a model for use of multimedia ict in the classroom

8/14/2019 A Model for Use of Multimedia ICT in the Classroom

1/11

A model for use of multimedia

& ICT in the classroomteaching of MBA courses

Kanishka BediJaipuria Institute of Management, Vineet Khand,

Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, U.P. 226005, India

Email: [email protected]

J. K. SharmaDepartment of Business Administration,

University of Lucknow, Lucknow, U.P., India
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/11

Introduction Multimedia and ICT have changed the face of the 21st century MBA class rooms up

to great extent. Teaching MBA courses using PowerPoint presentations, Excel &

SPSS spreadsheets etc. is common place with the help of permanently installed

computers connected to an LCD projector in the classroom.

In many computer training institutions, the classroom provides individual computer

workstations (with personal headphones) to each student in the class room in

addition to the earlier mentioned infrastructure. This set-up is popularly known as

an Online classroom (OC).

Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University [4] and the College of

Business, Minnesota State University [5] are already using this kind of a set up.

However, this kind of a set-up is rarely found in the classroom teaching of MBA

programmes.

It is proposed in this paper that in place of creating special Online classrooms, the

existing computer lab in the MBA institutions should be redesigned by modifying

its layout to convert the lab into an OC.


3/11

Redesigning the computer lab

into an Online classroom

Networked PC equippedwith ICT & headphones

Students Instructor

LCD Projector connected to theinstructors PC

& Video Camera hanging from the

ceiling

LAYOUT - A LAYOUT - B

Fig. 1: Layout A of the computer lab to be converted to layout B to make it an Online classroom


4/11

Advantages of Online classrooms

In an online classroom (OC) using multimedia lecture sessions, the studentscan easily reverse a few steps so that the concept gets clear.

A real time conduct and evaluation of quizzes given to students at thebeginning/ ending of a teaching session using the ICT becomes possible in OC.

In the OC equipped with ICT, it is easy to take daily feedback of the instructorsperformance from the students.

Many times certain comprehensive data or calculations shown in a spreadsheetin small font size (projected by the LCD projector on the big screen) are notclearly visible to the students at the back benches in the classroom. In thesesituations, the online classroom with individual work stations to the studentscan overcome this problem as the students not only see the projectedspreadsheet on the big screen, but also on their monitors.

In the OC, attendance can be taken by the instructor on the computer with theprojected screen. This file can be password protected by the instructor so thatthe students may view it even later, but cannot make any changes in it.

The students can have access to their fee deposit information, examinationreport cards, attendance, status of availability of books in the library etc. at theirworkstations in their classroom itself.


5/11


(contd.) The students need not go to the computer lab, thus saving a lot of

time. Internet facility can easily be made available on workstations in the

online classroom. Subjective examinations can also be conducted. The students can

send answer files though email to the instructor. Precautions

should be taken to ensure that students do not send emails to eachother during the examination. Internet/ interanet should bedisconnected during the exam but reinstituted at the end of theexamination so that emails may be sent to the instructor.

Students can have access to online research databases like EBSCO,Emerald etc.

A video camera installed permanently can give the option to the

instructor to make video films of his/ her lectures, which can beused with the future batches of students or in the distance learningprogrammes.


6/11


(contd.) Teaching concepts like ERP, RDBMS etc., which require distributed

client-server set-up, becomes easier due to the option of role playby the students at different workstations.

Programming languages like Java, C++ etc. can be explained andpracticed in a better way in online class rooms.

Interactive multimedia can be used effectively only in online

classrooms. Teaching numerical oriented concepts like transportation model, LP

etc.using Excel becomes easier. Notices can be sent through email to the students. Sessions can be conducted even in the absence of the instructor. Repetition of lectures by faculty in other sections of students can

be aided by video recording and then, projecting through LCDprojector/ at individual workstations. Team or group assignments can be more interactively conducted

within the student teams. For obtaining a tally of student answers in a large class, online

classroom is a prerequisite.


7/11

Survey ResultsSurvey Results1. How do you rate the multimedia module on S AP R/3 and Transportation model shown to you?

A. Excellent 24

B. Very Good 54

C. Good 36D. Just alright 11

E. Not useful 2

Total 127

2. Do you think that this kind of modules should be incorporated in the classroom teaching of MBA courses?

A. Yes 110

B. No 17

Total 127

3. Do you think that this kind of modules are more useful if these are conducted in the computer lab so that each

student gets a separate PC with headphones (it may be termed as an Online classroom) and can learn at his/ her

own pace (by rewinding the module at times)?

A. Yes 101

B. No 8

C. It does not matter whether in computer lab 18

or classroom (in the way m odules were shown toTotal 127

4. What should be the frequency of the use of this kind of modules in classroom teaching of MBA courses?

A. In every lecture session 19

B. Occasionally, in topics with numerical orientation 84

C. Once in a course, in specific topics like ERP, transportation model etc. 22

D. Never 2

Total 127

5. Do you think that online quizzes (in an online classroom), which give instantaneous results to each student according

to his/ her performance should be a regular feature of MBA courses for continuous evaluation?

A. Yes 118

B. No 9

Total 127


8/11

Response summary of the

student survey A majority of MBA students would like the use of

multimedia like Lotus Screen Cam in theclassroom teaching of MBA courses, thoughoccasionally in topics with numerical orientation.

A majority of the students prefer to have suchsessions in the online classrooms.

A large majority of the students felt that onlinequizzes (in an online classroom) using ICT,

which give instantaneous results to each studentaccording to his/ her performance should be aregular feature of MBA courses for continuousevaluation.


9/11

Cost involved in creating an Online

classroom (in the proposed model)

This model recommends the modification in the

layout of the computer lab in a MBA institution.

Also, an LCD projector and a video camera

would be required to be procured in this set-up. The cost of the procurement of these items with

the proposed redesigning of the layout of the lab

would incur approximately USD 4000, which can

be easily afforded by even MBA institutions inthe developing nations.


10/11

Conclusions

The use of multimedia and ICT can be successfullyintegrated in the classroom teaching of MBAcourses only when supported by an onlineclassroom.

The computer lab of the MBA institutions has to beredesigned in order to convert it into an onlineclassroom.

Instructors willing to use multimedia & ICT canconduct their sessions in these online classrooms.

This kind of a set up does not require substantialinvestments. At the same time, it promotesawareness amongst the faculty not currently makinguse of multimedia & ICT to explore possibilities of itsuse in their courses.


11/11

Thank You!

a model for use of multimedia ict in the classroom

Documents