Applying Internet-based Technologies to Teaching Corporate Finance and Investments

Zhuoming “Joe” Peng, SUNY Oswego

Abstract

Finance faculty are increasingly encouraged to use internet-based technologies in teaching. This paper examines students’ perceptions of finance faculty who use internet-based technologies and the impact on their learning experiences in undergraduate introductory corporate finance, investments, and MBA investments courses.
The results suggest that offering all course materials online may enhance students’ learning experiences, however, the technologies may be best thought of as teaching tools. A better methodology for a finance course delivery may be that of in-classroom interactions between an instructor and the students while all the pertinent course materials are available online throughout the semester. There is a statistically significant difference between MBA (Master of Business Administration) students and undergraduate business students in terms of their desire to use the internet for learning finance. Consistent with previous research, results indicate that it may not be common practice among faculty to use internet-based technologies, and that assistant professors tend to use technologies in teaching more often than their higher-ranked colleagues do.