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Academics and students are concerned on what is taught in the classroom and not on the desired learning outcome. This problem is exacerbated with professors assuming skills taught are retained. To ensure skills are retained, studies have shown the simulation method has a greater chance of success. This paper will discuss the steps involved a direct marketing campaign, when taught in a simulation, teach core marketing skills and the desired learning outcomes sought for marketing learning objectives. A structured approach simulation marketing campaign is discussed to instill strategizing, planning, executing, and measuring, which have universal application to careers in marketing.
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the college years, students move from one marketing course to another with professors assuming and expecting that skills taught are retained. Marketing courses teach students a myriad of skills to college students. However, as students move from one marketing course to another, retention of skills learned previously is assumed and passively assessed via traditional measures of tests, assignments, and presentations. How do we, as academicians, really know if students are acquiring and retaining the necessary skills to be effective marketers in their careers? Students may learn material for the final exam of a prerequisite class but then forget it as knowledge depreciates over time (Kipps & Kohen, 1984).
Teachers typically use grades to assess the outcome of their learning expectations; however, accrediting bodies typically require a more in depth analysis of learning outcomes. Marketing programs at colleges and universities must ask themselves how a particular marketing course prepares a student for a career in marketing. However, before students are taking major marketing courses, they are required to pass the general education and business core courses. These courses are designed to prepare students for upper level work (Carlson et al., 2002). If the desired outcome of the prerequisite and core business courses is achieved, then upper-level faculty can safely assume that students have a core competency of the basic business subjects and writing, meaning that they don't need to waste time re-teaching this material. The question remains do we really know if students are acquiring and retaining the necessary skills to be effective marketers in their careers?
Suppose, the concepts were taught in a simulation, would students retain them better so that...