Residential Fieldtrips: Adding Value to Marketing Education and Student Experience - Book Report/Review Example

Residential Fieldtrips: Adding Value to Marketing Education and Experience Unit Universities and colleges have been developing programs that facilitate the learning of students. These approaches are meant to give them a competitive edge in the job market. Various interventions have been developed and introduced in the curriculum. Above all, employers are looking at individuals that not only have good grades but also have the capacity to perform a given task confronted with the challenge. They advocate for individuals that are creative, problem-solvers, hardworking and diligent. These attributes are acquired through the education environment one is exposed to. This paper reflects a case of a fieldtrip in promoting learning among that we engaged with in organizations based at Glasgow and Edinburg. Objective The Residential fieldtrip provided an opportunity to engage in hands-on learning on various aspects of marketing and business in general. It was a breathtaking moment to get out of class and still have a learning moment. It was a moment to reflect on self while getting to have an approach of engaging others, which is a key aspect in marketing. The trip provided an opportunity for the students to engage in discussions and have presentations from various organizations in order to improve on the skills learnt in class. The five-day residential trip in Glasgow provided a variety of opportunities to engage colleagues and educators in discussions and debates. On the other hand, through the organizations visited, there were diverse lessons learnt. Team building among the student was to be promoted through the fieldtrip. Learning is a continuous process that is supposed to take place anywhere anytime. The main significance of having the fieldtrip was to learn the different aspects that cannot be learnt from books or through the classroom setup. It is apparent that reading alone cannot provide adequate knowledge of how marketing and other business operations are conducted. Getting to the field and having the first-hand experience provide an opportune time to have that understanding. The experience was geared towards making the students have better skills that would ensure that they are able to confront real-life scenarios in the field. Among some of the skills that the program focused on entrenching to the students, include effective decision-making, communication, interpersonal skills, and negotiation skills. In addition, it was an opportunity for the students to develop personal initiatives that would help steer their profession to greatness. The fieldtrip also was to open doors for mentorship from both the educators that accompanied the students as well as professionals from various organizations. Literature Review Just like other fields, marketing has continued to evolve with the changing times. This means that marketing education has been forced to adapt to the changing times and situations. The essence of any marketing program is usually to prepare students so that they are able to meet the needs that employers want to meet in the field. Customers have become very enlightened and informed hence diligence in marketing of products and services are very essential. In this regard, curriculum development has been a matter of concern by educators and policy makers in an attempt to ensure that innovativeness is applied in the designing of the courses, student learning, curriculum development, and the relaying of instructions. There are aspects that have been introduced in today’s marketing courses that never used to feature or were initially given less attention. Aspects such as the application and integration of technology in marketing have become weighty in the recent past. In addition, solving of problems and advanced thinking have become integral parts of the marketing studies in the modern days. In addition, students are being prepared to develop other additional skills that complement marketing such as marketing career skills, social behavior, leadership and civil skills (Roffe 2010, p.150). The use of technology has featured prominently in marketing studies in the recent years. The social media has emerged as a major technological advancement that is being addressed by educators and researchers on its feasibility to promote marketing and teaching. Students in many colleges and universities are being sensitized on being innovative in marketing their products and services through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. This has made policy makers and educationists to embrace topics that specifically deal with the use of social media. In addition, they can serve as a platform for sharing of materials among the students and with their educators. Social media is reported to have a great impact on brand development, while having the capacity to establish relations with both the prevailing and the potential customers. The use of social media has continued to feature prominently in the curriculum development of many higher education institutions today. They have clearly pointed to the changing market trends where majority of the potential customers are now available online. Another technological aspect that has been elucidated through various research activities is the use of simulation games (Lincoln 2001, p. 114). These have been identified to promote the ability of students to learn by promoting their financial as well as numeracy skills. This is based on the position that is taken by marketing metrics in the actual practice of marketing. There has been a concern on moral and ethical concerns that follows marketing. This has called for its incorporation into the curriculum in some institutions while others are working on incorporating them in their curriculum. It has been indicated that only a small fraction of institutions are offering courses in corporate social responsibility and ethics. Some institutions incorporate the lessons on ethics in other modules where little attention is given to them. However, there have been advocacies on