Michelle Cassens, a junior business management student, has an interest in information technology (IT). She currently provides IT support for the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship (JJCBE), under the mentorship of associate teaching professor, Jerry Carvalho. Carvalho, along with Dr. Harry Benham, the JJCBE’s interim associate dean for administration and finance, nominated Cassens for the 2014 Presidential Emerging Scholar Grant program. This program, offered through the Montana State University (MSU) Alumni Foundation, selects grant recipients based on one simple criterion—potential. The Emerging Scholars Program seeks to enable students to realize their potential through faculty mentorship and work on an extra-curricular project. Cassens is the first student from the JJCBE to receive this honor.

With the grant, Cassens was able to pursue an information technology research project. The study’s purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of JJCBE business students’ perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of using mobile technology in the classroom. Additionally Cassens, Benham and Carvalho wanted to know how students would feel about a purposed policy change (Bring your own device, BYOD) where students would be required to supply their own personal devices to be used in the classroom for educational purposes. In all, Cassens, along with Benham and Carvalho, collected 451 responses.

Through her research, Cassens found that students are eager to use their smartphones, tablets, and/or laptops to enhance their in-class learning and engagement. Regrettably, students believe that faculty are resistant to using mobile computing devices in-class.

Along with Carvalho and Benham, Cassens co-authored a research paper, “Student’s Perceptions Towards In-Class Use of Mobile Technology,” which was submitted and accepted for publication. Cassens and Benham attended the International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) convention in Las Vegas, NV where Cassens presented their paper in front of an international group of IT educators. The paper was recognized with an Honorable Mention for the Best Pedagogy Paper Award.

Cassens had only great things to say about her experiences conducting research as an undergraduate student: “This opportunity has allowed me to gain an understanding of the entire research process from start to finish, from the data collection and analysis phase to publishing and presentation. Understanding this process has been an invaluable component in my college education to date, primarily because it allowed me to understand, more deeply, project management and the process by which one undertakes and successfully completes a large project. There is nothing else in my life that I can compare to the feeling of accomplishment and increased confidence in myself that this experience has given me.”

Cassens said that her participation in the IACIS conference has opened her mind to future research possibilities and possible fields of study that she would have never previously considered. While at the conference, Cassens was able to meet other individuals who share a similar passion for academia and who, coincidentally, created a safe atmosphere for Cassens to gain more knowledge about future careers and potential academic pursuits.

Working with a student on a project of this scale was very rewarding for the two mentors. “By nominating and mentoring Cassens, I’ve been privileged to see her connect classroom content to practical application and learn that a Montana ranch girl can be successful in an international academic forum,” said Benham.

The experience was eye-opening and in line with the Emerging Scholars Program goal of having engaged professors and advisors recognize a student’s potential to achieve academic excellence. “I am incredibly appreciative of this experience and know that I will draw from these lessons learned long past my academic career at MSU,” Cassens said. Cassens is already working on ideas for next year’s paper.