MGMT 565 Project
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO
PALs, Online…
Integrating Technology and Tutoring
Kara Finger
Lia Fitzgerald
Matt Sellers
Steve Shirley
Melloney Simerly
MGMT 565 - Juyun (Joey) Cho, Ph.D.
April 21, 2011
1
MGMT 565 Project
Table of Contents
Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Keywords: ................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3
Literature and Academic Review ................................................................................................ 5
Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 13
Research Result ......................................................................................................................... 14
Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 17
Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 24
References ................................................................................................................................. 25
Appendix ................................................................................................................................... 28
Abstract
Recent advances in Internet technology and software applications have made it possible
for students and tutors to interact in a virtual environment (7 Things You Should Know About
2
MGMT 565 Project
Personal Learning Environments, n.d.). However, the Hasan School of Business (HSB) tutoring
program currently lacks integration with this technology. In this paper an alternative approach to
the established face-to-face peer-based system is proposed. The suggested enhancements are
included in a prototype website that is presented as a starting point for integrating this service
into the current program.
Keywords:
Tutoring, Online Tutoring, Interactive Learning, Peer Assisted Learning, Peer Assisted Training,
University Level Tutoring, Online Learning
Introduction
The education landscape is changing as technology becomes more and more prevalent in
our daily lives. With this changing landscape is an increasing demand for online courses.
Students prefer face-to-face courses that they are familiar with, however, their lifestyles
sometimes only afford them to take online distance courses in order to complete their educational
goals (Berryhill, Durrington, & Swafford 2006). In addition, in the process of students learning
relevant and transferable business skills, it is important to have a working knowledge of the
technology that is being used to conduct business around the world. Many universities, such as,
Baylor, Penn State, and the University of British Columbia are creating spaces in which
knowledge can be shared and explored. These programs incorporate key elements of the Web 2.0
technology (7 Things You Should Know About Personal Learning Environments, n.d.). In this
environment students converse, connect, and collaborate effortlessly and effectively. Colorado
State University-Pueblo (CSU) and many other higher education institutions, do not currently
offer this type of learning tool for their students.
The web 2.0 technology developed in recent years has greatly increased the ability for
groups of individuals to collaborate on projects, co-author from all areas of the globe and create
content in text, audio or video formats. Documents, pictures and videos can be collected in a
variety of ways on the internet using such programs as Flickr, wikis, blogs, Facebook, and many
other resources. This creates a vast collection of resources that individuals can comment about
and build upon. Even more amazing is the Second Life application where students and
instructors can meet in a virtual world. They can nearly simulate real-life face-to-face interaction
complete
with
emotional
expression
and
3
body
language
(Moore,
2007).
MGMT 565 Project
This technology revolution is also producing students with a vast variety of new skills not
obtained from traditional sources of information like textbooks and instructor lectures. These
skills include multi-tasking and filtering information from a wide variety of sources. In addition
students familiar with the new technologies have a unique creative skill in reformatting
information
from
many
sources
into
a
format
suited
to
their
own
purpose.
Moore (2007) proposes several advantages of web 2.0 technology over web 1.0
technology. This includes making collaboration knowledge sharing more popular among
students and eventually with their instructors especially with the further development of social
networking tools. Intelligent search engines may eventually, though far in the future, offer
prescriptions for learning. Virtual learning environments also provide a foundation for greater
risk-taking among students which is one of the foundations for learning. Moore (2007) has
doubts about the increase in quality of education that web 2.0 will have concerning the education
arena in North America since course design funds tend to be weighted more heavily on course
content
rather
than
designing
the
web-based
course
to
increase
interactivity.
While CSU-Pueblo and the HSB do offer peer-based tutoring services, the services are
without a web-based component. This lack of utilization of technology has been identified as a
problem with the current tutoring services. Utilization of technology can increase the efficiency
and flexibility of the tutoring department. Offering all the tools in one place creates an
environment where students are able to engage and interact in the formats best suited to their
individual learning needs. This business solution focuses on closing this gap by creating an
online interactive tutoring website for HSB courses which gathers all the tools, (chat, forum,
video-conferencing, Google gadgets, and non-proprietary widgets) in one place, in order to
provide many useful formats for peer-to-peer interaction.
The efficacy of these tools to enhance personal learning has been validated by
independent research and at least two members of this team. Melloney used online tutorials and
blogs to increase her scores on the GMAT a full 100 points while Kara used chat, videoconferencing, and previously recorded tutorials to learn the HTML code that was used to build
the proposed website for this project.
4
MGMT 565 Project
Literature and Academic Review
In reviewing the literature, there many companies and academic institutions found that
were using websites for learning and providing tools for building such programs. For instance,
onlinetutoringworld.com is a website that is a comprehensive guide on how to build a tutoring
website. It encompasses getting started, choosing a web design tool, gathering content,
enhancing the website/making it interactive, choosing a hosting server as well as uploading, and
maintaining an online tutoring website (Online Tutoring World, 2006). Moreover, Educause is a
company, which has a primary interest in the advancement of higher education through better
utilization of information technology. This resource focuses on educating business leaders. The
Educause programs include developmental activities, research, strategic policy development, and
training. The membership is open to colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.
They also have members from corporations serving the higher education IT market (Educause,
1999).
There is also research that supports the use of online technology for learning. PrepMe is a
company that develops preparation material and training for the SAT, PSAT and ACT. They
offer test bank material, individual online tutoring (i.e. via IM, phone). Their program relies on
Vonage VoIP to connect students and tutors. They also use Skype for videoconferencing. This is
a global company with tens of thousands of students, which speaks for the success of the online
learning endeavor. PrepMe boasts benefits of its service as lowering costs due to decreased
overhead using online technology and through the development of its platform on open-source
software (i.e. Apache, MySQL). These cost savings are then passed on to students and their
families (Anywhere Test Prep, 2007). These types of online learning services also provide
increased convenience and flexibility for students.
Important Components for Website Learning Tools
A resounding theme that occurs throughout the literature published on this subject is the
importance of interactivity. Mangalaraj and Taneja (2010) stress the importance of interactivity
when using web-based tools for education. Students are accustomed to a high degree of
capability coming from a generation of facebook and myspace users, therefore they expect the
same from their online learning tools. This usually requires the use of web 2.0 technology. On
the other hand, schools in higher education work under tight budgets and providing these tools
can be expensive.