ensuring that ethics and moral aspects are made into a module within the marketing education. The curriculum developers have been focusing on diverse field in marketing. Of essence are the issues pertaining the adoption of hands-on-learning, class cultures that promote discussions, use of new technologies, and communication development as well as decision-making (Giovanni, Oliveira & Urdan 2012). The potential of these fields in marketing has been found to be of great significance. Though some of these aspects have been used in the past, there has been the need to refine their use in order to ensure that the needs of the evolving marketing profession are met. The issue of having to learn from hands-on practice adds value to the students by helping them realize what is done in the field. The employment industry has varied considerations for the choice of marketing employees they consider. One of the considerations is the ability to steer the market of their products and services through creativity and innovativeness. Since it is not always easy to tell the capacity of an individual by just looking at them, various considerations are made. First, relevant work experience is prioritized. Reports have indicated that graduates that are exposed to marketing jobs have a better chance of employability as opposed to their colleagues who seemingly have the same or better grades. However, performance through education is also given a high preference. Another aspect entails the demonstration of exceptional values that emanates from either talent or passion makes a graduate to have a better competitive advantage over their colleagues. Some common skills also make a huge contribution to what the employers to see among the staff. Demonstration of leadership skills, communication skills, and teamwork gives marketing graduates a better chance of employability. Apart from what an individual has learnt, employers are also cautious about the ethical and moral character of an individual. Since marketing just like other fields require individuals that are trustworthy and honest, personal attributes are very essential in employment of graduates. Aspects to do with work ethics, creativity, ability to work under pressure and self-discipline are principles that every employer is looking for. The institutions of learning have the discretion to ensure that personal values are entrenched in the graduates. Many institutions of learning have been working on modelling students to exhibit positive behavior. Students can adopt a number of ways in order to be in tune with the needs in the employment market. First, it is evident that technology should be an integral part of the learning processes not only the marketing students but also every learner. In many ways, technology has made work easier, convenient while exhibiting high degree of effectiveness. It is therefore paramount that every student should be equipped with aspects of technology that will give him or her chance to have a competitive advantage in the job market. Not only is technology instrumental in the job but the skills learnt will also help the student in the process of learning (Greene, Kisida & Bowen 2014, p. 1). The good news is that many universities and colleges today have embraced the use of technology in the learning process. For example, use of the social media for online discussions can easily help students learn from the ideas of others. Another aspect that should be given a consideration is the development of programs that provides students with hands-on experience on the various marketing modules they engage with. This should be done during the schooling period as well as after school; this will ensure that students have experience on various facets of marketing such as purchasing, promotion, management of risks, selling, financing, advertising, management of marketing information and product planning. With a clear view of what all these aspects entail in the working environment, a learner will be thoroughly equipped for very challenge that comes their way in the process of executing tasks. It is also possible to apply self-learning processes that enables the marketing students be able to maneuver through the challenging concepts. Students best learn through various strategies that differ from one individual to another; there are those who learn better through visual faculty, kinesthetic learners, and auditory learners. It is possible that a learner can be good at more than one of these aspects hence creating a scenario where they are able to learn fast. However, contrary to the fast learners, there are those that take much time getting a concept learnt. Such learners are able to grasp concepts better when confronted with tasks that give the experience. Students that do well when learning themselves perfect their knowledge through hands-on experiences. This makes them to be admired by many employers, therefore, their chances of securing jobs are quite high. Though people have different personalities, self-learning makes individuals that are not proficient to be more proficient (Gribbin 2005, p.44). For example, reserved persons in the marketing field get to become more open and master the art of interacting and socializing with others. It is also evident that activities that foster bonding among the students as well as promoting interactions with the outside society enhance the development of people-skills among the students. Learners adopt various styles of learning, which help them get to have applicable knowledge. According to David Kolb (1984), through his learning theory, learning can involve four learning styles. These styles are applicable in any discipline, including marketing. The styles are based on a four stage learning cycle that helps understand the learning style of a single learner or the experiential learning that affects all the learners. According to Kolb’s arguments, a learner is able to gain personal experience through observations and reflections on an aspect or knowledge that they encounter. When an individual absorbs these reflections, there is integration with the preexisting knowledge