Because most previous studies on college student performance have focused on conventional learning environments in Western cultures, in this study the authors evaluated factors related to student performance in the open and distance-learning environment in Hong Kong. Using two-way cross-tabulations with chi-square testing and equality of academic performance by proposed factors, the authors examined 168 students in a distance-learning business communication course. Results show that tutorial attendance, gender, relevant academic background, previous academic achievement, and relevant learning experience were related to student performance. The results are mostly similar to those of prior studies despite differences in culture, teaching mode, and subject.
[Copyright of Journal of Education for Business is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832320209599674 ]

The purpose of this study is to identify attributes of public accounting firms that accounting graduates find most desirable in their job selection decisions, and the impacts of individual differences on these perceptions. Factor analysis performed on the responses of 167 final-year accounting students in Hong Kong to a 30-item questionnaire identified seven factors. The results indicate that accounting graduates considered help in finishing their professional accounting examinations and good staff relationships as the most important criteria in their choice of employers. In addition, female accounting graduates were more concerned about the possibility of being required to travel or be transferred, but were less concerned about the reputation and profile (such as the client base and the size) of the firms than their male counterparts. Accounting graduates with a higher grade point average (GPA) were less concerned about the working environment, but more concerned about a firms' reputation and profile than those with a lower GPA. The implications of these results are discussed.
[Copyright of Accounting Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09639280010010452]

This paper uses the case-study method to examine detailed data related to student and tutor usage of an asynchronous discussion board as an interactive communication forum during a first-semester associate degree course in applied psychology at the City University of Hong Kong. The paper identifies 'what works' in relation to discussion board use, demonstrating how students might gradually create an online community of their own, but only if prompted in a timely and appropriate way by the course structure. It also identifies three distinct phases in online interaction and suggests these might, to some extent, be mediated by assessment tasks.
[Copyright of ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687760701673592]

Management educators in many countries propose to use commissioned projects to bridge the gap between the real business world and traditional teaching of classroom lectures in business education. Nevertheless, the experience in using commissioned projects in business education in Hong Kong is not well documented. To redress the imbalance, this paper reports the lessons and experience gained through the implementation of commissioned projects conducted by business students for commercial firms. Based on extensive evaluations, it is found that the commissioned projects should be integrated into the overall course structure and more supports from sponsor firms need to be sought.
[Copyright of Journal of Teaching in International Business is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J066v12n03_01]

Recent global economic changes and Hong Kong's return to mainland China after 1997 have created a demand for a new form of business education in Hong Kong secondary schools. To assure a leadership role for Hong Kong in the future world economy, Hong Kong's secondary schools must take steps to separate vocational and business education and incorporate international issues, information technology, attitude development, and ethics into the business curriculum.
[Copyright of Journal of Education for Business is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832329809603830 ]