Dr. Mohan K. Menon

Students taking Marketing and e-Commerce classes at the University of South Alabama are utilizing technology.

Dr. Menon, Professor and Chair of Department of Marketing and e-Commerce in the Mitchell College of Business, employs E-Learning and Distance Education in his courses.

“The number one reason others use distance learning is convenience. Teaching with eCollege is almost like shopping on the Internet. You can use it weeknights, weekends, weekdays when not teaching. Also professors do not have to come to campus,” Dr. Menon said.

Dr. Menon's favorite aspect of eCollege is the threaded discussions, which he uses in every one of his online classes. When using threaded discussions, students are more likely to interact with faculty and each other than in a traditional classroom. According to Dr. Menon, “students are more likely to express opinions than they would in the classroom. Students are also more likely to express unpopular opinions in threaded discussions.” The threaded discussions give him insight into how students think. Before students would write answers on tests, and the answers seemed to come out of nowhere, but now, because of the threaded discussions, he is more aware of where the students are coming from conceptually.

He uses Powerpoint lectures online with audio, “That way once in a while the students can take a break from class but still get knowledge. Conferences are another great use for eCollege. Instead of getting a faculty replacement, the instructor can allow the students to get the lecture online.”

Dr. Menon also praises the PAWS system. He gives early information to his classes so everyone can hit the ground running. This gives him the ability to assign a topic for the first day so more time can be spent on topic rather than on logistics. Students then come in the first day already knowing about the class, syllabus, readings, etc. He then has introductions and the class jumps into the material .

His research interests include e-commerce, international business and marketing, ethics, and logistics. His teaching interests include e-commerce, Internet marketing, international business, international marketing, and marketing management. He also served as the Web Master for the Mitchell College of Business's Web Site.

For those students interested in e-Commerce or e-Learning, they should check out Dr. Menon's courses.