5
MGMT 565 Project
Staging tools are the foundation of the interactive system. They are the structure needed in
order to manage content. They consist of learning management systems and course management
systems. Course delivery tools provide for the delivery of course content and enhanced
communication (both synchronous and asynchronous) among students and teachers in various
forms. These tools include videos, podcasts, newsfeeds (RSS) and screen capture. These are
similar to the tools suggested to enhance collaboration by Bruns and Duffy (2006). Course
collaboration tools facilitate collaboration between students. Examples are blogs, wikis,
collaborative document management tools. Interactive tools like web conferencing and web
based simulations promote interactive communication between the instructor, students, and
groups. Assessment tools evaluate the progress of student learning. These include testing tools,
cheating prevention tools, and plagiarism detection tools (Mangalaraj & Taneja, 2010).
Security, ethical and privacy issues may arise in using web based tools to increase
interactivity for these types of learning tools. For instance, instructors and students should be
careful not to infringe upon copyright rules and proper citation of sources should occur. When
using open source or commercial source technology student and teacher privacy issues should
always be considered before putting videos, discussions and documents on the internet.
Instructors should give special consideration when publishing student information such as grades
and contact information. In addition, educators should be careful not to violate the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act or any university policy when placing student information
on the web (Mangalaraj & Taneja, 2010).
Another way that interactivity can be enhanced is through Second Life where students
and instructors create a three dimensional world where they interact as assumed characters
known as avatars (Graves, 2008). The goal is to create an online environment where students
interact just as they would in a face-to-face classroom environment. Many schools around the
world are using this technology to create interactive environments known as ‘islands’ for
students and teachers from different global regions to meet and conduct class. Some instructors
conduct office hours using this technology as well. The cost is about $1000 per island and is used
by such prestigious universities as Harvard and Princeton (Graves, 2008).
The advantages of this technology is increased interaction and real-time communication
for distance learning. On the other hand, there is a learning curve associated with using this
technology and it may be viewed as more playful than productive by some. Students must learn
6
MGMT 565 Project
to get around the island by teleporting and how to manage their avatars before they can
concentrate on the course content. There are also challenges with effective communication using
emoticons. The effect can be unexpected so that the resulting communication is skewed. For
instance, a student may want to look happy but the avatar actually looks upset. Some professors
feel that this learning environment is clearly inferior to the face-to-face classroom environment
because of the communication issues (Graves, 2008).
Effectiveness of Interactivity
Pan, Shen and Wang in 2008 provide valuable information about the effectiveness of
interactivity when they write about system developed to increase interactivity in the lacking
educational systems in China for the distance learning process. The system was developed at
Shanghai Jiaotong University and was created for mobile phone delivery devices. The system
includes both a mobile phone broadcasting sub-system and a classroom management sub-system.
The instructors carry out classroom teaching either using power point applications or
applications that allow them to write on the computer screen and the system supports feeds to
both students and instructor that display live classroom views. The instructor station also
includes a feature that displays student feedback, questions and comments received via text or
SMS. The instructor can respond in kind or by writing on the computer screen. One interesting
feature is that quizzes and polls can be taken and the results displayed in real-time to both
students and instructors. The instructors can receive feedback from students about things such as
pace and clarity of instruction and make adjustments immediately during class (Pan, Shen &
Wang, 2008).
For the Pan, Shen & Wang (2008) study, groups of students participated in an interactive
English class using the afore mentioned system along with other professionals outside the school.
This was a unique opportunity for the students to interact with each other and the instructors
during the class. A study of the system showed that many students were unwilling to participate
in this type of class again (using cell phones and PDAs) because of their unfamiliarity with these
tools. On the other hand, this type of classroom delivery seemed to energize the student body.
The students expressed that they liked feeling connected with other students and professionals
outside the classroom and they liked being able to interact during class. In addition, while
students had minimal participation via text and SMS during class many more of them did
participate in the online forum discussions. Keep in mind that schools in China are often
7
MGMT 565 Project
surrounded by walls and students often have very little contact with the outside world (Pan, Shen
& Wang 2008). The study of this particular class also showed that the students in the classroom
were much more likely to participate in the quizzes and activities for bonus points submitted via
their mobile phone devices than general classroom polls. After the class ended, surveys of the
students found that 67% of the students were somewhat satisfied [496], 25% were satisfied [187]
and 5% were very satisfied [40]. Of the 17 that were not satisfied with the class the top reason
was that they felt they were physically too far from the instructor and the other students to
effectively communicate (Pan, Shen & Wang 2008).
Information that provides insight into the use of synchronous communication tools and
their impact on Moore’s elements of learner autonomy was provided by a study for a postgraduate online teacher education courses conducted by Falloon in 2007 . The communication
tool used for the study was Adobe Connect virtual classroom (VC). Synchronous communication
is thought to increase interaction and motivation among students in an online distance learning
(ODL) environment simply due its ability to more readily support two-way communication.
Moore posits that the transactions that occur between teacher and student in an ODL needs to
address three components: dialogue, structure and learner autonomy [need to cite secondary
source here (Moore, 1997)--- Reference info from article: Moore, M. (1997).Theory of
transactional distance. In D. Keegan (Ed.), Theoretical principles of distance education (pp. 22–
38). New York: Routledge.). The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of
the virtual classroom and the impact of synchronous communication on their sense of
transactional distance. The four areas of focus in line with Moore’s theory of transactional
distance were relationship formation, knowledge development, engagement and information
communication.
The data collected in this study was collected through interviews consistent with case
study methodology. The study had 30 participants and each was interviewed twice during the
course of two semesters for a total of four interviews each. The data indicated that the virtual
classroom did in fact foster relationships between students. There were 42 positive comments
related to this among the total of 79 responses with 19 negative responses and 18 neutral
responses. The data also indicated support for knowledge development with a total of 28 positive
responses. On the other hand, there were a significant number of neutral responses (24) and
indications were that these students felt like passive participants because of unfamiliarity with
8
MGMT 565 Project
the rules for engagement in the virtual environment. There were also 13 negative responses to the
knowledge development inquiry indicating that the virtual environment prevented some from
interacting in order to increase their knowledge in the course.
