Business Commons^™

Taking University Business Courses Online: An Instructional Designer's Perspective, Zachary P. Benton-Slocum

Graduate Research Papers

This report details an instructional design project for the College of Business (COB) at the University of Northern Iowa, an average-sized Midwest university. During the project as an instructional designer, I converted an existing traditional face-to-face business readiness program (Business 1000, 2000, 3000, & 4000) to online/flipped/blended courses using the Blackboard Learning Management System. The process involved working with faculty, program heads, students, and the staff of the COB with the intention of lowering the technology bar of intimidation enough to integrate it with the pedagogy needs of the courses.

Closing The Knowledge Gap Between Virtual Design And Product Manufacturing : Using 3d Printing For The Ninth Grade, Jeremiah D. Cooper

Graduate Research Papers

This action research investigates the impact of using 3D printing for a Technology Education course in a ninth grade classroom in general, and the effectiveness of students' ability to connect virtual design and manufacturing concepts in particular. There is a current gap in 3D printing research involving the link between designing products virtually using CADD software and the manufacturing processes necessary to create real life products. This action research attempts to fill the current research gap between computer-aided design and product manufacturing for ninth grade students.

Within the three weeks of this experimental design research, as a teacher who teaches …

An Analysis Of Online And Blended Learning Environments : Measuring Approach And Learning Outcomes In Corporate Settings, Meghan B. O'Neal

Graduate Research Papers

Organizations use training as an investment with the desirable end goal of gaining a valuable employee, despite cost and time constraints on their organization. This review investigates how e-Learning and blended learning training methods are currently used in organizations. It measures the Return-On-Investment of e-Learning and blended learning training methods within corporate learning environments and examines means to improve learning outcomes for learners and the organization.

For this review, peer-reviewed journals were evaluated to analyze e-Learning and blended learning methods and outcomes. Conclusions reveal that both e-Learning and blended learning training models are being successfully used in corporate training modules. …

Effectively Implementing Project Based Learning In The Business Classroom, Leasha Henriksen

Graduate Research Papers

Far too many of our students are leaving high schools unprepared to routinely engage in these thought processes in order to sustain our innovative, economic edge in the economy. These concerns put the United States at risk for losing our competitive advantage in the marketplace. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are far too important to be ignored. This realization leads to an important question: How can project based learning be implemented effectively in order to increase student engagement, critical thinking, and understanding? For the purpose of this paper, research will be focused primarily on controlled studies; however, valuable insight …

Rapid Elearning : Its Impact On Instructional Design In The Corporate World, Stephen W. Acheson

Graduate Research Papers

Rapid eLearning is a present and growing phenomenon in the world of corporate training that is challenging traditional instructional design ideas. The concept of Rapid eLearning represents a class of easy-to-use eLearning development tools, methods designed to shorten course development timelines, and techniques intended to enhance learner understanding and retention. Companies are adopting Rapid eLearning as a way to reduce costs and shorten the time it takes to disseminate new information and concepts to employees in geographically diverse locations. New software tools and instructional design methods are being developed to address the goals of Rapid eLearning.

To gain a broad …

Increasing Transfer Of Training From Learning To Human Performance In The Corporate Management Work Environment, Patrick G. Mcbride

Graduate Research Papers

For corporate organizations to remain competitive in the global marketplace and to develop a highly skilled workforce, improving transfer of training must become corporate organizations' top priority. This literature review will attempt to answer the questions, "How does the transfer of training relate to human performance? Who are the major stakeholders, and what are their roles are in ensuring the transfer of training? What are the barriers? And how is human performance in the corporate work environment being measured?"

Corporate Universities : What Companies Should Know, Megan Riley

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the research conducted about corporate universities. Our society lives in constant change, in regards to roles, skills, careers, and technology. Continual staff development seems to be requiring technology, as corporate universities are becoming more evident throughout the business world. Corporate universities differ from traditional training programs by providing employees with cutting edge information, in order to keep the company competitive. The research cited in this paper addresses the need to constantly update and transform their training programs, so that employees maintain and enhance their role as a productive and lifelong learner.

What Parents And Teachers Want To Know About Schools And How Schools Can Advertise This Information Using Technology, Denise H. Krefting

Graduate Research Papers

Finding good teachers is becoming very competitive in our nation as a large number of teachers will be retiring and fewer people are entering the profession. Parents are now shopping for the school that they want their children to attend and then finding the home in that district. The possibility of school vouchers is encouraging this. Schools need to be able to advertise information to potential employees and parents of their school district.

The Waukee School district in Waukee, Iowa works to create an informational CD made available to parents and employees is used as an example of what information …

Marketing Strategies For Career Services, Jessie Heideman

Graduate Research Papers

There are many marketing strategies career centers can use. Faculty, staff, alumni, and parents are extremely important targets to which services can be marketed. If career centers gain their support, they can promote the career center to students as well. Creating a marketing plan and a brand identity is another part of the process to market students to the career center. Once the career center achieves this step, the next step is looking at certain marketing ideas that may fit their specific college goals. The use of technology is another crucial strategy that can help attract students to career centers. …

Performance Improvement Or Training : What Is The Difference?, Travis Kramer

Graduate Research Papers

The issue of training or performance improvement in the corporate workplace is of vital importance to trainers, instructional designers, and human resource development specialists. Recent research indicates a need to reach beyond training to performance improvement.

