TeachMeet ARU III 27 January 2016 Using real-life projects to transform learning and student experience for MBA Marketing Research Students Cheryl Greyson Lecturer in The Problem! Marketing Research (MBA) module was failing to ignite students interest in market research. Poor attendance Students failed to engage with the group work (investigate reasons for the performance of a FMCG brand of choice) More able students compensating for lower level students The fieldwork was uninspiring and convenient Levels of passion and ownership were low Quality of data collection tools could have been improved Their skills became much more apparent in the presentation with excellent communication skills. The Solution! Reputation is important to all organisations, whatever the nature and context. Ramsey Junior School was put into special measures by Ofsted, a new Executive Headteacher reversed the decision in 5 terms, but the reputation of the school remains poor, particularly on social media. Conduct market research with stakeholders to investigate attitudes towards the school, reasons for the poor reputation, and make MBA level recommendations on how these issues can be resolved. The Approach! Teams formed by skillset / networking Week 2: Meet with the client to query brief Students developed proposals to ensure the sample wasnt exhausted / avoid duplication All data collection tools to be approved by me. Lots of students looked scared They asked if they could visit the school SO The Fieldtrip! International delegation: 2 from each team. Ann Cuthbert of Cambridgeshire ACRE gave an introductory talk on marketing the town as a new tourist destination and its rebranding. The town Mayor and the leader of Ramsey Business Network answered questions about the culture of the town, its demographics, and reputational issues. The Fieldtrip! Heritage trail covering the ruins of the Benedictine abbey, where a WWII spy crash landed and the local comprehensive which resembles Hogwarts! The afternoon was spent with junior school pupils, to conduct exploratory research with the teachers, and to form their own opinions about the schools performance. Five of the male students from Jordan, India, Australia and Russia were invited to learn how to Molly Dance with the children who were practising for Plough Monday. The Dancing! The Result! The fieldtrip inspired the students to make a difference! Students made huge efforts with their fieldwork. They made mistakes but learnt from them! Real teamwork started to develop with skills used to their best advantage. The Impact! The method of teaching and the live research being embarked upon will help in my career enhancement and empowerment. I like the motivation and excitement about the module. The practical element in terms of the assessment. Ability to complete an assessment / project in a real life case and assist in a positive manner as well as visiting the school and town for insight. The Impact! The opportunity that is provided to us for doing an individual research. This helps us (especially me) to improve my marketing skills. Moreover, it teaches me how to analyse a problem in various dimensions and at the same time how to propose results for them. The favourite part is connecting the real life which is very practical and intelligent. The knowledge from the class we can use to solve the problem in the real life. In addition, I like the group work in this module. The Impact! The average team score was 71%! The Conclusion! Keep it fair peer benchmarking scores applied. Choice of Client is crucial agile, proximity to Campus for field trip, worthy cause Requires lecturer supervision to manage outputs / reputation of ARU Happy motivated enthusiastic students! Value-add to their CV / better marks / workplace skills and theory firmly embedded through practical application! The Molly Dancers!