Overall, the results for information communication was positive with 9 students indicating
they thought the virtual classroom increased information communication efficiency and 8
students indicating that they could share information with greater freedom without the risk of
feeling inferior to other students. There were 25 positive responses, 11 neutral responses and 8
negative responses to this aspect of the study. Regarding the results for engagement, there were
22 positive responses, 23 neutral responses and 21 negative responses. The main issues around
the negative responses had to do with technical issues and lack of organization for the first
semester class. Some students suggested that the agenda be distributed ahead of time so they can
conduct some preliminary research in order to be in a better position to ask pertinent questions
(Falloon, 2007).
Duffy and Wise (2009) address the effects of different tools and how they affected the quality of
online conversations in online learning environments. Often, online learners have a lack of
shared context since they are often geographically dispersed and they lack familiarity with the
local culture of the other students. Shared context helps facilitate interpretations and meaning in
any conversation and presents a unique challenge in creating meaningful and rich conversations
in online learning environments.
The goal of the Duffy and Wise (2009) study was to examine the effects of video,
theoretical descriptions and metaphors on online conversations in a distance learning
environment. It examined the outcomes of conversations. The context of the study was to focus
on the application of learning theory for student teachers. They found no significant differences
overall with the quality of conversations given the different reference point types of video and
theoretical descriptions. On the other hand, since videos were theorized as being least effective
and theoretical descriptions being theorized as moderately effective, they found that both were
equally effective. Furthermore, the videos and theoretical descriptions were found to be equally
as effective as metaphors in individuals with a high degree of detail-focus. The original
hypothesis was that metaphors would be overall most effective. An unexpected result also
occurred with the metaphors. Some of them were interpreted differently than planned. This leads
9
MGMT 565 Project
to the conclusion that metaphors may need additional framing for these situations (Duffy, 2009).
Effectiveness of Online Learning/Tutoring
Regarding the effectiveness of online learning/tutoring, there are conflicting results. A
study conducted at James Madison University evaluated student learning enhancement utilizing
web-based homework technology in a business statistics course. The study found that while this
technology can make managing a class easier for a teacher to evaluate students (grading
assignments, providing a feasible platform for assessment testing through auto-evaluation of
performance) it does not necessarily increase student learning. The hypothesis behind the study
proposed that providing students with higher quantities of problems to be completed then graded
with immediate feedback would help the student and teacher identify problems in the class. This
way the instructor could help the student correct the learning deficiencies earlier, thereby
increasing student success in business statistics. The results of the study found that student
success depended on teacher experience and student academic competence. Once these factors
were controlled in the study, the technology used made little difference in student performance.
They found no advantage to the automated tutoring provided by the technology (Palocsay,
2008).
On the other hand, a study conducted at University College in Dublin reveals that peer
assisted tutorials and services such as the ones we are recommending for the HSB tutoring
website were very successful as an effective teaching process for chemical engineering students.
They found that the online tutoring services increased collaboration skills and encouraged
students to be more actively involved in the learning process. Furthermore, they found that the
online tutoring services aided in the development of important skills for the tutors like effective
communication, online group facilitation, and time-management (Kieran, 2009). In addition,
Berryhill et al., (2006) found that the effectiveness of online classroom education can be just as
effective as face-to-face classroom teaching if the technology is appropriate, immediate feedback
is provided and if there is a high degree of interactivity.
We must also address the question of whether or not tutoring and best practices can be
transferred via distance learning since tutoring environments do not resemble the usual virtual
learning environment such as Blackboard. Hawkridge and Wheeler (2010) cite some research
10
MGMT 565 Project
done in the late 1970’s at the UK Open University (OU) where correspondence courses have
been almost exclusively offered since the early 1970’s. They found that students valued tutoring
at a distance more highly than face-to-face tutorials at the OU where students use the second life
application for tutoring. In this scenario students are tutored in a virtual environment where they
take on an identity in the form of a virtual character called an avatar. Students would send their
papers via mail to tutors and anticipate their comments on a returned graded assignment. One
must be careful about generalizing this result since the OU made assignments mandatory and
tutoring optional. In addition, the OU conducted almost all tutoring at a distance (Hawkridge &
Wheeler 2010).
In 1993 OU began offering tutoring via computer conferencing and email then in 1997
they offered tutoring exclusively online and removed the option for face-to-face tutoring.
Computer conferencing was well received at first. Students posted their answers to intermittent
class assignments online and discussed/compared their answers with their peers. The novelty of
this soon wore off however and the number of students participating in the discussions dropped
significantly. The discussions that did take place more often took the form of social networking
posts. Email, on the other hand, became the primary tool for communication and collaboration
among students and tutors. As the online tutoring demand increased there were several studies
conducted regarding the effectiveness of online tutoring for both students and tutors and several
researchers developed models for tutors to follow to increase their success with students in this
arena (Hawkridge & Wheeler, 2010).
Berryhill et al., (2006) provide some input as to what should be included in the online
classroom service in order to increase the effectiveness of the online education experience. The
online learning environment should be supportive by providing a detailed syllabus with the
expectations clearly outlined and deadlines established well in advance. This way students will
be better able to integrate their educational tasks into their busy lives. The online teaching
environment should be open, providing discussion and assignment forums that are both
synchronous and asynchronous. To enhance interactivity, the expectations for online postings
should be clearly outlined to reduce ambiguity around the participation expectation. Exchanges
should involve both student to student interaction and interactions between instructor and
students. Student moderator discussions are encouraged. Student interactivity can also be
11
MGMT 565 Project
increased with a problem based learning approach where groups of students work as a team to
solve a problem that is course content related. The online learning classroom should be
supportive, open and respectful for all participants.
Other aspects that should be included in an online learning environment or course
include having both synchronistic and asynchronistic discussion as well as evaluation and
feedback systems. Marilyn, Mabrito and Worley (2001) address the advantages of including
these. For the situation in their research the asynchronous discussion was carried out through a
discussion board. This provided a low risk environment for students to participate in discussions.
Furthermore, the discussions could be reviewed and were organized by topic via the discussion
thread. The discussion board promotes discussion among students and extends the education
experience beyond what occurs in the virtual classroom. Synchronous discussion in the class
took place in a virtual conference area of the class website. This provided for more focused
discussions pertinent to the class syllabus. An evaluation system was created to evaluate student
participation in the discussion. The student participation score was based on three criteria: idea
development, interaction level and critical thinking skills (Marilyn, Mabrito & Worley 2001).
