Abstract
Research methods courses are often difficult to teach, for they deal with abstract topics with no precise application to students’ professional careers. This creates a significant problem for undergraduate students that start to work on their dissertations. A recent survey at the management program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru revealed that students of the Dissertation Seminar course had scarce interest in these matters and barely remembered their previous courses of methods. As a result, they face great difficulties for delimiting methodologically viable research projects. Pedagogical strategies based on blended, active, and problem-based learning have become increasingly attractive for the millennial generation. The use of online modules on management research methods emerged as a suitable alternative to face the problems previously mentioned. These modules emphasized a dynamic multimedia language, incorporated multiple examples of former successful dissertations, and included several self-assessment mechanisms with immediate performance feedback. This pedagogical innovation was assessed through an experimental quantitative design that revealed a significant increase in research methods learning in most students, including topics such as problem identification, analytical framework construction, and methodological design. Post-hoc measurements of the professors’ and students’ experiences showed high levels of satisfaction with the knowledge acquired, learning experience, content and format, self-assessment mechanisms, and modules’ usefulness. Interestingly, professors and students suggested that these modules should not replace classroom orientation because it allows the clarification of doubts about the online contents as well as their specific application to the dissertation research process.
Presenters
Mario Marcello Pasco-Dalla-PortaAssociate Professor, Academic Department of Management Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Peru Fatima Ponce
Associate Pofessor, Academic Department Management Sciences, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL PERU, Peru
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Research Methods, Blended Learning, Active Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Virtual Environment
Digital Media
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