er Trl i I

252

Ir

y

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