To promote collaboration, the online course website incorporated a script where students
could submit a URL with a description that was then added to the course website via the script.
Students could share their papers this way and were able to access documents simultaneously for
editing. This provided for immediate feedback on projects while the students were still required
to complete the edits to their papers individually. This provided for some real-world experience
in collaborating with others to improve their work and accepting critical feedback (Marilyn,
Mabrito & Worley, 2001).
In looking at the literature that addresses the challenges of online learning services. We
found that the issues are not new and are not a result of technology but of human nature. Graham
(2007) found that there has been an increase in blended learning environments. That is a
blending of both online learning and face-to-face learning. Graham believes that this is a result
of an evolution of lessons learned from the difficulties of tutoring in an online environment. The
blended learning environment solves many of the issues of the isolation of both tutor and tutee in
the restrictive online environment only (Graham, 2007). In order to conclude the literature
review for this paper the advantages and disadvantages of online tutoring are summarized below:
12
MGMT 565 Project
Advantages of online tutoring:

Students sometimes answer their own questions after posting them online (Jackson,
2000)

Tutors have more flexible schedules by reducing demand through pre-recorded tutorials

Students have more opportunity to meet with tutors by being able to log on anywhere
they have an internet connection

Efficiency can be improved with centralized database statistics

Costs can be lowered by requiring more verification of time worked by tutors

Reduction in printing costs and paper (Graham, 2007)
Disadvantages of online tutoring:

Tutors who are accustomed to face to face tutoring may have a difficult time developing
a relationship with a student without the face to face interaction (Jackson, 2000)

Questions and answers posted online by both tutor and student need to be carefully
formulated to avoid misunderstanding (Jackson, 2000)

Tutors may not get a ‘feel’ for how comfortable the student is with the feedback they are
receiving in the online environment since much of this is gained through the
interpretation of body language in face to face meetings

The demand for tutor availability can become unrealistic on the part of students (Graham,
2007)

Students may forget that there is a person on the other side of the screen and lose out on
the advantages gained by developing a relationship with a tutor (Jackson, 2000)

The system can become unmanageable with increased use (Graham, 2007)

The process of utilizing an online tutoring environment may be overwhelming to the
tutor who will need to be prepared differently to tutor this way than in a face to face
tutoring environment (McPHerson, 2004)
Data Analysis
The primary research conducted for this project indicates that a majority of the current
CSU-Pueblo students think that adding an online component to the existing service would be
beneficial. Instead of the one option of face-to-face encounters, the proposed website offers a
13
MGMT 565 Project
collection of tools that can be individually selected by the user to meet their needs as part of their
personal learning routine.
In addition, a review of the data collected, through secondary research that will be
discussed in depth following this section, indicates that there are many proponents of
incorporating internet technology into a tutoring program.
While these technologies are relatively new, there is literature to suggest that some
schools have already adopted some of the innovative technologies such as peer-to-peer systems,
and non-proprietary widgets (chat and forum) that we are proposing the HSB adopt. It should be
noted that in the past, this technology has been unsupported and even banned within educational
institutions, even though in the opinion of some advocates (e.g., Downes (2004)) these
applications encourage lifelong learning.
The current tutoring program coordinator, the dean of the business school, and the CIO of
the University have been consulted and are all in favor of operating this program as a pilot
project to determine if the potential benefits of incorporating technology alongside the current
Program warrant going forward with this project.
Research Result
In our secondary research, we looked at what other higher education institutions are
utilizing for tutoring resources. Many universities offer some form of internet-assisted tutoring
services. The methods in which schools currently provide online tutoring vary greatly in both
scope and complexity. Private one-on-one tutoring by an independent tutor (via any agreed-to
means: video-based, chat-based, or face-to-face) who is not employed in any university capacity,
remains an option regardless of a student’s location or field of study. This costly alternative – to
both tutor and student - will be set aside for the purpose of this discussion.
Perhaps the simplest and least-expensive method is by creating pre-written tutorials in
various subjects of interest. An example of this can be found on the website of the mathematics
lab of West Texas A&M University. Here, students (as well as the general public) can access
tutorials in many mathematical disciplines on demand. The main benefits of this form of student
assistance are the low cost and low maintenance required to keep these websites active.
However, such tutorials in most cases cannot be easily tailored to specific problems that students
may face in their studies, and therefore may not prove to be much help or worth the student’s
time. They also do not provide students with satisfaction in knowing that they solved a problem
14
MGMT 565 Project
correctly, nor do they provide the one-on-one interaction between tutor and tutee that is crucial
for effective student assistance (West Texas A&M University Math Lab n.d.).
Several schools, including Harvard University, Pace University, and the University of
North Carolina offer asynchronous web-based writing assistance through their respective writing
centers. At these universities, students can send their research papers to tutors who then review
and critique their work. The tutor then sends the paper, along with their comments and
suggestions, back to the student for review. This form of online tutoring remains limited to
writing only; tutoring in all other subjects at these schools continues to be done in the traditional
face-to-face method (Harvard College Writing Program, n.d.) (University of North Carolina
Writing Center n.d.) (Pace University - Dyson College of Arts and Science, n.d.).
Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) located in Colorado Springs, Colorado offers
many online classes. The main products are: online hybrid, interactive television, and video
conference sections (Pikes Peak Community College, 2011). The structure of online classes
follows a very ordinary path. This includes: accessing materials online, completing online
assignments, participating in online discussions, and taking exams online. The only difference is
that the PPCC students have to take placement tests either at the college or at other designated
locations (Pikes Peak Community College, 2011). The hybrid courses are mixed with on and off
campus classes. Students meet at least once a week on campus and the rest of the class is
completed online (Pikes Peak Community College, 2011). The Interactive Televised Course
(ITV) is similar but a student watches a live broadcasting and if he/she has questions for teacher,
then the student needs to call the teacher (Pikes Peak Community College, 2011). Finally,
videoconference classes take place online so that all four campus location students meet online
and watch an instructor lecturing a specific class (Pikes Peak Community College, 2011).
A newly started project by Harvard Students seems to be a popular community service.
Two Harvard students created an online tutoring system in order to help high school students
with questions in different classes (Portier, 2003). Sometimes, tutors guide tutees to the correct
website and let them do the rest of the research. Other than these online tutoring services,
Harvard offers online writing labs as mentioned previously (Harvard College Writing Program,
n.d.). Besides the writing lab Harvard also offers online classes but the website does not specify
whether they are live, pre-recorded, televised, live chat, or forum, etc. (Harvard University
Extension School, n.d.).
