world, comparative analyses serve as potent vehicles for interpreting and discovering patterns among educational phenomena.
The primary aim of the conference is to promote dialogue on comparative and international education research throughout the Asia-Pacific region. As the region is comprised of countries with a wide range of educational systems, cultures, political regimes and levels of economic development, the conference is an ideal venue for critical analysis and interpretation.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Data Collection
I am currently preparing to collect data for this project. Basically, I need to interview students in the business portfolio (in accounting, finance, and management). The interview will be conducted in a group of 5-6 and will take 20-30 minutes. If you are interested in taking part in this project, please leave your message here.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Current Economic Affair
Much of the political discussion surrounding the $700 billion bailout passed by Congress last Friday has revolved around how the plan will affect ordinary “Main Street” Americans. Yet the financial crisis has had an impact world wide. Will the economic “base of the pyramid” — the three to four billion people in the developing world who earn under $3,000 per year — feel the pain?
It is estimated that large portions of many developing countries’ GDPs are held in the informal sector. In Nigeria, for example, it is estimated that two-thirds of the country’s economic output takes place outside of any economic and legal regulation. Unfortunately, this means that many people developing countries (90% in Nigeria, for example) have the dubious “advantage” of being unbanked. They draw income, pay expenses, and hold savings in cash and rarely engage with the formal capital markets in any direct way. While they may not be adversely affected by the financial crisis, people in developing countries are affected by other issues, such as the increase in food prices. That cost was up 40% in 2007 alone according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization and it has effectively lowered the income of millions of people already living without a financial cushion.
The fact remains that an enormous swath of the world’s population has never had access to the wealth-generating power of capital markets that we, until recently, have taken for granted. This should prompt us to consider how we can best help the world’s poor access the wealth-magnifying capacity of well regulated formal financial markets without exposing them to the type of reckless behavior demonstrated by of some of the major American financial institutions in recent years.
It is estimated that large portions of many developing countries’ GDPs are held in the informal sector. In Nigeria, for example, it is estimated that two-thirds of the country’s economic output takes place outside of any economic and legal regulation. Unfortunately, this means that many people developing countries (90% in Nigeria, for example) have the dubious “advantage” of being unbanked. They draw income, pay expenses, and hold savings in cash and rarely engage with the formal capital markets in any direct way. While they may not be adversely affected by the financial crisis, people in developing countries are affected by other issues, such as the increase in food prices. That cost was up 40% in 2007 alone according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization and it has effectively lowered the income of millions of people already living without a financial cushion.
The fact remains that an enormous swath of the world’s population has never had access to the wealth-generating power of capital markets that we, until recently, have taken for granted. This should prompt us to consider how we can best help the world’s poor access the wealth-magnifying capacity of well regulated formal financial markets without exposing them to the type of reckless behavior demonstrated by of some of the major American financial institutions in recent years.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
The project has been approved by business portfolio's ethics committee
Good news for me to receive this info. from the portfolio that this project is approved. The last part of the letter of approval is interesting. It stated:
The RMIT Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) requires the submission of Annual and Final reports. These reports should be forwarded to the Business Portfolio Human Research Ethics Sub-Committee Secretary. Annual Reports are due in December for applications submitted prior to September in the year concerned. I have enclosed a copy of the Annual/ Final report form for your convenience. Please note that this form also incorporates a request for extension of approval, if required.
The RMIT Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) requires the submission of Annual and Final reports. These reports should be forwarded to the Business Portfolio Human Research Ethics Sub-Committee Secretary. Annual Reports are due in December for applications submitted prior to September in the year concerned. I have enclosed a copy of the Annual/ Final report form for your convenience. Please note that this form also incorporates a request for extension of approval, if required.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
What is this project all about?
This project aims to investigate the extent to which accounting, finance, and management undergraduate students from different cultural and learning backgrounds negotiate online learning environments. Previous studies reported the increasing role of online education and training for future accountants and business managers as well as “cultural gaps” between individual students in online learning and communication (Volet and Ang 1998; McLoughlin and Oliver 2000; McLoughlin 2001). However, those designing and delivering online education in accounting, finance, or management often fail to take into account these cultural differences (McLoughlin 2001). This study will help investigate gaps in cultural groupings and conditions of interaction among students from diverse backgrounds in online learning. It will identify the unique challenges these students encounter in the online learning environment. As reported by Conole (2004) and Hannon and D’Netto (2007), factors such as institutional, pedagogical, technological, and cultural issues play a pivotal role in the success or failure of online learning. This project will adopt their models to investigate the impact of those factors on diverse students’ negotiation of, and engagement in accounting, finance, and management online education.