and then there is formation of concepts or theories that help define a particular aspect. Experiential learning according to Kolb involves concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation. Each of these stages have their own input on the learning process (Kodesia 2013, p.1). The concrete experience is a learning stage where an individual is obliged to constantly engage others in their situations. The learner cannot gain experiences based on their personal view. However, through this stage, the learner is not able to be systematic, they are mainly directed by feelings. On the other hand, the reflective cycle is a point when the learner demonstrates their point of view; this means different learners will have varied points of view. The opinions formed by the learner are based on the thoughts they exhibit coupled with their feelings. In this stage, the learner should learn to be objective, patient and be careful in making their final judgment. Through the abstract conceptualization stage, the learner becomes more logical and engages theories and ideas that help them understand various aspects while helping solve different problems. Finally, the active experimentation stage involves exhibiting experiments with different situations. The learner is able to be practical and engage in what they feel really works for them. In this stage, the learner does not just view a situation, but endeavors to focus on its improvement based on their experience Smart, Kelley & Conant 1999, p.208-210). Students get to learn better when exposed to real-life working experiences. These helps strengthen what they learn in school while ensuring they learn to realize the expectations of the businesses for the type of marketers they hire. Universities have continued to develop programs that help students relate with real time experiences such as attachments, fieldtrips, and internships upon the completion of the marketing degree. However, not all have embraced these strategies hence the capacity by students to learn are limited. Exposure to a business that is running gives the students the ability to learn not only on what is within their scope but also other diverse aspects of business practices. Basically, field trip education entails the visit to a particular area where the students are able to learn concerning the concepts learnt in school. Some of these concepts may not be applicable in the business world based on the commercialization aspects that are involved. In addition, any other relevant place of learning be it in non-profit making organizations or government can act as a perfect ground for the students to develop hands-on skills. However, the business world, which is characterized by competitiveness, acts as the ideal learning ground for the marketing students. Field trips help students to be logical and be able to solve problems that emanates from the real world (Zaski 2004, p. 15). For marketing, the student learns how to sell their brands in a competitive environment while ensuring that their input has a return-on-investment. Field trips have dominated the American education and have been greatly associated with diverse student-centered benefits. Though the field trips do disrupt the classroom learning, their benefits towards the learning process cannot be downplayed. However, for effective learning through field trips proper moderation is required. This ensures that the students are able to remain within the confines of the objectives set for the trip. In addition, the students are exposed to the trips so that they are able to appreciate art, culture and get to learn the operationalization of various things (Kelley, Conant & Smart 1998). The mentality by the students that a field trip is a time to relax and keep of studies should not be there. This is the time that students should be even more focused to get to confront the challenges that come with the hands-on. Despite the attitude by some students, the lessons learnt strengthens what was learnt in class while the students get to realize that not everything about the employment that is taught in school. This would help them to be more curious so that they are able to desire for more exposure. During the course of a fieldtrip, the students are exposed to diverse learning experiences. First, they are given an overview of an organization; in this case, they are able to have a broad view of the departments in an organization, the functions of each, and the overall mission of the organization. Secondly, they receive demonstrations on the operationalization of the respective departments. For example, they are able to understand all the operations in the marketing departments of that company. Finally, they are exposed to engaging in the activities of the organizations just as the other employees after some orientation. These aspects depend on the time that is meant for the field trip. Exposing the students to these diverse experiences makes them aware of what to anticipate in the job place. In addition, they get to harness ideas that would them in developing projects within the learning scope or even outside school (Horrigan 2007, p.1). This awareness promotes creativity and innovativeness while promoting a sense of self-realization. Discussion and Conclusion The residential fieldtrip in Glasgow was a spectacular experience for me to learn, exhibit self-awareness, and interact with others. Through the interactions with our tutors and our hosts, I realized that marketing is an art that requires one to have people skills. Accompanying us from the University were Sukhbinder Barn and Dr. Mark McPherson, the module leaders. It was fantastic to note the light side of them; they interacted with us quite closely and were available to provide insight on issues that required further clarifications. Besides, we engaged in team building, which helped us to bond better than we had during our normal classes. I was surprised to realize that some of the conserved students in class could be so loud. Teamwork was a major priority and helped realize the significance of working in teams in order to achieve results. The second day