Challenges of Online Learning in Management Education: An Empirical Study

Abstract

In this study, we seek to increase current knowledge of the online teaching approach in the context of management education. We compare the impact of teaching delivery approach – online versus classroom - on student performance in business college settings and we look at what factors lead to better student performance in online classes. Our results indicate that the classroom students scored significantly higher on the three course exams, our measure of performance. In the analysis of the online students’ performance, we found that majoring in business and possessing a higher grade point average led to superior learning outcomes, but student age, college experience, and prior experience in online classes did not. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our results in the context of management education.