Course websites, computer proficiency and need for achievement : implications for MBA student performance

Course websites have become a basic requirement for course promotion and delivery in many universities. This study explores the relationship between perceived usefulness of course websites and student performance in an accounting course within a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme. Data from 48 students were found to support several hypotheses. Specifically, the findings of the study indicate that there is a significant correlation between the perceived usefulness of course website features such as lecture notes, tutorial questions and solutions and the frequency of use or access by students of such course website features. Further, we found that the perceived usefulness of course websites was positively related to students’ computer proficiency, but not with the frequency with which students missed classes. The findings also indicate that students with high need for achievement achieved better performance scores, but there was no significant relationship between perceived usefulness of course website and performance. These findings have several implications for the design and development of course websites at post-graduate level, and for future research examining the link between information technology and accounting education.