The impact of technology on leadership education: a longitudinal study

The purposes of this study were to determine the effectiveness of a computer-assisted lab environment in a course on leadership and to determine if undergraduate students believed that leadership concepts could be successfully taught in an asynchronous environment. The same research methodology and survey instruments were employed across a five year time difference from 1999 to 2004 to additionally measure temporal differences in students' perspectives. Students' attitudes toward computer-based leadership education were measured by a leadership perception index, a technology perception index, a class-inclusion acceptance index, and a discussion technology acceptance index administered through a post-activity survey that measured responses in both a quantitative and qualitative format. Students participated in a leadership lab activity in one of three treatments: 1) no computer-facilitated interaction and traditional classroom interaction, 2) completely asynchronous, computer-facilitated interaction, or 3) hybrid interaction consisting of half computer-facilitated, and half-traditional classroom interaction. A post-activity survey was used to collect data about the students' perceptions of their experiences. Post-activity survey quantitative scores from 1999 and 2004 indicated that a majority of students accepted learning about leadership through asynchronous technological means. Somewhat contradictorily, students in 2004 indicated a much greater qualitative skepticism to technology use than their 1999 counterparts, who much more favored inclusion of technology. Students who were not exposed to any technological experience in this activity quantitatively answered that the interpolation of technology into leadership education would not be successful in 1999, but changed that opinion to be favorable in 2004. Quantitatively, the hybrid group felt the use of technology was the most acceptable of the three treatment groups, with the asynchronous group also finding favor to a lesser extent. Students in 2004 used computing resources more frequently from off-campus than in 1999, when the majority of students used computers to access the assignment on-campus. Students who completed parts of the assignment asynchronously did so most often between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. No statistically significant quantitative differences were found in the temporally displaced data, other than students in the control group of 2004 were much more receptive to technology use to facilitate leadership education.