The impact of social motivation on cooperative learning and assessment preferences

Abstract

This study explores the assessment preferences of 453 postgraduate business students in New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand using a survey linking motivational and educational preferences. This study compares the needs of Western students (Australian and New Zealand), Asian (Thai) and international students (predominantly Chinese and Indian students) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC). One major finding is that students from these three countries who are socially motivated prefer ‘cooperative learning’. Further, the study specifically shows that students from Thailand are more socially motivated than students from Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) while International ANZAC students have the greatest desire for cooperative learning. It also shows that group assessment poses quite significant challenges for local ANZAC students and therefore, remedial intervention from universities is essential if group assessments are to remain relevant and useful in achieving meaningful teaching and learning outcomes.

Facilitating a deep approach to learning: An innovative case assessment technique

“…With variation in class composition in terms of gender, age, educational background and experience, similar assessment exercises conducted with a different cohort of students in the same subject/course or different subject/course can assess for deviations in learning. Some evidence for the signifi cance of culture and differing learning styles on assessment preferences have also been noted by theorists (Akella, 2010;Selvarajah, Chelliah, Meyer, Pio, & Anurit, 2010;Dunwoodie & Ainsworth, 1999) and the need to redesign business courses and programs accordingly. Thus, there may be some merit in replicating the case assessment approach in different geographic regions as this may help understand the effect of culture and different learning styles on the responses to the innovative peer assessment tool as described in this paper.…”