This paper addessses the cognitive outcomes of the learning process in Principles of Marketing courses as measured by the various multiple-choice-type question (MCQ) formats that measure learning at lower- and higher-levels. It is intended to assist professors and core-course coordinators who set learning outcomes and choose appropriate and effective assessment modes. Various formats of MCQs are discussed, including the relatively new permutational MC questions. Exhibits of some MCQ formats are provided using marketing content. A practical classroom application of a combined form of the vignette and extended-matching MC formats shows how educators can creatively go ‘outside the box’ by combining typically-used and rarely-used formats.

This research provides an analysis of the short-term effect of studying behavioral finance on a variety of common behavioral biases. Several common behavioral biases were measured for both graduate and undergraduate students taking investments courses at three universities before and after they studied behavioral finance topics. Two of the universities were public, and one was private. The universities ranged from large to small and were widely diversified geographically. Specific coverage of behavioral finance topics constituted about 15 to 25 percent of a one-semester course. The questionnaires used for the pre-test and post-test in this study were generally based on the work of Hersh Shefrin in Beyond Greed and Fear (2002), Tools for Teaching Behavioral Finance (2004), and his extensive Questionnaire (2004). Questions from Shefrin’s Questionnaire were used with the author’s permission. In some cases the questions were modified slightly to provide similar pre-test and post-test measures of the same topic. Results show that the study of behavioral finance at this level has little short-term effect on student behavioral biases.

This paper provides a review and critical analysis of the empirical research assessing the effects of ethics education. Five primary aspects of the research are identified and examined: 1) the effect of the instruction, 2) the type of ethics instruction, 3) the method of measuring ethics, 4) the research design employed, and 5) the type of sample employed. We find a possible over-reliance on student samples. We conclude that, although a majority of these studies found positive effects, since most of these studies assessed the short term effects of ethics education, the long term effects are still in question.

This study examines marketing student and marketing instructor perceptions and attitudes regarding the use and value of networked laptops in the classroom. Three hundred fifty-seven marketing instructors and 306 marketing students, well distributed across size and type of school and geographical area, responded to an online survey. While respondents reported numerous academic benefits to both students and instructors, the study found that the most common uses of networked laptops relate to non class-oriented behaviors. Both students and faculty rated dishonest and unethical behaviors as the least prevalent activities. The most appropriate and advantageous use of laptops in classrooms occurs when there are specific activities that might have previously been done in specialized computer labs.

We use structural equation modelling in order to regress two factors describing cognitive abilities and a number of observable exogenous variables on the grade performance of students in economics courses at four half-year intervals. We apply a bootstrapping procedure in order to analyze the coefficients on the independent variables in the model. The results show that the predictive power of high school grades and other measures of cognitive abilities declines only slightly as students progress. In contrast, any gender differences among economics students are of a transitory nature.

Accounting/taxation programs need to establish an assessment plan in order to verify that learning is taking place. Assessment is important to foster continuous improvement and, where necessary, to satisfy accreditation requirements. An important part of the assessment process is the delineation of learning goals and objectives. This paper presents a concise guide for accounting department