Undergraduate Business Course: Students’ Perceptions

Use of an e-Textbook and Web-Based Homework for an
Undergraduate Business Course: Students’ Perceptions
Robert C. Cutshall, Ph.D., Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Joseph S. Mollick, Ph.D., Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Eugene M. Bland, Ph.D., CFA, CFM, CTP, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

ABSTRACT
More and more, employers are looking for workers that have a solid foundation in business statistics and data analysis. As businesses collect more and more information, the ability to efficiently and effectively utilize this information cause trained knowledge workers to be in greater demand. However, business statistics, where many of these high demand skills are taught, is a course that many students view in an unfavorable light. To revise the students’ perceptions of business statistics there is a need to revise the way that undergraduate business statistics courses are taught. This has been noted by various authors throughout the years.
In an effort to bring more student engagement into their business statistics education, this study looks at the use of a web-based homework and electronic textbook applications in an undergraduate business statistics course.
Specifically, this study examines the business students’ perceptions regarding the use of a web-based homework and electronic textbook combination in an undergraduate business statistics course.
The use of web-based homework is relatively new in the context of business statistics so this study seeks to uncover the students’ perceptions regarding this new use of technology outside of the classroom. INTRODUCTION
Business statistics is a business core course that all undergraduate business students are required to take. Some colleges have a one semester undergraduate business statistics course and other colleges have a two semester course sequence of undergraduate business statistics. In
2001, McAlevey and Sullivan (2001) pointed to the usefulness of statistical

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