Outcomes assessment: The impact of delivery methodologies and personality preference on student learning outcomes

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the graduate curriculum offered by the College of Business (COB) at Colorado State University (CSU). There were three major questions: (1) Does attending an MBA program increase student learning outcomes? (2) Does delivery methodology impact the learning outcomes of graduate business students? (3) Does personality preference influence student learning outcomes?; In this study, 132 graduate business students participated: 39 were graduating and 83 were new enrollees. The COB offers its graduate programs via three different delivery methodologies: traditional on-campus, distance education via asynchronous video instruction (SURGE), and a small group cohort program (Executive MBA). The Learning Skills Profile (LSP) measured learning outcomes and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessed personality preferences.; The results of this study showed a statistically significant increase on seven of the twelve learning skills measured. Also, delivery methodology impacted student learning outcomes on two of the twelve learning skills with students taking the program via distance education scoring higher than the on-campus or executive students.; Finally, the data indicates that personality preference does influence learning outcomes on three of the personality dimensions measured. (1) Extraverts were found to have four significantly higher means on the LSP learning skills than introverts. The LSP skills of goal setting, initiative, leadership, and relationship were higher for extraverted personalities. (2) Students preferring intuition scored higher on initiative and sense making, than did those with a preference for sensing. (3) Sense making was higher for students with a preference for perceiving rather than judging.; The results also showed one significant interaction between delivery methodology and personality type. This interaction of the judging-perceiving dimension of the MBTI and the method of delivery indicates that students with a preference toward judging are better served by the video presentation of the SURGE program than either the on-campus or the EMBA programs.