Papers in PDF format

Student reactions to a World Wide Web-Based Textbook: An
Exploratory Study
Background
Lisa M. Lehman
Assistant Professor of Information Science,
Rasmuson Library,
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA,
907-474-7403
lisal@muskox.alaska.edu
John A. Lehman,
Professor of Accounting and Information Systems,
Professor of International Business
School of Management,
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA,
907-474-6275
ffjal@aurora.alaska.edu
Abstract: The paper describes the use of World Wide Web-based textbook for a
required MBA course covering business information sources offered in the School of
Management of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It raises theoretical questions about
the which text models are most suitable for organization of such materials. Preliminary
practical results are that students’ reaction to the use of www-based materials is in part
a function of currency, and in part a function of whether the materials were designed to
take advantage of HTML, or whether they were simply translated from printed form.
Preliminary theoretical results are that stream based and shallow hierarchical object
based text models do not work well with the new medium. Unresolved questions
revolve around which object model for hypertexts provides sufficient value to overcome
the disadvantages of screen-based reading.
This paper describes the use of a World Wide Web-based textbook for an MBA level course covering
sources of business information. The course was designed to help these students find sources of
information external to the organization and to become intelligent managers and consumers of such data.
Specifically, the course focused on information outside the firm, whether in the form of library resources
or on-line resources, and the management and presentation of data derived from these resources. The
course was taught at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School of Management for four years.
The course is that it was required for all MBA students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Students
took the course after finishing the MBA core because functional knowledge of areas such as marketing
and finance were prerequisites for the course. The information literacy provided by the course was used in
other advanced courses in the program. It also served as the first integrative course within the MBA
program.
The Textbook
The course made extensive use of electronic resources for course delivery and communication with the
instructors. Because both instructors for this course had full time administrative positions and because