Description  of  NEW  ERA  MARKETING  PACKAGE For Your Reaction
Fred C. Allvine, School of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology,
November 12, 1997, EMAIL fred.allvine@mgt.gatech.edu


Introduction:  There are a growing number of academics who believe that teaching basic undergraduate courses will change dramatically over the next few years.  It is anticipated that instruction will increasingly use new electronic media options that could make teaching both more Effective (i.e. enhance learning) and more Efficient (slowdown escalating educational costs).  What is proposed is electronic text, electronic support materials, and electronic lectures that will dramatically change the nature of undergraduate course instruction.  California, 13 Western states, and soon 15 Southeastern states (including Georgia) have agreed to teach courses between institutions and across state lines.  They badly need content and that is what this statement is all about.  


Text Material:  The text material (no longer a printed book) would be written and published in electronic form on a real-time Marketing Course Web site.  (Electronic text and note pages could be printed in black and white for those insisting on having printed materials - a transitional product.)  As sections of the text are rewritten and new materials developed, they will flow from the primary academic authors (product to be developed by a team across the country having complementary skills) to the text editor (a college, publisher, or partnership of both).  Changes would be made as needed and the materials would be posted to the test Web site when completed.


Nature Of The Text:  An electronic text presents a lot of options not presently available from printed textbooks (a 500 year old technology).  Initially the electronic texts would be kept relatively simple and could involve some or all of the following options:
1. use of colors to emphasize key sentences and major points (New York Times went to color last month), 
2. electronic links to Web sites of companies being studied,  
3. options of illustrations that students could select to read,  
4. use of sound button option to introduce and summarize material, 
5. specialty chapters (up to ten) that may be of particular interest to faculty or students (e.g. programs to increase customer satisfaction, relationship marketing,  electronic marketing, & public sector marketing), 
6. optional materials such as summaries of 20 books that deal with aspects of marketing, 
7. self-administered quizzes (could require results to be E mail to encourage keeping up), and 
8. electronic table of contents that take reader to subjects discussed in text.
A complete audio option of the text is possible and I have experimented with doing this and it worked fairly well.  We would prefer (I think) to have students read the text, but some students do not do as we wish.  Why not give these students the option of listening to text and following the discussion with a detailed outline (where they could take notes and replay sections they did not understand).  This is a multimedia age with many options.


Establishing An Electronic Bulletin Board:  A bulletin board would be established where the latest developments in marketing would be discussed (marketing illustrations no longer than 6 months old).  We are presently preparing an electronic bulletin board which will be published in January for use in the graduate course.  Illustrations and short cases will be posted by chapter and students are expected to read and understand the material for classroom discussion.  Many of the current illustrations are fascinating and I expect that they will add a new liveliness and interest in marketing and increase understanding about a complex subject.  We should post 200 illustrations by the beginning of the quarter and add 100 items during the Winter quarter.


Lectures Over The Interment Or From CD-ROMs:  To some people this will be a radical step where the authors of the New Era Marketing Package prepare lectures and make them available for electronic delivery.  I have developed good electronic course materials that could be upgraded and used to prepare lectures in an electronic recording facility.  I estimate that this could be done over 2 or 3 months.  A question exists regarding what software package to use to do the recording.  We were planning to use a Microsoft package called VXTREME, but Microsoft has dropped support of this program and another package will have to be used.


Method Of Delivery Of Materials By Colleges:  It is envisioned with the changes being brought about by the electronic media revolution that teaching of the fundamental courses at the undergraduate level will change significantly over the next five years.  The model being proposed is that colleges would admit their students, select electronic teaching packages (developed by colleges or publishers), meet in person 1 class out of 6 regular classes (to answer questions and give quizzes and tests), grade exams, and assign students final grades.  Electronic teaching methods would be used by faculty and instructors to keep in touch with students.  Colleges would establish chat rooms where students could discuss materials (they would have to be monitored).  Electronic office hours would be established so students could raise questions and have them immediately answered (with good questions and answers being posted for other students to review).  Electronic office hours could lead to more contact between students and faculty and put students back into contact with instructors.
    
Reaction Solicited:  I would appreciate learning of your reaction to what is proposed.