The effect of instructor communication on affective learning in a supply chain management course

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand how instructor clarity and computer-mediated behaviors influence students’ affective learning and technology self-efficacy in online supply chain management (SCM) courses, which show how the instructor–student relationship affects online learning experiences. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using the Prolific human subject's pool. The data supported a model in which instructors’ clarity and computer-mediated immediate behaviors indirectly influenced students’ technology self-efficacy and affect for the course through the mediation of perceived immediacy. Affect for the instructor did not fit into the final model. The findings in this study help SCM instructors navigate the pedagogical pivot that may be required for the next unexpected event (pandemic, etc.) without compromising student learning goals.