Challenging graduate students through experiential learning projects: the case of a marketing course in Thailand

ABSTRACT

The use of experiential learning is well-documented in literature. However, most studies have focused on a single experiential learning project in a classroom. Fewer studies have included two or more experiential learning projects in one course, particularly for graduate studies. This study reports on three experiential learning projects in a graduate study marketing course. Students are challenged by three different real-world situations aiming to enhance their academic and professional development in order to prepare them for a complex working environment. The first project reverses the role of students to be knowledge providers (KP) while the second requires them to be product sellers (PS). In the third project, they are encouraged to be knowledge creators (KC). The three learning projects were found to yield different learning experiences for graduate students. Each provided them with different learning opportunities and strengthened their professional skills. The role of the instructor as a course facilitator, team work, student capabilities, and time management were found to be the key success factors in implementing experiential learning projects for graduate students. The contribution of this study is to share a unique and creative learning method by integrating three experiential learning projects in a graduate course, and to reveal the key factors that enhance the accomplishments of the students.

KEYWORDS:

• Experiential learning
• marketing course
• graduate students
• Thailand

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.