Learning and Achievement
Universal Design Learning standards have been implemented into each of my online courses to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in marketing actively. UDL is a benefit for incorporating diversity and differences for each online learner, which builds the framework for the class to focus on the goals, assessments, methods, and material. Of course, the more I learn from the students and peers, the more I can consistently improve each class to create an even more universal online learning course for learners to demonstrate their strengths, incorporate their background, and build their interests in learning marketing.
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Albert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” My question for you at this point of our journey together is, “What is your genius?”
From: “The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose” by Matthew Kelly, chapter “Everybody is a Genius”
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Student quote: The professor organized this course in such a great way that there was no significant obstacles. Professor Lisa Prodywus understands the needs of the students and tries to accommodate them according to their needs. She is very flexible, helpful and understanding of what students need to learn and what they should take away from this course so that they can apply this knowledge into the real world.
Learning Material
Weekly Reading
All online classes include a marketing book purchase for weekly reading assignments. Reading provides essential knowledge related to the course material and allows students to explore marketing concepts, strategies, real-world examples on the subject matter, and critical thinking skills while also exposing students to marketing acumen needed in the business world. Reading provides students with research skills for gathering information required in our class assignments, discussions, and tests. It improves cognitive skills and information retention to help build lifelong learner habits.
Vocabulary Games
Optional vocabulary games are provided for the growth and development of reading comprehension, increased communication and writing skills, and academic achievement. I use Quizlet for students, and the vocabulary games are inserted directly into the weekly modules for students. Students can play the games in various formats without leaving the weekly module. This helps to encourage students to be more active than having a link to the game. An optional sound feature allows students to hear the words and definitions.
Instructor Videos
PowerPoint with instructor camera videos are provided for the students to help them master the key concepts in class and for a class introduction overview of the course navigation, projects, requirements, and expectations. The videos are included in the weekly module sections and also include the option for students to view the PowerPoints separately.
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Student comment: She uses a lot of videos to help give us a better understanding of what she is teaching us and she gives real–life examples.
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Supplementary Videos
Additional videos are provided for the students to help master the weekly hot topics and to help with course assignments. This is a great tool to help students learn the material for visual and auditory stimulation for marketing comprehension. Videos can also be a great form of learning from real-world marketing examples. All videos include closed captioning options. Videos have been more time-efficient for online remote learners while increasing engagement and interest.
Tutorials
Our class includes various online marketing tools and a marketing simulation program. Tutorial videos and simulations are provided for the marketing platforms to help students learn the tools. This has been an excellent tool for students to learn how to use the programs time-efficiently and build confidence in the assignments. It also demonstrates the tool's capabilities and expectations for evaluating digital marketing results.
Assignments
Discussion Boards
Students engage throughout the class duration in discussion board assignments. In the first week of class, students are given an icebreaker introduction discussion for introductions. In the remaining weeks, students create an initial post on marketing topics, evaluate marketing platforms, and include screengrabs from their work, group assignment discussions, and PowerPoint video presentations.
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Student comment: Some of the aspects that were most valuable to my learning experience were the discussion board and the weekly assignments. The discussion boards engaged the ideas that were learned throughout the modules and were very interesting and entertaining to complete. The weekly module assignments were great learning items as it involved research and classroom materials.
Tests and Quizzes
Online quizzes allow students to test their knowledge of what they've learned from the class material and help them prepare for the midterm and final exams in class. Quizzes, midterms, and final exams are set in the same format to create comfortable expectations for the students. Detailed instructions are provided on the assignments, and practice tests are provided for the midterm and final exams.
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Student comment: I really enjoyed this course. It consisted of a variety of teaching methods such as discussion boards, group projects, tests, and quizzes. This course was set up in such an efficient way that all of it was very valuable to my learning experience.
Group Projects
Group project assignments are required in all online courses to help build collaboration and communication skills (which is also a part of marketing skills needed) and practice real-world marketing strategies and concepts.
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In the Principles of Marketing class, students are grouped into a five-member team to create a real-world marketing plan. The project starts with a group discussion board assignment and selecting a company of the group's choice. Research is required for the assignment, and students can use valuable research skills from business databases in the online library. The plan is divided into two sections of group work with individuals assigned to different information categories. In the final competition for the group assignment, students create a PowerPoint group video of the completed marketing plan. This has been an excellent way for students to learn collaboration for the online project. The video is provided in the discussion board for all class members to view and give feedback on each group's project.
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For the Digital Marketing course, students are grouped into three teams to build a website in WordPress. Group projects include building the website outline plan, page design, page content, and a blog page. This project is excellent for students to demonstrate the digital marketing skills learned from our course objectives and goals. The final website is posted on the discussion board for everyone in class to view and provide responses to classmates.
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Student comment: I liked the group work, doing the marketing plan to prepare for owning my own business in the future, and the ability to get ahead of assignments.
Marketing Plan
The summer Principles of Marketing course includes a real-world marketing plan developed in a three-part series. I've created Word document templates students can use for each section to help focus on the main topics from our class objectives and goals. Students can also keep the templates for future marketing projects for a company or for creating their own business. In the final week of class, students present the marketing plan in a PowerPoint and video presentation to post on the class discussion board for all students to review and comment on. This has been a great learning tool and benefit for students learning and reviewing multiple business marketing plans.
