OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Marketing BBA

Goal
Students Will Obtain A Broad Base Of Knowledge Of Marketing Principles
The goal of the BBA program in Marketing is to provide students with a broad base of knowledge in the Marketing discipline. The accomplishment of this goal is indicated by students achieving five learning objectives. Each objective is associated with a required course.

Objective
Students Will Be Able To Describe Marketing Core Concepts And Principles
Students who complete the BBA in Marketing will be able to describe the core concepts and principles of Marketing, including the elements of the marketing mix.
The concepts and principles are included with the Indicator as a supporting document "15 Key Marketing Concepts."



Indicator
Assessment In MKTG3310
The ability to describe Marketing Core Concepts & Principles will be assessed using questions embedded within exams. The core concepts and principles are represented by 15 Key Marketing Concepts. The 15 Key Marketing Concepts are provided as an attachment.

Assessments will be completed during the following semesters: Fall 2013 and Fall 2015.


Criterion
Performance On Assessments In MKTG3310
Students' performance on embedded exam questions assessing knowledge of the 15 Key Marketing Concepts will be 75% . (i.e., 75% of questions answered correctly).


Finding
Findings - Assessments In MKTG3310
In accordance with the last Closing the Loop update, the list of core concepts to be reported on was refined and reduced from 30 Key Concepts to 15 Concepts. 

For each of these concepts, a uniform set of 3 multiple choice questions per concept was distributed to all faculty teaching the Marketing Principles Course. The questions were embedded in four separate exams given throughout the semester.

Data reported was collected from Dr. Newbold’s 2 Sections and Mr. Payne’s 2 Sections during the Fall semester, 2012.  Total students were 218.

The attachment “Summary of Scores on 15 Key Marketing Concepts” reports the average percent of students from the four class sections that correctly answered questions related to each concept. The questions were embedded in four separate exams given throughout the semester. 

Across all class sections the criterion was achieved. Nevertheless, faculty defined two areas (related to the concepts) for improvement: The Growth Matrix and Differentiators Between Products and Services.


Action
Plans For Fall 2013

Two methods for improvement were developed by faculty and first administerd during Fall 2012. The methods are described in the attachment "Methods for Improvement" and adjustments to them will be made, as needed, for use during the Fall 2013 assessment.

Action
Assessment Plan
The Assessment Plan for all courses related to the objectives is provided as an attachment. It presents assessment dates, objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy.


Objective
Students Will Be Able To Summarize And Explain Consumer Behavior Concepts
Students who complete the BBA in Marketing will demonstrate knowledge of key consumer behavior actions (evaluation, acquisition, consumption, disposal), internal and external factors that influence consumer behavior, and the consumer decision making process.


Indicator
Assessment In MKTG3320
Student achievement of the learning objective will be assessed using questions embedded within exams and components of projects. Performance on aspects of the project will be assessed with grading rubric.

Assessment will be completed during Fall 2012 and and Fall 2014.


Criterion
Performance On Assessment In MKTG3320
At the end of the semester, performance by students on exam questions and project(s) are reviewed. The average performance for each assessment activity will be at least 75%.


Finding
Finding - Assessment In MKTG3320
Achievement of this objective was assessed during Fall 2012. The average score for embedded exam questions across all course sections was 76.8%. In terms of number of students, 70.2% achieved this level of performance or higher. The average score on students’ projects was 78.2%, with 72.1% of the students achieving this level or higher. 

The findings indicate that students across all sections of the course are achieving the objective.

Action
Assessment Plan
The Assessment Plan for all courses related to the objectives is provided as an attachment. It presents assessment dates, objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy.


Action
Plans For Fall 2014
The findings indicate that students across all sections of the course are achieving the objective. Course modifications will be made as needed to ensure achievement of the objective. Students performed better on this topic that was identified as an area they found challenging in the previous assessment (Fall 2010): focusing on consumer behavior as a whole versus buying behavior alone. 

For the Fall 2012 assessment , students found the following areas to be more challenging: (1) understanding the differences between selective exposure, selective attention, and selective distortion, and (2) achieving high quality writing, including correct grammar. 

To improve performance in these areas, the following activities will be undertaken: (1) additional time spent on key Chapter 3 terms (particularly selective exposure, selective attention, and selective distortion) and their linkages to other course concepts, and (2) incorporation of interim writing projects (as building blocks for larger projects) to encourage students to spend additional time revising and strengthening their work prior to final project submission.

Objective
Students Will Demonstrate The Ability To Collect And Interpret Market Research Data
Students who complete the BBA in Marketing will demonstrate the ability to be able to  determine and communicate research needs to a professional researcher, evaluate a  research report, collect and interpret their own research data, and make marketing decisions with research findings.





Indicator
Assessment In MKTG4350
Assessment of the understanding of facts (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 2) and being able to apply this knowledge to a new situation (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3) will be determined in two ways. 

