There are plenty of engaging assignments within MindTap Business Law to choose from. However, the number of options can sometimes make picking what’s best for your class feel overwhelming.
To find out what Business Law activities resonated most with her classes at Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College, instructor Jane Patterson divided her students into two groups: Student Group A and Student Group B. She then assigned the text Cross/Miller’s “The Legal Environment of Business” along with two MindTap Business Law activities to each group and polled them on their experiences.
The assignments
Student Group A included students who enrolled in courses MSU Section 889 Online and OTC Section 001 In-person. They were assigned MindTap Worksheets (now Learn It)*, a guided reading activity to ensure students understand important concepts from the chapter reading. They were also assigned Brief Hypotheticals, an activity that has students spot the issue and apply it to the law in a brief, fictional scenario.
Student Group B was comprised of students from MSU Section 003 Online
and OTC Section 002. They used MindTap Case Problem Analysis, a multi-step activity where students identify facts and issues then apply their knowledge in a different fictional scenario. Their second activity was Business Cases, which presents students with a more complex scenario and asks them a series of questions to assess mastery of the chapter.
For both groups, the two unassigned activities were left open as practice assignments.
The results
Roughly 135 students in each Group reflected on their experience. In Group A, about 65% of students rated Worksheets (Learn It) helpful in comprehending chapter content, learning key concepts and reinforcing the material. Group B rated Business Cases slightly higher: 75% rated Business Cases helpful for comprehending chapter content, 69% for learning key concepts and 66% for reinforcing the material.
“It [Business Cases] helped reinforce the material by giving
scenarios to help me think and solve these with
the information that I have learned. Some may
have been difficult, but challenges help people
think more than they usually would.” – Group B Student
When it came to the Case Problems Analysis, more than 70% of Group B rated this activity helpful for applying concepts to real scenarios, applying legal reasoning skills and reinforcing chapter concepts.
While 94% of Group A students rated the Brief Hypotheticals activity helpful for applying concepts to real scenarios, 79% for reinforcing the chapter concepts/material and 70% for test preparation.
“I like the Brief Hypotheticals because I get to
use what I have learned in a real situation.” – Group A Student
MindTap Business Law keeps students confident, organized and engaged
Overall, students in both groups found that MindTap improved their course organization by 84%, improved their study habits by more than 78%, and enhanced their confidence by at least 75%. Both classes also enjoyed activities that focused on real-world applications.
And when asked if they’d recommend MindTap to a friend, here’s what the students had to say:
“MindTap is the holy
grail for your class.”
“You will love using
MindTap. It is easy to use
and quick to access.”
“MindTap is a one-stop study site. If you use it
fully, you will do well in this class.”
This study showed Instructor Patterson that students in both groups found all four assignments to hold value in different ways. Jane was delighted that her students made use of these “practice” activities, in addition to her standard course material. At the end of the day, she found that all four assignments did a great job helping students apply concepts to real scenarios— vital part of Business Law education.
*Worksheets have been replaced by Learn It activities. Learn It activities continue to assess student understanding of important chapter concepts.
Want to know more about how MindTap can improve student outcomes in your Business Law course?