Weekly Web Text Questions
The Principles of Marketing class includes weekly web text questions to follow along with the required reading assignment. This provides the students with the critical concepts in the reading material and an interactive way of learning. The questions are designed to reinforce the questions on quizzes and exams.
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Student comment: The "self regulating" concept of the assignments and McGraw were very valuable to my learning experience.
Digital Marketing Simulation
The Digital Marketing class includes a marketing simulation activity provided by Stukent's Digital Marketing Simternship™. This is a ten-week interactive simulation for students to experience the role of a digital marketing intern at Buhi Supply, Co. Students gradually master digital marketing and manage thousands of dollars in ad budget. The simulation gives students confidence in the subject and skills to add to their resumes. Activities include building ads, analyzing KPIs, optimizing landing pages, targeting key audiences, and other digital marketing skills.
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Additional instructions are provided for the students in the weekly module to help focus on the weekly main goals in the simulation. Tutorial videos are provided in class to walk through each session.
Free Access to Top Marketing Programs
Students are provided free access to top marketing programs to learn, evaluate, and express different analytical and creative marketing formats. This gives the students the opportunity to implement what they have learned in class. Programs include SEMrush , Google Analytics GA4, Canva, and WordPress.
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WordPress
WordPress is a popular open-source content management system (CMS), allowing users to create and manage websites easily. Students use this program in the Digital Marketing class to create a website as a class group project. The groups presented their step-by-step progress on website design and blog development throughout the weekly class modules. This creates an atmosphere for students to share their work, see their strengths and weaknesses, learn from others, and evaluate/help their peers. Students gain access to the free program and can add the experience to their resume.
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Canva
Canva is a web-based graphic design platform that allows students free access to create a wide variety of visual content for the WordPress design project and a discussion board post assignment. After completing the WordPress website, the group project is for students to create a real-world social media graphic design post to help promote their website.
SEMrush Program
Google Analytics Program
SEMrush
SEMrush is a digital marketing platform that offers tools and features to help businesses and marketers optimize their online presence. I've worked with SEMrush to provide each class and each student with an individual code for a discussion board assignment. Students are given a free 12-week access to the platform, typically costing $20,000 for the class size based on monthly subscription cost. This is a discussion board assignment where students can access an evaluation on any website they choose and a competitor. Students learn the program's essential features, assess their findings, and learn how to compare to a competitor in the market. The assignment also allows students to view various company websites' competitor research information.
Google Analytics
Google offers a free web analytic service for students to experience insights into website performance, which allows website owners to track and analyze various aspects of user behavior, traffic sources, and visitor engagement. Students review a real-world GA4 demonstration site and answer questions in a weekly discussion board assignment.
SEMrush Project
Google Analytics Project
Assessment
Certifications
Students are provided optional marketing program certification opportunities to learn the top marketing programs and to get certified for free to boost their resumes and marketing experience.
Free and optional certifications include: Stukent Digital Marketing Certification, Google Analytics Certification, and SEMrush Academy Certification.
Digital Marketing Simulation Results
The Digital Marketing class simulation project is evaluated in two ways in our class. Students are given a grade for each of the ten-week sessions but also ranked in the class based on their success results from building ads, analyzing KPIs, optimizing landing pages, targeting key audiences, and other digital marketing skills. The results of the top 10 students are posted in the class announcement section.
Rubrics
A grading rubric is provided for students on all discussion board assignments and projects to clearly and systematically evaluate and assess student's work. The rubric is structured into different categories to help students focus on the main concepts to include in the project, expectations for the assignment, and the percentage for each graded requirement. Criteria are categorized according to each section's expectations for each level of performance.
Student Assignment Feedback
Providing prompt feedback and grading helps increase online class accountability, reinforce assignment expectations, improve future assignments, and provide an efficient learning cycle for students to develop. For all class discussion board assignments and projects, students are provided a rubric for categories grading scale, specific details on expectations and requirements, and an individualized summary evaluation. Each message is addressed with the student's name, followed by the assessment of each rubric grading category. I also include ideas for students to enhance/improve sections and a source to dive deeply into the subject matter.
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Here is an example from a student's discussion board assignment:
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Student Name,
Great job on the "Promotion and Price" sections for the healthy carob product of the Marketing Mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion). Great job providing two marketing channels to promote the product - events and websites. When considering our top marketing channels, it's essential to consider the target market. Our job in marketing is to promote and be "seen," depending on the target market habits. Good detail on the pricing factors for determining the price and considering the target market. Good work on the pricing strategy and price factors.
Excellent work on the research and referenced list in APA format. Marketing is based on research.
Here's a short video on marketing pricing strategies we see daily, even when shopping at Walmart. Title: Typical Pricing Strategies You See Everyday Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR1qPm4OkaY&t=394s
You can review the rubric to see the sections graded for this assignment.
Keep up the great work!
Prof Prodywus
Student Peer Evaluations
At the end of the final group project completion, each student submits an online peer review for each group member, rating participation, timeliness, and overall support as a team member. The peer evaluation is an online Google Docs form.