First, by embedding questions on each of the three exams (a post-test only design).  Second, by assessing their performance on six written assignments.  While an exam key will be used to measure performance on embedded questions, several criterions will be used to assess their performance on the assignments (e.g., completeness, following detailed instructions, accuracy, conclusions, recommendations, etc.)

Assessment will be completed during Fall 2012 and Fall 2014.

Criterion
Performance On Assessment In MKTG4350
The class average on individual embedded questions on each of the exams should be at least 70%.  The questions will be administered on each of the three exams.  Similarly, written assignments (that are related to material taught in class) will be graded using the above stated criterions.  All BBA students majoring in Marketing must receive at least 75% on the each of the written assignments.


Finding
Finding - Assessment In MKTG4350
Twenty specific items (questions) were embedded on the three exams (post-test only design).  The questions specifically covered both comprehension and application of each of the following concepts: primary vs. secondary research, quantitative vs. qualitative research, observation vs. survey research, exploratory vs. descriptive vs. causal research, sampling, reliability vs. validity, scale development, questionnaire design, univariate vs. multivariate data analysis, and SPSS (Cross-tabulation, test on means, ANOVA, Regression).

The average performance score on the twenty items that were embedded in the exams was 72%.  This exceeds the target performance level of 70% on the post-test.  Similarly, the average performance on the six assignments that were given on these topics was 80%.

Individual items on which there was less than 50% average were identified. These included questions on topics such as types of research designs, qualitative research, and appropriate data analysis using SPSS. These parts of the course curriculum have been earmarked for increased focus and particular attention in future offerings of the course.

The attached "Performance on Questions" reports the percentage of questions answered correctly.

Action
Assessment Plan
The Assessment Plan for all courses related to the objectives is provided as an attachment. It presents assessment dates, objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy.


Action
Plans For Fall 2014
This Marketing Research Course and its objective are scheduled to be reassessed during the Fall 2014 semester.  Portions of the course where student performance was less than desirable will be analyzed to determine if new in-class and/or out-of-class assignments may be more effective.

Several “new” assignments will be created to help students better understand the topics where performance was less than 50%  Additional lecture time will be spend in class to help students grasp the concepts.


Objective
Students Will Be Able To Summarize And Explain Global Marketing Concepts
Students who complete the BBA in Marketing will be able to summarize and explain the global nature of business today and the forces shaping the evolution of the global market, and recognize the process of extending from domestic business operations into global markets.


Indicator
Assessment In MKTG4340
Student achievement of the learning objective will be assessed using questions embedded within exams  Assessment will be completed during Fall 2012 and Fall 2014.


Criterion
Performance On Assessment In MKTG4340
Students' performance on embedded exam questions will be at least 75%. (i.e., 75% of questions answered correctly).



Finding
Assessment In MKTG4340
An assessment exercise was conducted for MGMT/MKTG 4340: International Management and Marketing during Fall 2012.

A pre-and post-test methodology was used. Students were administered a 40 item pre-test at the beginning of the course, and items from the pre-test instrument were embedded in regularly scheduled exams to assess the post-instruction performance.

Three questions on the baseline exam, Numbers 5, 17 and 31 showed a post-test performance of less than 75%. These questions pertained to concepts of macro-environment, market research, and branding respectively. Questions 5 and 17 were definitional in nature, while question 31 was analytical.

The attached file "Course Assessment for 4340 F-2012 Summary of Results" provides details, including pre and post comparisons, and percentage of students answering embedded questions correctly.


Action
Assessment Plan
The Assessment Plan for all courses related to the objectives is provided as an attachment. It presents assessment dates, objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy.


Action
Plans For Fall 2014
As noted, questions on the baseline exam showing a post-test performance of less than 75% were related to three concepts: macro-environment, market research, and branding. Greater attention will be paid to the clarity of definitions and to providing an exposition of analysis for students to improve the ability to make connections between concepts.


Objective
Students Will Be Able To Explain Strategic Concepts, Demonstrate Knowledge Of The Impact Of Marketing Decisions, And Devise A Strategic Plan
Students who complete the BBA in Marketing will be able to explain specific marketing concepts, demonstrate knowledge of the impact of strategic marketing decisions on the firm, and devise a Strategic Marketing Plan.


Indicator
Assessment In MKTG4390
Assessment will be based on student performance on discussion questions and projects. Performance on aspects of the projects will be evaluated with a grading rubric.

Assessment will be completed during Spring 2013 and Spring 2015.



Criterion
Performance On Assessment MKTG4390
The average performance on discussion questions will be at least 75% correct. The average performance on student projects will be at least 75%.


Finding
Assessment In MKTG4390
Assessment was completed in Dr. Newbold’s 3 Sections during the Spring semester, 2013.  Total students was 68. 

