2008 - Marketing Educators' Association

LEARNING THE RIGHT THING AND LEARNING IT RIGHT: USING A PROFESSIONAL
DATABASE TO ENHANCE MARKETING EDUCATION
Catherine T. Atwong, California State University, Fullerton, Department of Marketing,
Fullerton, CA 92834-6848; catwong@fullerton.edu
Business schools are striving to adhere to evolving
accreditation standards that stipulate business
programs offer students learning experience in
discipline-specific knowledge and skills. In addition
to such skill areas are the use of information
technology, analytic thinking and communication
skills (Association for the Advancement of Collegiate
Schools of Business, 2006, pp. 15-16).
The same standards also require continuous
assessment, review, and revision of curricula to
ensure an appropriate set of learning experiences to
prepare graduates for their respective professional
careers (p. 72). Both recruiters and graduates are
looking for real-world knowledge and skills
developed from a business education (Barr &
McNeilly, 2002; Bruce & Schoenfeld, 2006;
Benbunan-Fich et. al., 2001; Leisen, Tippins, & Lilly,
2004; Schibrowsky, Peltier, & Boyt, 2002; Sterngold,
Arthur, & Hurlbert, 1998).
This paper reports on the successful implementation
of a learning module in which students learned
consumer marketing through working with a
professional marketing database to develop
marketing strategies. The module is designed to
enhance students’ information literacy in consumer
databases; technological skills in accessing, using
and manipulating electronic data; as well as their
abilities in analyzing, organizing and interpreting
statistical information.
Learning assessment of the module includes
demonstrated competence in completing
assignments and a test. In addition, a survey is
administered to measure students’ self-reported
knowledge before and after the module. This study
shows the extent of learning gain with respect to
students’ abilities to locate, evaluate, and use
effectively the required information.
For both the control group and the test group, we
measure the change in student knowledge on four
aspects related to the database:
ABSTRACT
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(1) consumer exposure to media;
(2) demographics, social and psychographic
characteristics of consumers, and media audience;
(3) media rate, costs and circulation; and
(4) retrieving and applying the information for
problem solving in business marketing.
Comparing the results to those of a control group of
students without the learning module, we also adjust
for learning gain due to other activities and
measurement effects. The findings show statistical
significance in perceived as well as objective
learning gain. Students exposed to the training
module perceived knowledge gain and learning with
respect to the intended marketing information.
The professional relevancy of a marketing education
has its appeal to students, parents and recruiters
alike. To prepare students to be market-ready
professionals, the marketing curriculum needs to
incorporate both theoretical training and practical
professional skills (Schibrowsky, Peltier, & Boyt
2002). The professional database learning module is
but one of the links in the curriculum to equip
students with professional skills that enable them to
experience theoretical concepts and deepen their
understanding of the marketing process.
A remarkable achievement of the marketing program
at Cal State Fullerton, through strong leadership and
faculty commitment, is an official written advisement
to instructors that their students should be expected
to apply knowledge of this database module in
various classes such as marketing communications,
research, buyer behavior and strategy. Indeed,
effective student learning of professional database
depends on the concerted effort of the entire faculty
and repeated reinforcement throughout the
curriculum. Marketing theories and concepts must
be rooted and grounded in real-world information
and data.