Ubiquitous auction learning system with TELD (Teaching by Examples and Learning by Doing) approach: A quasi-experimental study

As the most critical trading mechanism in supply chain management/operation management fields, Dutch auction theories and practices have been regarded as one of the key teaching subjects of many universities. The advancement of ubiquitous computing technologies has not only solved the technological problems of dealing with millions of simultaneous biddings in real practices, but also enabled students to learn elusive and complex knowledge in an interactive environment. However, little attention was paid to educational discussions and quantitative analyses when applying the ubiquitous learning (u-learning) system in auction classes. This quasi-experimental study was among the first to develop and evaluate a smart u-learning system that integrated Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies to simulate real, authentic auction activities, while detecting learning behaviors of students. We also integrated and utilized the pedagogical approach of Teaching by Examples and Learning by Doing (TELD) in the presented system, which further strengthened dynamic interactions and timely teaching instructions for students. The data analysis showed that this innovative system had positive effects on students’ learning outcomes. The results also revealed that applying the u-learning system in teaching procedural knowledge, rather than conceptual knowledge, was more resource effective and less time consuming. Moreover, students had high perceptions of learning content when the system was designed with efficient pedagogical assistance, interaction flexibility and user-friendly features. Critical practical implications were also summarized for teachers, system designers, researchers, and policymakers.