The attachment "Summary of Scores on 20 Key Marketing Concepts" reports percentages of students who answered correctly on questions related to the subject matter embedded in multiple choice and short answer essay exams. Data were collected across 4 separate exams given throughout the course of the semester. 

Findings are also reported in the following attachments: 
- Attachment 2: Exam 1 Essay Portion Assessment
- Attachment 3: Personal Journal Assignment Assessment
- Attachment 4: Marketing Strategy Paper Assessment
- Attachment 5: Final Exam Assessment

Based on these findings, two areas are identified as needing to be improved. These are the student's ability to: 

1) Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of strategic marketing decisions, and

2) Devise a Strategic Marketing Plan

 

 


Action
Assessment Plan
The Assessment Plan for all courses related to the objectives is provided as an attachment. It presents assessment dates, objectives and Bloom's Taxonomy.


Action
Plans For Spring 2015
As noted, two areas are identified as needing to be improved. These are the student's ability to: 

1) Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of strategic marketing decisions, and

2) Devise a Strategic Marketing Plan

Two methods have been identified and will be implemented. These are described in the attachment "Methods for Improvement." The next assessment time period is Spring 2015. 


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement






 

The previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement entailed activity in one course: MKTG3310. The assessment of core concepts and principles of marketing was completed in MKTG3310, as planned, by evaluating students' performance on questions embedded within exams.

Areas for improvement were defined and two methods to accomplish improved learning were developed. The methods were administered during Fall 2012. Faculty noted some needed adjustments and these will be made to coincide with the next assessment period - Fall 2013. The methods are described in the attachment: Methods for Improvement.  


When teaching MKTG 3310, two changes related to assessment were made. First, a change was made to the list of key marketing concepts. Instead of 30 concepts, 15 were adopted as ones that are relatively more important when completing a Marketing BBA. These are included as the attachment: MKTG 3310 -- 15 Key Marketing Concepts.

The second change is the schedule for assessing learning of the 15 key concepts within MKTG3310. Originally, the assessments were timed so often that changes for improvement could not adopted in time for the next assessment. The change in timing allows more time for the development of methods to support better learning. The next assessment will be completed during the Fall 2013. It was originally scheduled for Spring 2013. 


As noted, the methods are described in the attachment "Methods for Improvement" and adjustments to them will be made, as needed, for use during the Fall 2013 assessment.


Plan for continuous improvement The assessment plan for the Marketing BBA is attached. It defines the learning outcomes, courses related to them and schedule for assessment. Continuous improvement is accomplished by defining, after each assessment, two to three concepts where the learning outcomes could be improved. Although the student performance may meet the criterion, the two-three concepts are targeted with additional attention from faculty and the students. This attention may include development of teaching methods, changes to current methods, or the use of current methods with more time being spent with students when covering concepts.

Plans for Continuous Improvement

MKTG3310 Fundamentals of Marketing
Two methods have been developed to cover concepts.

(1) Use a comprehensive mini-case whereby all of the growth strategies are employed (e.g., McDonald’s) In the same class session, follow up the mini-case with a self-check exercise (e.g., a quiz, a game, etc.) 

(2) Use a build-up approach:
- Introduce the 4 key areas of differences
- Go through an extended example of a product
- Go through an extended example of a service
- Summarize the differences as highlighted by the extended examples

In the same class session, follow up the mini-case with a self-check exercise (e.g., a quiz, a game, etc.)

MKTG3320 Consumer Behavior 

(1) Additional time spent on key Chapter 3 terms (particularly selective exposure, selective attention, and selective distortion) and their linkages to other course concepts  

(2) Incorporation of interim writing projects (as building blocks for larger projects) to encourage students to spend additional time revising and strengthening their work prior to final project submission. 

MKTG4350 Marketing Research

(1) Several “new” assignments will be created to help students better understand the topics where performance was less than 50%. 

(2) Additional lecture time will be spent in class to help students grasp the concepts where performance was less than 50%.  

MKTG4340 Global Marketing  

(1) Greater attention will be paid to the clarity of definitions’

(2) More time will be spent providing an exposition of analysis for students to improve the ability to make connections between concepts. 

MKTG4390 Marketing Strategy 

(1) Modify method used when presenting and assessing on basic marketing concepts: Instead of presenting as a single module, concepts it will be presented as three modules: Targeting, Marketing Mix, Emphasis and Allocation. Instead of assessing with a single exam, the exam will be broken up into three shorter exams.

(2)  Increase the emphasis on understanding linkage of strategy to the business model. Increase the emphasis on application of the analytical tools to create “downstream” pieces of analysis. Replace reading of the single best-selling book by an examination of current articles that highlight a broader range of recent trends in marketing strategic thinking: Globalization, Internet 2.0, Services, Emphasis on Customer Value.