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VOLUME XVII, NUMBER 2

& INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD), COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, THE

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN * WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

Showing What They Know

Ever had the nagging suspicion that two weeks after
the exam your students do not know what they have
learned? I had always used a traditional lecture/
discussion format in my marketing principles course
and evaluated with objective/essay exams. My justifi-
cation was that marketing principles, like many other
courses, has terminology and methodology that must
be mastered. But I think I always knew there was some
problem with my “if I have taught it, they have learned
it” mentality.

At a recent conference on competency-based assess-
ment, no one else seemed to like the lecture/exam
format either. Local employers who served as program
advisors continually complained of recent graduates
who could not write a report, make a presentation, or
work cooperatively. Students complained they were
reduced to memorizing definitions rather than learning
skills for the “real world.” I needed to find a way to
assess that would allow students to experience problem
solving in a group, give them practice reporting their
ideas to others, and provide them with an opportunity
to demonstrate their knowledge of marketing prin-
ciples to potential employers.

fo fo oho

I decided to reform my syllabus to eliminate tradi-
tional testing and replace it with a series of group and
individual reports. Students would compile final
reports into a portfolio; in the meantime they would
practice working in groups, learn to write reports, and
have a tangible product to show potential employers.
Since I had used portfolio assessment successfully for
several years in business writing, I was confident I
could make this method work for marketing principles.

The Projects

To introduce basic concepts and develop group
cohesion, groups worked on in-class case analyses
during the first weeks. Students developed solutions
to the marketing problems presented in the short, end-
of-chapter vignettes. After a lecture on how reports are
compiled and used in the marketing world, students
made brief, oral reports on case findings.

In order to get to know the students better, I as-
signed an autobiographical memo, focusing on goals
and achievements, as the first portfolio project. We
talked about reader focus, document purpose, appro-
priate style, and memo form. After I reviewed the
drafts, students rewrote the memos until they were
satisfied with the final product. When the piece was
ready, it went into the portfolio.

Next, the groups began a collaborative library
research project. This project required groups to
research potential target markets for a fund-raising
organization, to select the most advantageous one, and
to substantiate their decision in a three-page position
paper. The reference librarian conducted mandatory
workshops on secondary research methodology for
marketers. For the month-long project, groups met one
class period per week.

In class, students organized and delegated the tasks
of the project within their groups; outside of class,
students researched and wrote their papers. I helped
interpret research materials, directed further research,
and lectured on the mechanics of persuasive writing. |
functioned as editor by reading student drafts and
making comments on additional information that was
needed, organization of information, effective substan-
tiation of arguments, and overall form. When groups
were Satisfied with the final product, they filed a copy
of their paper into their own portfolio.

The third project was site location study for a
retailer, and it was also a group undertaking. This was
the most comprehensive project of the term and
required four components: an executive summary, a
competitive analysis, a traffic pattern analysis, and a
sales forecast based on population composition and
density. Students used out-of-class time for field work;
I used in-class time for activity coordination, explana-
tion of methods of data collection, and draft reviews.
Students submitted interim progress reports. Conduct-
ing conferences with individuals and groups was an
integral part of this project, and class time was used for
this purpose. Research groups presented oral reports
on their recommended locations; the other groups
evaluated their findings and methods through discus-
sion after the presentations. The students and I worked

 

 

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, Department of Educational Administration
College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712