Abstract:
This case study examines longitudinal data from an online MBA program’s project management course to understand and describe the lived experience of a virtual student team that exhibited difficulty delivering a term project. Testing a theoretical model proposed by Lohle and Terrell (2016), the study affirms that unless students actively contact their instructor to escalate feedback and concerns about progress it is difficult to assess student contribution on virtual team projects. The instructor also actively solicited feedback and facilitated closure to compensate for a lack of student accountability. This prompted a research question asking whether requiring an online instructor’s constant oversight and engagement is an optimal strategy for effective project delivery on virtual student teams.