This review provides insight into how training was conducted in the past, focusing on training that was specific to the task, compared to how training is conducted today. Today's organizations focus on improving the performance of the organization's employees. The use of knowledge management systems has emerged in initiatives that seek to improve an organizations performance.

In the future, it is recommended that training …

Web Publishing Using Ms Word, Christie Carlsen

Graduate Research Papers

I was approached by a motorcross club and asked to build a Website to represent their club. The purpose of the website is to promote the club to attract new members, announce up-coming events, show a member list with contact numbers, and provide a page to place pictures of past events. The club has limited funds, therefore they intend to maintain their site themselves and asked if I would show a selected few members the process. I had to find a way to educate club members on how to maintain their web page after I created and published the original …

Implementing And Sustaining Effective Online Learning In Organizational Environments, Amy S. Campbell

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review will address specific issues and concerns that are . prevalent when organizations begin to migrate training and learning activities to an online environment.

The structure of many organizations has been changing over the years to include a diverse and geographically dispersed work force. In an effort to continue to provide training and learning opportunities, while at the same time reducing travel and time away from work, more organizations are seeking to implement online learning alternatives. Online learning offers a unique learning alternative to traditional instructor-led training. However, organizations must be prepared to effectively support online learning and …

What Is The Significance Of Online Technology As A Training Tool, Thomas Clifton Peterson

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examines the current directions and future trends of using online sources and activities as a tool for learning. It concentrates on the developmental progress of the most powerful force shaping the evolution of this technology: the Internet. As we enter the 21st Century, online training is becoming the dominant educational technology. The Internet has succeeded in removing the time and space barriers to online multimedia instruction.

The Role Of A School Business Manager : A Reflective Essay, Carl D. Benning

Graduate Research Papers

The responsibilities of a school business manager are diverse, complex, dynamic, variable, and vast in scope. Although the role of an individual school business manager is determined and defined by local district policies and customs, the personal philosophies of the business manager, superintendent, and board of education have a tremendous impact on the actual responsibilities. Situations presented in this paper pertain to Iowa public K-12 schools. References made to federal actions, or other outside influences, are made only to gauge and assess the impacts on Iowa K-12 schools. The personal ideas and feelings expressed in this paper are the results …

State-Wide Training Sessions For County Office Personnel Using The Blue Ribbon Data Management System, Rebecca L. Nibe

Graduate Research Papers

A statewide training initiative was necessitated by the upgrade of the statistical database management program required by the State 4-H Office. The upgrade was released in the fall of 1998, but was flawed and buggy, resulting in much frustration among users. Additionally, I was the newly-hired State Support Specialist, and had not established any credibility with the users I was hired to support. The Associate State Director and I decided that an ambitious early spring training program would be beneficial to all parties involved.

I believe that this project was both a personal and a professional success. I was able …

Creating A Registration Database Using Microsoft Access 97, Darren A. Otte

Graduate Research Papers

Every business or organization that conducts any type of training, whether on a small or large scale, must deal with logistical issues. There are several ways of keeping track of relevant and important information, including anything from paper based systems to off the shelf computer applications. Very often, these methods are cumbersome or not applicable to the needs of the organization. This research project focuses on the customization of training registration information and logistics for a specific company, for the purposes of this paper called XXXX, using a database.

Specifically, a Microsoft Access database was created to keep track of …

John Deere Worldwide Manufacturing Symposium, Elizabeth J. Neibauer

Graduate Research Papers

The John Deere Worldwide Manufacturing Symposium project included event coordination, print materials, computer presentations, 29 speakers, location and guest arrangements. Printed materials included a symposium introduction letter, brochure, manual for each participant, welcome card, and thank you letters for each speaker.

Powerpoint presentations were used by all 29 speakers at the event and made available through internet access for all participants at the conclusion of the event. All presentations were handled and designed by the John Deere Waterloo Works.

In addition, the coordination of this project involved handling all details large or small including: selecting the location, recruiting the speakers …

Developing Industrial Suppliers In Mexico, Abe Camacho

Graduate Research Papers

Research Questions:

1. Will cultural differences influence the effectiveness of developing Mexican industrial suppliers for U.S. international companies? 2. Will understanding the Mexican culture reduce time developing industrial suppliers for U.S. international companies? 3. Will developing Mexican industrial suppliers increase markets for U.S. international companies?

Listening Comprehension Analysis In A Midwestern Community College, Mary M. Conrad

Graduate Research Papers

At the post secondary level, listening comprehension is one of the most needed and least taught of the communication skills. This study compares whether a direct teaching method.is more effective than an indirect method for improving listening comprehension. Twenty-four secretarial students in two business communications classes were the subjects of the study. There were fifteen females in group 1 and eight females and one male in group 2. The Watson-Barker Listening Test was used to pre- and post-test subjects' listening comprehension.

Group 1 received listening instruction via a direct method; group 2 received instruction via an indirect method. T-test analysis …