Photos by Ralph Freso
Dr. Kathy Archer was part of a three-person presentation showcasing ways for online students to succeed in a virtual classroom, and nearly two hours later the associate professor of economics at Grand Canyon University discussed ageism and health care from a Christian perspective.
Archer’s versatility and expertise stood out during the seventh annual Kevin McClean Research Colloquium, sponsored by the Eta Chi chapter of international business honor society Delta Mu Delta.
This in-person event, held at the Colangelo College of Business, featured six presentations and their scholarly research findings. Eight synchronous and 10 synchronous virtual presentations also were conducted.
Five of the six presentations went well past the seven-minute limit announced before the event, and the question-and-answer sessions zoomed through the three-to-five-minute limit.
Nevertheless, Archer provided candid replies, especially to one student who asked if she thought it was fair for younger generations to pay into a benefit, such as Social Security or Medicare, that they may never see?
“That was asked when I was your age,” Archer quipped. “I’m old enough to receive the benefit.”
Jonathan T. Gilkey, a senior majoring in business management and vice president of the Eta Chi chapter, spoke with zest about “Examining True Servant Leadership Within the Workplace.”
Servant leadership is the first pillar of the foundation of CCOB, and Gilkey said he became motivated after taking a class during the fall semester on this topic and observing the work of his father, a warehouse manager.
Gilkey also works part-time at Costco and collected much of his research from his employer.
His findings disclosed that Costco and Target followed more of a servant leader model, compared to the traditional model at Walmart and Amazon.
Costco and Target stood out for their employee loyalty, according to the research, adding that Costco received high marks for their wages that exceeded the minimum wage, a benefits package to all employees, free membership and avoiding layoffs during the pandemic.
Dr. Thomas Christner, a full-time online professor in the College of Education, and Dr. Gary Almy, an online accounting professor, elaborated on a badge system that enhances the motivation and engagement of online students, titled “Gamifying Students’ Learning in University Introduction Course.”
Students Trenton Dorsing and Zoe Maung joined Archer in presenting “Online Student Agency: Markers for Success in a Virtual Classroom.” Archer emphasized the urgency to prevent students from struggling from day one by reinforcing students’ confidence.
After 10 months of research, a sampling of an intro economics class showed that participants in the survey possessed grades 30 points higher than non-participants.
“I want to put the power back in the hands of the students, so they can see what they intended to do,” Archer said. “And as the semester goes on, they can make adjustments of their own as they see fit.”
Dr. Hanadi Altawil, senior adjunct doctoral chair and faculty at GCU, presented “X and Y Cohorts: Understanding the Perceptions Based on Age, Technological Literacy, and Attitudes Toward Technology.”
Evelyn Fox, who earned his doctorate in organizational leadership K12 from GCU and is an instructional coach for Mesa Public Schools, discussed her findings on “Effective Leadership Supports for Teachers’ Psychological Needs Described by Novice K12 Online Teachers.”
GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected].
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