15
MGMT 565 Project
Those schools that do offer synchronous web-based tutoring have, for the most part,
turned to third parties. For example, Oregon State University partners with a service called
NetTutor. Based in Tampa, Florida, NetTutor provides synchronous tutoring services in a variety
of subjects (including several business disciplines) to students ranging from 3rd grade to college
strictly over the Internet. The company hires recent college graduates, mostly from the local
central Florida area, to serve as on-call tutors based out of their single center of operations.
NetTutor utilizes a Java applet, called the WorldWideWhiteboard®, which allows interaction
between the tutor leading the class and one or more tutees that join the session in progress.
Tutees ask questions to the tutor, using both a chat window and a “draw” window (where they
can attempt to draw diagrams or non-ASCII symbols such as a square root symbol), and watch
while the tutor uses the same tools to explain the concept (NetTutor User Manual n.d.).
SmarThinking is another online-tutoring service whose web-chat service works similar to
NetTutor and stands in direct competition to that company. SmarThinking is based in
Washington, D.C., and has over 1,000 institutional clients including the University of Virginia –
Wise Campus, Fort Hays State University, and Eastern University. Like NetTutor, SmarThinking
provides tutoring services across a wide variety of subjects including mathematics, business,
Spanish, and some sciences (SmarThinking n.d.).
While none of these options are identical to the proposed website design, they do indicate
that universities and colleges across the country are using technology to enhance the learning of
their students and communities.
Further, we conducted a primary research in order to find out what the experiences of
HSB students are with the traditional tutoring system and whether or not they would be
interested in the online peer-based tutoring services (if so, they had to indicate which services
they would be interested the most). Fifty (50) surveys were randomly distributed throughout
HSB. Of the fifty surveys, one survey had to be excluded because it was not fully completed.
Minitab software was utilized to create a regression analysis. Out of ten (10) survey questions
nine (9) categorical questions were asked in order to create a visual rather than a numerical
analysis. It was assumed that the great majority of students are not familiar with and/or have not
experienced peer based online tutoring services and therefore would not be able to appropriately
rank the suggested services.
16
MGMT 565 Project
A regression analysis may predict what the future has to bring with the proposed services.
One question allowed students to rank and therefore create a continuous data. The question (“if
you have been tutored before, please indicate what your overall experience was like: Agree-1,
No Experience-2, Neither Agree Nor Disagree-3, Disagree-4”) provides the ability to create a
regression equation.
The regression analysis below illustrates that the interest in online tutoring declines when
an increasing number of students believed that their schedule matched with the tutors’ schedules
in real life situation; the interest in online tutoring increases with the increasing number of
students who believe that their tutors were knowledgeable in the past; unfortunately, interest in
online peer based tutoring declines if an increasing number of students believe that their tutors
were relatively helpful in the past; and finally the more students who think that tutors’ support
that they received by meeting tutors offline improved their performance in class the less is the
interest in online tutoring.
Regression Analysis: Interest in Online Services = Tutor Schedule Matched, Tutor
Knowledgeable, Tutor Helpful, Tutoring Improved Performance
Interest in Online Tutoring = 1.57 - 0.132 Tutor Schedule Matched + 0.131 Tutor
Knowledgeable - 0.076 Tutor Helpful - 0.072 Tutoring improved
Performance
Overall this short analysis makes sense because those who did not have to juggle with
work and school times, those who believed that the tutor was helpful, and their performance
improved did not feel that they need to utilize internet services; those who felt that a tutor was
only knowledgeable but nothing else, agree that there is a need for online tutoring. Additional
information including tables and charts as well as the actual survey questionnaire are presented
in the Appendix section at the end of this paper.
Discussion
In order to provide the best possible tutoring services it is important for the program to
include a web presence that is interactive and user-friendly. Our objective is to create a website
that will improve efficiency and accessibility to the existing program while it augments and
improves the services that are currently offered.
17
MGMT 565 Project
This website would give students more flexibility in their choice of tutors. One section of
the site will provide a photo as well as a short biography and/or a resume of each tutor. This
information will familiarize students with the available tutors and begin the rapport building
process. Positive relationships will be critical to the success of the project. Having choices may
increase the utilization of tutoring services by students overall.
One issue related to only offering face-to-face tutoring is scheduling. Based on our
experience many students who would like to take tutoring classes are unable to schedule and
meet face-to-face with their tutors. Many students are either part or full time employees. Their
work schedules often conflict with the face-to-face tutoring schedules. For instance, if a student
works in Colorado Springs and has time before work or during lunch to receive tutoring, it would
be more convenient to do so through a website rather than face-to-face. Of course, there will be
times when a student still may not be able to match his/her time with the provided tutor’s
available times, in which case they may find help in the other sections of the site.
Moreover, our analysis looked at different options for tutoring services. Every student has
a unique situation, some travel frequently from work and some work from home. With our
project, we wanted to address students’ unique circumstances and be able to accommodate
individual student needs. A student would have a choice among web camera, face-to-face, or
pre-recorded videos. We want to give the students both a synchronous and an asynchronous
learning experience. If a student chooses to utilize a web camera it would require that person to
have access to relatively fast internet services and a web camera. This way, a student would meet
with the tutor either one-to-one or join a virtual classroom (one-to-many) and start taking classes.
Some advantages of live tutoring sessions are: instantaneous feedback, question-answer dialog,
and the opportunity to ask the tutor to repeat a problem solution.
Another option that students could choose is pre-recorded videos as suggested by
Mr.Niccoli. There are students who learn by repetition, but feel uncomfortable asking the same
question several times. There are also students who travel and would rather watch a video than
participate in a live chat or a face-to-face session. This option could also help those students who
are shy or embarrassed to ask for help and gives any student the opportunity to remain
anonymous. Many times students would rather download a pre-recorded video and watch it
several times. The advantage of this option is that they could watch it anywhere and at anytime.
The downside of it is that the student would not be able to ask any questions. These videos will
18
MGMT 565 Project
be recorded at CSU-Pueblo by the actual tutors if the project is adopted by CSU-Pueblo. If
students choose to utilize the pre-recorded videos the tutors would be able to service more
students thereby increasing the teaching capacity.
