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Measuring the transition to large classes: learning and assessment in business education

Measuring the transition to large classes: learning and assessment in business education. Rick Bates, Justin To, Maury Bredahl and John Cranfield Department of Agricultural Economics & Business University of Guelph. Motivation. AE&B teaches six of the core business courses at U of G

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Measuring the transition to large classes: learning and assessment in business education

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  1. Measuring the transition to large classes: learning and assessment in business education Rick Bates, Justin To, Maury Bredahl and John Cranfield Department of Agricultural Economics & Business University of Guelph

  2. Motivation • AE&B teaches six of the core business courses at U of G • History of AGEC*2220, Financial Accounting • Large enrolment (~650), small section sizes (~50 students), many sections; case studies • Resource intensive • Enrolment growth precludes current form (unless resource constraints overcome) • Move to large section sizes • How to maintain quality & positive attributes of small sections?

  3. Projected Enrollment in Core AE&B Business Courses 3498 3273 2937 2310

  4. Acquired Knowledge Assessment • Congruent with any changes in mode of delivery is an effort to enhance quality of knowledge acquisition • Develop course specific assessments that measure knowledge acquisition, student perceptions and identify areas of further improvement • Pre & post test assessments

  5. Knowledge Acquisition & Perception Assessments • Pre-test • Beginning of semester • Curriculum knowledge (could include retention questions) & perception questions • Post-test • End of semester • Curriculum knowledge (same as pre-test questions), perception & Universal Instructional Design (UID) questions

  6. Empirical Analysis • Within a semester: • Change in knowledge based score: measure of knowledge acquisition • Change in perception based score: does course change student’s perception of business/ commerce/major? • Between semesters: • Change in knowledge acquisition? Perceptions? • UID score – compare across semesters; how do changes affect student’s ability to perform?

  7. Results – Pre-test • Average pre-test knowledge score: 47% • No SD in score across majors & semester level • SD in score based on exposure to HS accounting • More HS accounting the higher the score

  8. Results – Post-test • Average post-test knowledge score: 70% • SD in score across majors • SD in score based on exposure to HS accounting. Same pattern as with pre-test

  9. Results – Acquired Knowledge • Change in pre & post test knowledge scores = 23 percentage point increase • Difference significantly different from zero • Not SD across major, semester level & past enrollment in HS accounting • BUT – change in scores smaller the more exposure to HS accounting Watch the scale!

  10. Relative Changes in Perceptions

  11. Results - Perceptions • These results show from pre to post, perceptions of the class changed to be more negative • Results were statistically significant • The question into the future: How will these shifts in perceptions from pre to post change as we transition from small to large classes?

  12. Our Department’s Challenge • Balance increased undergraduate enrollment with increasingly limited teaching resources • How to preserve quality of teaching? • Scholarship in teaching program • Multi-year program • Provide resources and expertise • Complement and enhance existing quality of teaching

  13. This Fall & Winter • Change in mode of AGEC*2220 & AGEC*2230 • Continue with pre & post test assessments • Does change in mode affect knowledge acquisition and/or perceptions? • Propose to implement pre & post tests in AGEC*3310 & AGEC*3320 • Follow cohort (from 2220 and 2230) through • Baseline for subsequent changes • Continue these tracking efforts into the future

  14. Thank you!Questions?

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