Evaluation of a blended learning approach for cross-cultural entrepreneurial education

ABSTRACT

This paper explores students’ perceptions of an experimental, cross-cultural entrepreneurial blended learning course. This course, developed jointly by North Carolina State University and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University, Croatia, employed a variety of face-to-face and technology-based approaches to facilitate cross-cultural teaching. The impact of socioeconomic status on participants’ satisfaction with the course is also investigated. This study also clarifies that active learning and new roles for teachers and students in a cross-cultural perspective setting are possible between a western setting and east European countries. The study found that teachers need to focus not only on the technical aspects of course delivery, but must also seek to understand students’ expectations and perceptions as well as support student learning across the whole course. Instructors, interaction with peers, and overall course design and organization play an important role in student satisfaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Face-to-face learning
• collaborative learning
• cross-cultural videoconference learning
• blended learning
• entrepreneurship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ivan Stefanic

Ivan Stefanic is a full professor at the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia. He is also the founding and executive director of the regional technology transfer office and business development company TERA TEHNOPOLIS Ltd. His activities range from teaching students the various aspects of knowledge based entrepreneurship with special emphasis on agribusiness to counselling existing and future entrepreneurs. He is also a certified patent and trade mark representative and EU EEN IPR Helpdesk Ambassador.

Ronald K. Campbell

Ronald K. Campbell, J.D., M.E., is a retired professor of AgriBusiness Law in the Agriculture and Resource Economics Department at North Carolina State University; author of Assertive Law for Busy People; founding member of Campbell & Associates Attorneys at Law; and an entrepreneur. AT NCSU he combined his passion for teaching with his 16 years of experience as a trial attorney to create a law course that incorporated distance learning, online collaboration, cooperative teaming, and the latest instructional technology available.

John S. Russ

John S. Russ is the Undergraduate Coordinator and the Director of Distance Education for the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State University. He has been on faculty since 1996. His research interests include agricultural price risk management and agricultural entrepreneurship. Courses that he teaches have included Small Business Accounting, Agricultural and Environmental Policy, Value-Added Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Law, and Agricultural Records. He is a member of the NC State Academy of Outstanding Teachers.

Edita Stefanic

Edita Stefanic is a full professor currently employed on J.J. Strossmayer University, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences in Osijek, Croatia. Her research is focused on Crop Science, particularly on Crop-Weed Ecology, Statistics and Economics of Weed Management. She teach on undergraduate and graduate level, in native (Croatian) and in English language.