Major problems of online education come under, four categories: institutional or organisational, technological, pedagogical and cultural. Institutional issues, such as organisational factors, and their interaction with technology can have a profound effect on culturally diverse students. Conole (2004) and Hannon and D’Netto (2007) reported issues such as institutional support for online education, communication between students and institutions, or guidance from the institution can promote a strong level of online engagement by students. Additionally it is confirmed that pedagogical approaches facilitate profound learning rather than surface learning (Ramsden 1992). As online learning in business involves a number of activities, people, and processes, it is important for universities and lecturers not to see it as “culture-neutral”. Lecturers should be concerned how cultural differences are managed in virtual learning. There are dangers in simply transferring traditional face-to-face learning methods to an online system. Previous studies make extensive reference to the access, speed, system, and clarity of the usage of informational communication technology for the promotion of students’ engagement in online education. Finally, cultural factors such as the linguistic, approach to learning, and communication contents also play a pivotal role in students’ readiness and willingness to engage in online learning. Language and approach in learning are among the most significant obstacles for cross-cultural learning. Differences in writing conventions (style, format, content, and organisation) between instructors and their audience can also often lead to poor communication. For example, some cultures take offence at brief exchanges using short sentences or declarative language (McLoughlin 2001). They may require more polite or more indirect interactions. Direct or corrective feedback may similarly embarrass some users. To be more effective, online educators must be willing to adapt their materials to other cultural, linguistic, and learning conventions (McLoughlin and Oliver 2000). The increased global popularity of online international business education has generated a number of studies addressing specific issues of cultural identity thereof that suggest race, ethnicity and cultural stereotypes, and their attendant prejudices, can be reproduced via online education, and even encoded in the software interface (Nakamura 2002; Hannon and D'Netto 2007).
Previous studies in online education and business pedagogy (Debreceny, Lymer et al. 1999; McLoughlin 2001) reported major problems of cultural and environmental insensitivity, teaching style differences, disparate educational values, difficulties of language and semantics, and other technical problems relating to the platform used, operating systems and a lack of standard interfaces. McLoughlin (2001) and Reeder et al (2004) also reported that cultural and language differences in students are not always explicitly taken into account in the planning and design of learning technologies, instruction design and generic courseware. Chase et al (2002) found a ‘cultural gap’ between individuals in online education. (and communication), and that “participation rates differ by cultural grouping” in online communication (McLaughlin, 2001). A number of studies in online education in various disciplines confirmed online education with complicated interfaces, procedures, conditions, or interactions present unique challenges to learners from different academic, cultural, and learning backgrounds (Reeder, Macfadyen et al. 2004; Hannon and D'Netto 2007).
Given the abovementioned issues, this project will investigate and compare factors of engagement and effectiveness of online education among accounting, finance, and management students. The outcomes from this project, therefore, will help educators and researchers in accounting, finance, and management education to better understand the issues of diversity underpinning students’ experience in online education and training. This understanding will help improve the implementation of online education in accounting, finance, and management courses. Thus the study will provide long-term benefit for higher education institutions that offer accounting, finance, and management programs to student of diverse backgrounds
Major problems of online education come under, four categories: institutional or organisational, technological, pedagogical and cultural. Institutional issues, such as organisational factors, and their interaction with technology can have a profound effect on culturally diverse students. Conole (2004) and Hannon and D’Netto (2007) reported issues such as institutional support for online education, communication between students and institutions, or guidance from the institution can promote a strong level of online engagement by students. Additionally it is confirmed that pedagogical approaches facilitate profound learning rather than surface learning (Ramsden 1992). As online learning in business involves a number of activities, people, and processes, it is important for universities and lecturers not to see it as “culture-neutral”. Lecturers should be concerned how cultural differences are managed in virtual learning. There are dangers in simply transferring traditional face-to-face learning methods to an online system. Previous studies make extensive reference to the access, speed, system, and clarity of the usage of informational communication technology for the promotion of students’ engagement in online education. Finally, cultural factors such as the linguistic, approach to learning, and communication contents also play a pivotal role in students’ readiness and willingness to engage in online learning. Language and approach in learning are among the most significant obstacles for cross-cultural learning. Differences in writing conventions (style, format, content, and organisation) between instructors and their audience can also often lead to poor communication. For example, some cultures take offence at brief exchanges using short sentences or declarative language (McLoughlin 2001). They may require more polite or more indirect interactions. Direct or corrective feedback may similarly embarrass some users. To be more effective, online educators must be willing to adapt their materials to other cultural, linguistic, and learning conventions (McLoughlin and Oliver 2000). The increased global popularity of online international business education has generated a number of studies addressing specific issues of cultural identity thereof that suggest race, ethnicity and cultural stereotypes, and their attendant prejudices, can be reproduced via online education, and even encoded in the software interface (Nakamura 2002; Hannon and D'Netto 2007).
Previous studies in online education and business pedagogy (Debreceny, Lymer et al. 1999; McLoughlin 2001) reported major problems of cultural and environmental insensitivity, teaching style differences, disparate educational values, difficulties of language and semantics, and other technical problems relating to the platform used, operating systems and a lack of standard interfaces. McLoughlin (2001) and Reeder et al (2004) also reported that cultural and language differences in students are not always explicitly taken into account in the planning and design of learning technologies, instruction design and generic courseware. Chase et al (2002) found a ‘cultural gap’ between individuals in online education. (and communication), and that “participation rates differ by cultural grouping” in online communication (McLaughlin, 2001). A number of studies in online education in various disciplines confirmed online education with complicated interfaces, procedures, conditions, or interactions present unique challenges to learners from different academic, cultural, and learning backgrounds (Reeder, Macfadyen et al. 2004; Hannon and D'Netto 2007).
Given the abovementioned issues, this project will investigate and compare factors of engagement and effectiveness of online education among accounting, finance, and management students. The outcomes from this project, therefore, will help educators and researchers in accounting, finance, and management education to better understand the issues of diversity underpinning students’ experience in online education and training. This understanding will help improve the implementation of online education in accounting, finance, and management courses. Thus the study will provide long-term benefit for higher education institutions that offer accounting, finance, and management programs to student of diverse backgrounds
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