Do Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles Also Apply to Online MBAs?

Given a relative lack of empirical testing of conceptual frameworks of web-based course effectiveness, empirical testing of such frameworks is important because it can help determine similarities and/or differences in web-based and classroom-based courses. Such frameworks help determine whether and/or to what extent the training of faculty must be modified to prepare them adequately for online teaching. To assess whether conventional teaching wisdom needs to be modified for the online learning environment, we tested the applicability of a commonly-used framework, Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles of Good Practice in Education using a sample of twenty-four online MBA courses conducted at two Midwestern U. S. schools. The results support the extension of five from the seven principles of good practice in classroombased undergraduate education to web-based graduate education. These findings suggest that principles of effective classroom teaching may be used as a starting point for developing and teaching web-based courses. 1 The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 3, Number 2, July 2006 Introduction As online learning has become increasingly commonplace, researchers have developed theoretical models of effective web-based course and program design (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000; Rungtusanatham, Ellram, Siferd, & Salik, 2004). However, these frameworks have had limited influence on the empirical study of web-based courses. This lack of integration between conceptual and empirical work suggests that this stream of research would benefit greatly from additional tests of conceptual models of learning and/or instruction. It is possible that already existing frameworks developed from classroom settings could be extended to predict effective practice in web-based learning environments. One of these frameworks, the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987), was developed from a review of fifty years of educational literature. These seven principles focus on contact between students and faculty, consideration of multiple approaches to learning, and engagement of students in learning. Educators have begun considering how these principles may apply to online learning (Ehrmann, 1999) with studies examining their applicability to technologically-driven learning environments (Chickering & Ehrmann, 1996; Chizmar & Walbert, 1999). However, attempts to extend the applicability of the framework to graduate education have been limited. This paper builds on the emerging literature of web-based education by examining whether Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) seven principles of effective education can be generalized to graduate level courses. First, we review Chickering and Gamson’s principles and relate them to previous work in web-based education. We then report on our study of these principles using a sample of MBA students from two universities in the midwestern U.S. We conclude the paper by discussing potential implications of these findings for online instructors and institutions. The Seven Principles and Web-based Education 1. Good Practice Encourages Contact between Students and Faculty The literature related to this first principle can be categorized by two variables: instructor immediacy behaviors and participant interaction. Instructor immediacy behaviors have been studied thoroughly by communication education scholars and generally have been found to be 2 The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 3, Number 2, July 2006 significantly associated with student learning. Researchers have begun to extend these findings about immediacy behaviors to the distance education environment. The results of these studies suggest that student expectations and perceptions of nonverbal immediacy are lower for distance education than for traditional classrooms (Freitas, Myers, & Avtgis, 1998). However, verbal immediacy behaviors are not impacted as much by the format, and instructor immediacy behaviors have been found to be positively associated with student learning and course satisfaction (Arbaugh, 2001; Baker, 2004). Although instructor behaviors appear to be an important influence on web-based courses (Easton, 2003; Walker, 2003), it is becoming apparent that student interaction behavior is critical for closing the interaction loop. Initial evidence suggests that the “verbal” behavior of both the students and the instructor is critical for a successful web-based graduate course (Arbaugh, 2005; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Swan, 2002). 2. Good Practice Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation among Students Success in virtual environments is being attributed increasingly to collaborative efforts within and between groups (Jarvenpaa & Leidner, 1999; Palloff & Pratt, 2001). Therefore, it is not surprising that much of the literature on web-based courses supports the concept of collaborative learning (Swan, 2003). As a result of this increased emphasis on collaborative behavior, control of the learning environment in web-based courses often resides in the student peer groups. 3. Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques The conclusions of several authors on distance education suggest that the lecture model may not be as effective in virtual classrooms as it is in physical ones (May & Short, 2003; Walker, 2003). Two reasons for this are the opportunity for information overload and the dynamic nature of the medium. Previous studies of electronic classrooms suggest that the volume of text-based material can be overwhelming (Berger, 1999; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997). Also, since the medium is considered to be a non-linear vehicle for instruction (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995), students can supplement course material by incorporating their own web searches and personal experiences into the classroom setting at their convenience. 3 The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 3, Number 2, July 2006 4. Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback Researchers suggest that instructors need to learn a different set of teaching skills for teaching online (Brower, 2003; Easton, 2003). A primary new skill is making the transition from being a “talking head” to being a discussion facilitator and manager (Berge, 1995). This new role includes using a more conversational style in online comments to help enhance student participation and discussion (Brower, 2003) and placing a high emphasis on providing prompt feedback to students regarding their performance on assignments and in class discussions (Arbaugh, 2001; Berger, 1999). 5. Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task Prior studies have shown that time on task is a strong predictor of computer-based learning (Brown, 2001). In a web-based learning environment, this attribute has been associated with spending more time in the course, logging on to the course site more frequently, and being more likely to take additional courses via the medium (Arbaugh & Duray, 2002; Hiltz, 1994). This implies that students who spend more time on a web-based course and/or who have prior experience with web-based courses are more likely to be satisfied with the experience and take more ownership of the learning process, thereby increasing their own learning. Another aspect of the time on task dimension is the potential for increased efficiency of learning that may be provided via the online environment (DiBiase, 2004). While some raise concerns about lack of face-to-face contact in online learning settings (Flaherty, Pearce, & Rubin, 1998), students increasingly appear to either tolerate this characteristic or leverage it for new ways of building communities (Berger, 1999; Brower, 2003; Rovai, 2001). 6. Good Practice Communicates High Expectations One assumption of collaborative learning is that it raises the bar for performance expectations (Alavi, Wheeler, & Valacich, 1995; Yoo, Kanawattanachai, & Citurs, 2002). Therefore, we expect that these increased expectations will be demonstrated in web-based courses. One way in which these higher expectations have been communicated in online courses is through the use of peer or public review of assignments (Chizmar & Walbert, 1999) because the use of electronic 4 The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 3, Number 2, July 2006 documents makes it much easier to make assignments visible to other course participants (Ehrmann, 1995; 1999). 7. Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning A number of researchers are beginning to suggest that classroom and web-based settings are fundamentally different learning environments (Berger, 1999; Shedletsky & Aitken, 2001). Media richness (Daft & Lengel, 1986) and social presence theories (Rice, 1984; Sproull & Kiesler, 1991) suggest that recreating the classroom learning environment to fit the internet in its present format would be difficult. The relatively low richness of text-based media and the elimination of non-verbal cues can make accomplishing interdependent, ambiguous tasks such as case discussions and group projects particularly challenging (Flaherty et al., 1998). Therefore, it has been suggested that instructors should supplement text with features such as videoconferencing, voice messaging, video clips and/or multimedia (Arbaugh, 2005; BenbunanFich, 2002).