If a student chooses to utilize live chat then they would meet with the tutor individually
or with many other “virtual classmates.” An asset of a live chat is the ability to remain
anonymous and to still receive tutoring services. It also provides the opportunity to ask many
questions and receive answers almost instantly. A limitation of this option is that most chat
conversations are not recorded, so a student would have to take notes during the chat.
In addition, the website has the capability to conduct tutoring via forum. For those
students who do not want to interact with others for any given reason or are too shy to do so, the
forum provides options for them, as well. The forum gives a student the ability to read through
many discussion threads and find answers to his/her questions. The advantage is that the students
can take as much time as they would like reading through the forum discussions, but a limitation
is that it does not allow a live interaction between the tutee and the tutor.
This website currently provides an online sign up process for tutoring services and it
captures information about detailed scheduling options for each student who subscribes. This
will provide for better matching of schedules for tutors and students if the student wishes to meet
face-to-face or online. In addition, when the student subscribes to the website, the system starts
sending study tips right away to get the student engaged in the services offered. There is also a
link to a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions so that students feel informed about
the way the tutoring program works.
In order to enhance the user-friendliness of our website and services, we offer an online
dictionary to accommodate the many international students. This will support international
students who need help, for instance, in a finance course but struggle with the terminology. Since
CSU –Pueblo is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) we will seek to have bi-lingual tutors to
accommodate the many Spanish speaking undergraduate students in the future.
This proposed website will allow students to evaluate their tutors. A feedback process
would help increase the effectiveness of tutor support and give students a voice in the support
offered by the tutoring department. The final website would incorporate this tool via e-mail
and/or through the forum.
19
MGMT 565 Project
Further, the final website would allow for data consistency. It would have a centralized
database which would allow a tutor to keep track of a student who has been tutored for many
different classes by the same tutor. There would be no duplication of data; saving time for tutors.
This would require additional time and training for the tutors to understand how the centralized
database works.
Another issue the tutoring department faces is a lack of internal control to verify hours
worked by tutors, along with attendance of tutors and students. Currently the integrity of the
hours paid is based on the honesty of tutors when they enter their hours into the information
system. There exists a potential for tutors to falsify tutoring hours in order to receive a larger
paycheck. This lack of internal control could result in an increase in expenses. To correct this,
the final website would require tutors to sign in with their assigned passwords and user names
which would keep track of their attendance and hours worked automatically. A similar process
would be in place for students to track their attendance. In the case of live face-to-face (chat,
video) tutoring both the student and tutor would be required to sign into the system for the
duration of their tutoring session. The hours worked by tutors would be recorded in the
centralized database and would allow the payroll department to automatically pay out the actual
hours worked by the tutors. Additional control would be required to ensure that this system is
working correctly and that the payroll is correct for all tutors. This process would provide
advantages in increasing accountability for attendance for both tutors and tutees.
And finally, the proposed website would help new tutors to get acquainted with the new
tutoring system. Often there are good students who want to tutor but do not know how to go
about it, where to sign up, who to contact, and what their obligations are. The final website
would allow perspective tutors to sign up to become tutors and to learn about their obligations on
the same website; it would require future tutors to check the box with “I understand and accept
the tutor job duty obligations.” It would also show a short demo to future tutors about how to
utilize the entire system. The centralized database would allow automatic verification of the
future tutor’s grade through their transcript. For instance if someone is applying to be a tutor and
has a “C” in the class that they want to tutor, since the grade requirement to become a tutor is a
“B,” the system would automatically reject that tutor application and give a short and kind
explanation. The advantages of the supporting tools are: they guide the tutor through the new
system; they save time for both the future tutor and the person responsible for training the new
20
MGMT 565 Project
tutors; and they automatically verify who is eligible to tutor and who is not. The disadvantages of
the supporting tools are: they give way to the possibility of the system rejecting a student when
the student is actually eligible to tutor; and they provide opportunity for dissatisfaction with the
current tutors who will be unfamiliar with the new tutoring system.
Testing, Maintenance, Development, and Implementation Considerations
One of the most important aspects to be considered when proposing the implementation
of a new software system or website is the sustainability of the product. Specifically,
sustainability can be accomplished through the combination of proper system development,
thorough testing, ongoing maintenance considerations, and product research and development
planning and execution. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the proposed tutoring website,
we have considered each of these aspects, and discussion follows.
Complicating the potential for success with the tutoring website is the fact that our team
will create the initial offering and then move on as we graduate or take other classes. Thus, we
have considered this fact as we progress through the project. In the short term, some of our group
members who will not be graduating until December 2011, have agreed to carry this project
forward. If the website is determined to be useful and beneficial to the HSB, then the university
will consider placing the website on its domain, and taking over maintenance and development.
The short-term need exists, therefore, for the students to support the website during the initial
evaluation period. In order to create a manageable project, we chose to develop our tutor website
for the HSB only. Managing to this level will be significantly easier than if the website had been
developed for the entire university. As we mention in other parts of this paper, it is our fervent
hope that the website and concept are successful and give rise to a university-wide system. As
mentioned previously, we believe that the need for an electronic tutor management tool is
important.
Product development and initial systems analysis and design for a website application
includes planning aspects such as the scope of the initial offering, what language the system will
be written in, and how the product will be hosted. Additionally, for website development, the
programmer must be mindful of the various browsers that may be used to access the system.
Although there are a host of tools available for website development, we chose to write the
tutoring application using HTML and a text editor. Not only was this decision based upon
current experience and learning opportunities of our developer as previously mentioned, but we
21
MGMT 565 Project
felt that sustainability through the future would depend on the ability of University Information
Technology staff to maintain the product. Realizing that specific development tools such as
Microsoft SharePoint services are not always available, we chose to stay in a more “native”
format by writing HTML code. Additionally, by writing the code in HTML, we feel that we have
the best chance of successful access by the variety of browsers in use by students and other
University stakeholders. Finally, the member of team responsible for the coding of the website
has elected to continue with the project through the Fall 2011 Semester. The other aspect of the
deployment of our website is the hosting configuration. In a meeting with Mr. Dave Niccoli,
Chief Information Officer at CSU –Pueblo, our group representative was given the guidance that
our initial offering would need to be hosted on an external web server, with a URL related to the
HSB. He intimated that the University would be willing to place a link on the main CSU-Pueblo
website. Mr.Niccoli stated that this arrangement would allow CSU-Pueblo to refrain from
initially running and maintaining the website. As such, the website will be considered a pilot
during the Fall Semester of 2011. This process will facilitate ongoing testing and maintenance by
some members of our group who have elected to work with the project.
