Assessment preferences of MBA and MBus students: a New Zealand study

Assessment is often seen as a significant influencer of learning. Cooperative learning which encourages group work is viewed as a major contributor to the development of relevant workforce knowledge and skills, particularly in the context of an increasingly diverse demographic student population. This study seeks to explore the assessment preferences of MBA and MBus students in New Zealand through the use of a survey linking culture and educational preferences. It is hypothesized that the four variables---competition requirements, structure requirements, respect for education and motivation to study---will have an influence on assessment preferences, but these relationships will be suppressed or mediated by attitudes to cooperative learning. Results indicate that the most preferred form of assessment is individual assignments with the least preferred being exams for all ethnicities. However, some ethnic differences in assessment preferences did surface and these have been explored. Implications for educators are discussed including the need to legitimize knowledge and traditions from many cultural realities.