Jean Riese

It seems that we generally give objective tests to students in the lower level classes and more subjective tests as the classes progress to the graduate level courses. Is this appropriate? Or should lower level classes also be expected to communicate in writing on subjective tests? What if the student does not go on for graduate level classes? Have we done an injustice to the student by not "forcing" the student to communicate in writing? I use the word "forcing" because students do not want to write papers. Although I am a CPA and deal a lot with numbers, business… >>>

I think that there should be many different assessment tools in a classroom. For example, students need to write papers (even though they don't want to)to give them experience in written communications in the business world. Also, multiple choice quizzes on the course content give instant feedback to the student since they can be arranged to be computer graded. The discussion board allows students to communicate in a written form and respond to others. This is important practice for the student to learn how to communicate to others in a more formal way than just e-mail. Lastly, at least one… >>>

I find that students enjoy and really learn from personal business experiences that relate to the topic being discussed. As a CPA, I have many client stories that I can share with my students to bring the real world into the classroom. These "experience" stories give students a reference to help them remember the concepts discussed. I find that this also encourages students to share their real life experiences with the class. It is always a good idea to find ways that connect to the material being studied, both on the part of the instructor and the student. This, to… >>>

I have found that adding an "Introduction Discussion Thread" in the first week of class allows students the opportunity to form a "community" within the class that makes them feel at ease. The first post of a BIO by the instructor will allow the students a way to interact with the instructor on a personal basis. The instructor's BIO will also set the tone for students to post their information and respond to others. Forming a sense of community in the class is an important part of an online class experience and can help each student feel that they belong.… >>>