was used mainly for establishing and building our teams so that we could be more productive as a team. I found the time sent building the team well spent, though that was not my initial view. The experience at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture in Glasgow provided a perfect learning opportunity. We specifically engaged the marketing department, which provide much knowledge and insight on the concepts that we learnt in class. In addition, since the organization is a non-profit making organization, we got to understand the role of the marketing department in an organization that does not focus on gaining profits. Additionally, we got an exposure on how the various operations in an organization get to interact and how the personnel in the organization get to handle them. Another aspect that was learnt are the basic marketing techniques that are used during the process of marketing one’s products or services. Other aspects that were elucidated include the interactions between organizations, management of customer relations as well as building of a brand image. Based on the need to encourage use of technology in the organizations especially for marketing, we were exposed to the use of social media in marketing, which helps in strengthening a given product brand. It was fascinating to learn on the possibility of building online audience, whom we were informed that in several instance become customers. Besides, learning from the facilities and the hosts, I prepared a presentation that I presented to my colleagues on the visit to the Lighthouse. This awesome experience gave me the pleasure to develop presentation skills that would be beneficial for my Master’s thesis presentation. The experience in Glasgow provided an opportunity to broaden my social interactions. Being a marketing graduate, one of my expectations is to develop rapport with people in order to develop working relationships. Interacting with my classmates, I realized another side of their lives that was never known to me. The fact that we had not interacted much in the classroom setting made us to be distant and unable to know one another better. However, through the residential field trip experience we developed a very close relationship that made us to appreciate the strengths from one another. The team building activities provided an opportunity to expose our personal issues hence it was a very relieving moment. Today, I am much more open to most of my classmates as opposed to the time before the trip. One spectacular advantage that I learnt and appreciated about my classmates is the level of diversity; through some of the friends I made, I learnt aspects of other cultures as well as their languages. Besides the colleagues, our professors were amazing people. They were very open and free with us and engaged in informal conversations that helped us relate with them in a very open way. This made us learn a number of aspects about the organizations we visited as well as other aspects of marketing, together with life-issues outside the scope of the trip. Through the residential fieldtrip, we learnt diverse cultural and historical aspects. The curiosity to learn from the various items showcased in the facilities we visited was there. At the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, it was interesting to learn about the legacy of the man named after the center and the reason for it. At the Riverside Museum, one of the distinguished museum’s in Scotland, we learnt about its history and we were informed that it was the European Museum of the Year 2013. We took initiative to explore the museum and were able to interact with their staff where personally I learnt that the museum is internationally recognized and receives visitors from all parts of the world. I also got to learn about the Glasgow Rangers as well as the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburg. At the college, Nick Parr gave us a presentation that helped in understanding about the institution and the training that it offers. The entire experience made much sense to me. It enabled me to relate with most of the historical and cultural aspects that I only heard of. In conclusion, fieldtrips are very important for the wholesome development of a student. Despite the motivation for the trip being educational purposes, its essence traversed academic. I can substantively argue that the experience left me a different person. There were diverse aspects that were learnt in classroom on marketing that were made real and exposed to the work environment I can have a clue on the approach to take. The interactions between the various departments in an organization despite having different duties were clearly elucidated through the trip. Additionally, I got to build better people skills, presentation skills as well as analytical skills. I would recommend such objective residential fieldtrips in future in order to develop all round professionals. References Giovanni, D.V., Oliveira, S.D. & Torres Urdan, A. (2012) "Are We To Ourselves? Taking Stock of Academy Of Marketing Proceedings and Their Role in Academic Education in Marketing", REMark, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 137. Greene, J. P., Kisida, B. & Bowen, D. H. (2014) The educational value of field trips, retrieved from http://educationnext.org/the-educational-value-of-field-trips/ Gribbin, D. W. (2005) How to conduct a successful accounting field trip, Management Accounting Quarterly, 7(1), 44, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/222801592?accountid=45049 Horrigan, D.W. (2007) Integrated marketing communications in higher education, University of Connecticut, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/business/docview/304859628/F5EE40B126284BBFPQ/10?accountid=45049 Kelley, C. A., Conant, J. S., & Smart, D. T. 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(2004) Selling lifelong learning: Marketing continuing education programs in higher education, University of Nevada, Reno, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/business/docview/305163646/F5EE40B126284BBFPQ/9?accountid=45049 Read More