Establising a Multimedia-Rich Environment to Support Experiential e-Learning in Business Education

E-Ling Hsiao, Valdosta State University

Peter Mikolaj, Indiana State University

Ya-Ting Shih, Chung Yuan Christian University

Abstract

Engaging students in experiential e-learning is challenging. This article discusses how to establish a multimedia-rich e-learning environment to enhance experiential learning and engage students in applying course content in real-world situations. Consultants from golf, manufacturing, and food industries were invited to offer professional advice and evaluate student group projects. At the end of the course, surveys were sent to gather feedback from the students and the industry consultants to understand their perceived helpfulness of the multimedia content to support experiential e-learning. Twenty-two students and 13 consultants completed the surveys. The results showed that most students were satisfied with the multimedia content and perceived it as helpful to their experiential e-learning and the development of authentic group projects. The industry consultants had similar thoughts on multimedia content and recognized the quality of student group projects.

Keywords: multimedia-rich environment, experiential e-learning, business education