Software testing is a critical element for the successful implementation of an application
system. One of the most often overlooked aspects of testing is the need to engage users in the
testing sequence. The developer of the software does not always think in the same manner that
the user will. While testing during the development process, the programmer will usually try to
test what he or she thinks the user will do. Users, on the other hand, will try to use the software
in ways that the developer never thought of. One challenge of the project that our group has
undertaken is to create a viable tool that can be sustained in the future. More importantly, we
realize that our final product will eventually be taken forward by University technology staff. As
such, we have developed a test script that will ensure that we evaluate all functions of the
website, so that it runs as clean as possible during the initial stages. Additionally, we will engage
the services of students to test our site for us. Part of the testing plan will be to access the website
using Internet Explorer 8.0, Mozilla FireFox, Safari, and Google Chrome. Usage of the system
during Fall Semester 2011 will also be considered a testing period. We will survey users on a
periodic basis in order to determine website viability and maintenance requirements. Results of
these surveys will be memorialized and provided to the HSB MIS faculty for use in future
22
MGMT 565 Project
activity. During this initial semester, we will minimize major additions or enhancements to the
site and concentrate more on verifying that the tool has value, and should be sustained.
Maintenance of the tutoring website has the potential to be a challenge as theoretically,
the near-term task will fall to some members of our group moving forward. Therefore, while the
website is fairly robust, and in line with our design considerations, we have purposely refrained
from including more advanced functions such as backside database processing, and extensive
video that might require ongoing maintenance. Business entities will commonly maintain a
mechanism for tracking requests for maintenance on a software application. An example in this
case might be the situation where a new version of Internet Explorer does not work well
rendering our tutoring site. Thus, in the Fall, we will track issues that stakeholders at the HSB
report to us as they utilize the tool. We will also, as previously mentioned, perform light
maintenance on the site.
The viability of any application system or, in this case website, depends on a sustained
development effort. Developers must take advantage of new technology and enhancement
requests from system users. Ongoing development of the tutoring website will fall to University
technology staff. In the conversation with Mr. Niccoli, he suggested that two future projects
related to our tutoring website should be considered. The first project is about conducting the
evaluation of online tutoring websites from other universities, and the utilization of video
conferencing; this proposed project is already incorporated in this paper. The second project
would be the evaluation and final decision as to whether or not the site has been initially
successful. This effort would take place in December, 2011. Based on that conclusion, the site
could then either be taken down or continued on with further development. In the event that the
website is considered successful, Mr. Niccoli indicated that the university would probably then
place the website on the CSU-Pueblo domain. He did note that higher education accreditation
entities require online tutoring websites to have an average uptime of 99.99 percent. In order for
this application to be a candidate for university-wide utilization, it will need to be very reliable. It
is our fervent hope that this project is carried forward, and expanded to serve the entire
university. Thus, we commit to working with the project during the Fall 2011 Semester, in the
hopes that the university will choose to maintain the standard that we have set during the course
of this project.
23
MGMT 565 Project
Conclusion
As with any change to an existing system, there are pros and cons to incorporating the
proposed website into the tutoring program. In its favor, the proposed website will immediately
increase accessibility to the program through its online presence. It also creates a unique space
for sharing that has the potential to enhance learning while it supports the HSB objective to
facilitate teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving.
The tools, however advanced and conveniently located, are just that: tools. The success of
this project depends on students engaging and interacting with one another through the tools.
This level of student engagement and interaction requires a degree of maturity, self-awareness,
and self-motivation in order for participating students to ascertain which tools or methods will be
most beneficial to their learning process. It remains to be seen if there are sufficient numbers of
students ready to embrace this level of personal responsibility.
In its most basic form this project will provide improved accessibility to a variety of
tutoring materials. Beyond that, in its most successful manifestation, it will provide an
opportunity for students to share ideas, shape opinions, give and receive feedback, form
relationships, and build the networks that are the basis for launching or expanding a career.
In the end, the implementation of the pilot program and ultimate success of this project
depends on several factors, the most important of which will be the ability of this team to garner
the support of faculty and then retain and recruit enthusiastic tutors who will, in turn, be able to
generate sufficient interest among the student body to make the website a worthwhile project.
24
MGMT 565 Project
References
7 Things You Should Know About Personal Learning Environments, (n.d.). Retrieved March
30, 2011, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7049.pdf.
Berryhill, A., Durrington, E. & Swafford, A. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student
interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190-193.
Bruns, A. & Duffy, P. (2006). The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation
of Possibilities.Online Learning and Teaching Conference 2006, August, 31-38.
Duffy, T., Padmanabhan, P. & Wise, A (2009). Connecting online learners with diverse local
practices: the design of effective common reference points for conversation. Distance Education,
30(3), 317-338.
Educause. (1999). Resources. Retrieved March 21, 2011, from Educause:
http://www.educause.edu.
Falloon, G. (2007). Making the Connection: Moore’s Theory of Transactional Distance and Its
Relevance to the Use of a Virtual Classroom in Postgraduate Online Teacher Education. Journal
of Research on Technology in Education, 43(3), 187-209.
Graham, D. (2007). Developing a framework for e-learning. Symposium Journals, 4(2), 194-201.
Graves, L., (2008, May). A second life for higher ed: A virtual world offers new opportunities
for teaching. Retrieved June 24, 2010, from http://www.usnews.com/education/onlineeducation/articles/2008/01/10/a-second-life-for-higher-ed.
Harvard College Writing Program. (n.d.). The Writing Center. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k33202.
Harvard University Extension School, (n.d.). Distance Education. Retrieved March 28, 2011,
from http://www.extension.harvard.edu/DistanceEd.
Hawkridge, D. & Wheeler, M. (2010). Tutoring at a distance, online tutoring and tutoring in
second life. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, Short paper presented at the
European Distance and e-Learning Network Conference (EDEN 2009), June 2009, Gdansk,
Poland.
25
MGMT 565 Project
Jackson, J. (2000). Interfacing the faceless: maximizing the advantages of online tutoring.
