Enhancing learning-centeredness in marketing principles curriculum

Contemporary learning-centred (LC) teaching and learning approaches are vital to help learners develop lifelong skills for employability in the digital age. This paper relates the knowledge and experiences gained from a study to enhance LC in a first-year core marketing curriculum undertaken in a blended learning environment by large, diverse groups of business students in an Australian tertiary educational institution. The study involved (1) measuring the degree of presence of LC in the 2011 curriculum, (2) identifying and exploring ways to enhance LC in the 2011 curriculum and (3) implementing selected new LC approaches to the 2012 curriculum and recording the outcomes of the new approach. A key LC technique introduced in line with the above process included an online collaborative writing using group blogs and wikis in a major, multi-part marketing plan assessment item. The findings of the research provide guidelines for enhancement of learning-centredness to reflective practice-oriented marketing/management educators committed to continuous improvement of their LC oriented curriculum for fostering students’ lifelong learning.