Events

Workshop Programme

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Academy of Marketing - Marketing Education SIG webpage

The AM/BMAF workshop, hosted my Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (MMUBS) on 21st November 2008, was a great success with over 30 participants from around the UK and Ireland.

The workshop began with a keynote from Professor Huw Morris, Dean of MMUBS and Pro Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chair of the Association of Business Schools Executive entitled “Marketing Pedagogy – Directions for Future Practice”. 

Huw’s presentation played back what he thought the wider ‘business and management academy’ (not BAM or the ABS specifically) were saying about the ‘marketing academy’ (in general and not the AM specifically).

This was informed by Huw’s position as contributor and editor of the ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide (Harvey, Morris, Kelly; March 2008); personal research, including reading perhaps more marketing journal papers than some marketing academics; and an extended conversation over several pints with Professor Robin Wensley! (Perhaps I should invite Robin to give the next keynote!!) 

Essentially, Huw drew an analogy between marketing and a ringed donut whereby he argued that we had plenty of variety and interest on the outside but a hole in a middle reflecting our lack of ‘accepted axiomatic theory’.  Huw urged us to be more creative in our pedagogy and to make more use of journal based evidence in our teaching as opposed to an over-reliance on text based approaches.

Huw’s presentation certainly sparked a lively question and answer session as you can imagine.  I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the effort he put into researching for his presentation as well as his thought provoking and well constructed argument.  I am extremely grateful to Huw as it gave the workshop both stimulation and gravitas. Many thanks to Huw!

Three of the five teaching and learning grant projects presented their findings and there really was something for everyone. 

David Chalcraft and Lorna Walker of Westminster Business School presented on students’ perceptions of how different learning activities contributed to their perceived understanding of marketing. Their research was based on a large level 4 undergraduate module which is taught to hundreds of students across two different sites.  Rather scarily students rated lectures as their number one activity where hygiene factors and the ability of the lecturer to entertain and discipline were key features.

Dougie Brownlie, presented his and Paul Hewer’s findings on “Reflective Practitioners through ‘Postering’: a critical evaluation of the evidence base”.  Their research was based on a postgraduate group of ninety marketing students. Although Dougie and Paul’s research examined the student learning journey in the production of assessed posters using reflective diaries the presentation really focused on the use of posters as a learning tool and the audience shared ideas and views on best practice in this respect.  It has to be said that this focus was as a result of the huge range of questions generated by the audience and I think we will have to ask Dougie back at a later date to give the second half of his presentation!

Finally, Yvonne Dixon and Charles Moss from the University of Sunderland presented peer action learning sets in the multi-national context of the MA Marketing programme which, at the time of the research, consisted of 14 students (the research was also conducted by Stefanie Reissner). These action learning sets are supported by a coach and the groups are given a series of tasks to achieve with a view to encouraging the groups to effectively form, norm and perform.  A whole series of recommendations have emerged from their research and much of the discussion was focused around whether or not the work should be assessed or should be used to deliver credited assessment in other parts of the course.

Workshop participants came from all around the UK as well as from Ireland and the buzz in the room led me to believe that there is a real interest in teaching and learning in our community and colleagues are keen to learn about and share good practice. 

My thanks are extended to Karen Pettit from BMAF and Matt Watkins from MMU who organised the workshop, to Ruth Ashford who sponsored and hosted the workshop, to all the presenters mentioned above and to all the participants who turned up on the day.  It was a really good event!

Monica Gibson-Sweet
Chair of AM Education Sub Committee and AM/BMAF Marketing Education SIG
(monica.gibson-sweet@heacademy.ac.uk)

Jacqueline Lynch
Deputy Chair AM/BMAF Marketing Education SIG
(J.E.Lynch@westminster.ac.uk)