Dynamic and Interactive Teaching with Technology

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the efficacy of Tablet PC technology in teaching introductory level corporate finance to a large cohort of 400 students, of which three quarters were enrolled for distance study. Tablet technology consolidates elements of traditional white-board-based teaching and PowerPoint presentation in a manner that can generate a far more dynamic and interactive classroom experience without a dramatic departure from traditional instructional approaches. In addition, it provides a straightforward option to capture classroom action for instructors who wish to deliver elements of the classroom experience to distance students. The student experience, which was assessed by an analysis of solicited (survey) and unsolicited student comments as well as quantitative retention and performance data confirms the utility of the technology for both face-to-face and distance delivery. In fact, some striking improvements in motivation (higher retention rates) and performance (final examination performance) were deduced from the data.