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Finance instruction requires an overview of theory and instruction in problem-solving. The asynchronous nature of online instruction renders the achievement of these learning objectives difficult. This challenge is magnified with working adults who are pressed for time. We suggest that increasing levels of human interaction facilitate comprehension and build problem-solving skills so that both performance and satisfaction are progressively enhanced. We perform an empirical assessment involving three groups of MBA students enrolled in a 10-week introductory Corporate Finance course. None of the students have had any prior experience with Finance courses. All are working adults with heavy travel schedules that prevent them from taking the course in a classroom format. One group had almost no human interaction. Lectures and powerpoint presentations were posted online. An online study guide with solutions was posted as well. Assesment consisted of completing tests at the end of each of 10 chapters. An online evaluation at the end of the course measured satisfaction. The second group received instructor feedback at the end of each test. As each test was given twice with different questions, students could use the feedback from the first administration to improve performance. The third group received interactive lectures and face-to-face meetings in addition to the methods used with the other groups. Both performance and satisfaction were highest for the third group, suggesting that the method of interaction rather than the nature of the learner was the more important predictor of satisfaction and performance.

Stream: Pedagogies and Teaching Practices

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

I am a finance professor. I received my doctorate from U.S. International Univesity in San Diego in 1989. Since then, I have served on the faculty of Nova Southeastern University rising to the rank of Full Professor in 2000. My research interests include option pricing theory, capital markets theory, investor expectations, and electronic learning in finance courses. I have published extensively in business journals including but not limited to the Journal of Economic Studies, The Review of Accounting and Finance, Journal of Business and Leadership, and the International Journal of Finance. I have contributed to annual editions of Advances in Business and Management Forecasting, a refereed serial publication. My two books are Sources: Notable Selections in Economics, and Organizational Cynicism: Definition, Bases, and Consequences, published by McGraw Hill and the Mellen Press respectively. I have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate finance courses, including MBA Core Finance, Corporate Finance, Principles of Investment, Portfolio Theory, Securities Analysis, Financial Management and Advanced Financial Management. I have taught adult learners since in the inception of adult classes in the 1980s. I have served on University-wide accreditation committees, was Chair of the Rank and Promotion Committee, and have served on departmental search and curriculm committees. I ws the Faculty Advisor to the Finance Club and have authored proposals for community college ad high school students to attend univerisities.

Charles Harrington received his MA in Economics from Northeastern University, Boston, USA in 1975. He served on a faculty of Bentley College and held managerial posts in the Dukakis administration. Since 1988, he has been a lecturer at Nova Southeastern University. He is fully responsible for all undergraduate Economics courses including Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Monetary Theory and Policy, and Econometrics. He designed an undergraduate degree in Economics which will be offered in Fall 2008. He has served as faculty advisor to the Catholic Students Association. Professor Harrington's research interests include portfolio theory, option pricing theory, and labor economics. He has published in Review of Accounting and Finance, The Journal of Business and Leadership, and Advances in Business and Management Forecasting.