Retrieved March 14, 2011, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/lab/newsletter/
Kieran, P. (2009). University of Wollongong. Australasian Journal of Peer Learning, 2, 40-67.
Mangalaraj, G., Singh, A. & Taneja, A. (2010). Bolstering teaching through online tools. Journal
of Management Information Systems, 21(3), 299-311.
Marilyn, D., Mabrito, M., & Worley, R. (2001). Facilitating interactivity in an online business
writing course. Business Communication Quarterly, 64(3), 81-86.
McPherson, M. (2004). The Role of Tutors as an Integral Part of Online Learning Support.
Retrieved March 14, 2011, from http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2004/Maggie_MsP.htm
Moore, M. (2007). Web 2.0: Does it really matter? American Journal of Distance Education.
21(4), 177-183.
NetTutor User Manual, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
http://www.nettutor.com/nthtml/manual/nettutor_manual.pdf.
Online Tutoring World, (n.d.). Retrieved February 8th, 2011, from
http://www.onlinetutoringworld.com/index.htm.
Oregon State University Extended Campus, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
http://exampus.oregonstate.edu/services/student-services/online-tutoring.
Pace University - Dyson College of Arts and Science, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
http://www.pace.edu/dyson/current-undergraduate-students/writing-center.
Palocsay, S. (2008). A study of the effectiveness of web-based homework in teaching
undergraduate business statistics. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 6(2), 213232 .
Pan, X., Shen, R. & Wang, M. (2008). Increasing interactivity in blended classrooms through a
cutting-edge mobile learning system. British Journal of Education Technology, 39(6), 10731086.
Pikes Peak Community College, (2011). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://ppcc.edu/current-student/distance-education/
Pikes Peak Community College, (2011). Retrieved Marc 28, 2011, from http://ppcc.edu/currentstudents/distance-education/internet-courses.
Pikes Peak Community College, (2011). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://ppcc.edu/current-students/distance-education/hybrid-courses.
26
MGMT 565 Project
Pikes Peak Community College, (2011). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://ppcc.edu/current-students/distance-education/interactive-television-classes.
Pikes Peak Community College, (2011). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://ppcc.edu/current-students/distance-education/video-conferenced-courses.
Portier, B. (2003). Harvard University Gazette. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/02.07/18-tutoring.html.
SmarThinking, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from http://smartthinking.com/static/aboutus.
University of North Carolina Writing Center, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/project_faq.html.
West Texas A&M University Math Lab, (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/col_algebra/firstuser.htm.
27
MGMT 565 Project
Appendix
Additional visual information from our primary research and survey:
Here are the survey results summarized that were not included in the regression analysis and case
presentation:
Question
Yes
No
57%
43%
Male
Female
49%
51%
Have You Received
Tutoring Services in the
Past?
Question
Gender?
Question
Age?
Question
<16
16-21
22-30
31-40
41-50
51+
0%
46%
40%
4%
4%
6%
ACCT
BM
CIS
ECON
FIN
MKT
Pre-
MBA Other
MBA
Major?
25%
23%
5%
2%
4%
12%
2%
13%
14%
*Accounting, Business Management, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance,
Marketing, Pre-MBA, MBA, Other.
Question
Class
Year?
FR
SP
JR
SR
GRD
DGP
NDGR
8%
10%
32%
28%
16%
6%
0%
*Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, degree-plus, non-degree seeking
Question
FT-St
PT-St
Prof.
CS
TT
HH
Other
Occupation?
75%
9%
7%
3%
0%
4%
2%
28
MGMT 565 Project
*Full-time student, part-time student, professional, clerical/service, technical/trade, household
management, other.
These charts were included in our presentation:
Reasons For Not Taking Tutoring Classes
Other
Schedules
8%
Did Not
Match
19%
No Tutor Available
3%
Tutor Not
Knowledgeable
3%
I Was Embarrassed
3%
I Did Not Need A
Tutor
64%
29
MGMT 565 Project
Interest In Online Tutoring Services
No
48%
Yes
52%
Types of Online Tutoring Services
Pre-Recorded
Videos
23%
Forum
30%
One-on-One Chat
18%
One-to-Many Live
Video
4%
One-to-Many Chat
9%
One-onOne Live
Video
16%
30
MGMT 565 Project
We are MBA students at Colorado State University – Pueblo (CSU) and we are performing a
survey in order to understand students’ satisfaction level of tutoring services at CSU - Pueblo.
Thank you for your input!
1) Have you been tutored before? If “NO, please skip to question #3
YES
NO
2) If you’ve been tutored before please, indicate what your overall experience was like by
putting check mark in each box. If you have taken many tutoring classes and have had
different experiences please, summarize your tutoring experience and give an overall
opinion.
Agree
No
Experience
Neither
Agree Nor
Disagree
Tutor’s schedule matched with
your schedule
Tutor was knowledgeable
Tutor was helpful
Tutoring improved my
performance in class
3) What was (were) the reason(s) for not taking tutoring (check only one)?
My schedule did not match with tutor’s schedule
There was no tutor available for my class
Tutor was not knowledgeable / helpful
I was too embarrassed to ask
I did not feel like I needed a tutor
Other _______________
31
Disagree
MGMT 565 Project
4) Would you be more likely to request a tutor if entire tutoring were to be offered online at
no cost?
If “NO, please skip to question #6
YES
NO
5) If you answered “Yes” to the above question No. 4, which services would you request /
participate in? (more than one choice may be selected)
Pre-recorded downloadable tutorial videos
One-on-one Online Chat
One-on-one Online Live Video Conference tutoring
One-to-many Online Chat tutoring
One-to-many Online Live Video Conference tutoring
Online Forum for problem solutions
6) You are?
Female
Male
7) Your age?
Under 16 Years
16 – 21 Years
22 – 30 Years
31 – 40 Years
41 – 50 Years
51 + Years
8) Which of the following best describes your occupation? (more than one choice may be
selected)
Full-Time Student
Part-Time Student
Professional
Clerical / Service
Technical Trades
Manage Household
Other ______________
32
MGMT 565 Project
9) What is your Major? (more than one choice may be selected)
Accounting
Economics
Business Management
Finance
CIS
Marketing
Pre-MBA
Other ______________
MBA
10) What is your class year?
Freshmen
Graduate
Sophomore
Degree Plus
Junior
Non-Degree Seeking
Senior
33