Using A Project To Add Practicality To Pedagogy

Abstract

In the marketing research class taught at University of South Carolina, Upstate School of Business and Economics, pedagogical emphasis is placed on the marketing research process as it relates to the policies and functions of the business enterprise. Historically, the marketing research project has been used in this undergraduate class to convey the nuances of market research to students. Participating students define the problem or opportunity for their client, determine budgets and timetables, select and design the research instrument(s), collect the data, organize and analyze the data, and present the project findings. A recent project, which involved work for the City of Sunshine, identified, measured, and analyzed specific “quality of life” variables and assessed the impact of the city’s revitalization efforts on the perceptions of its citizens. The study targeted three population sectors using questionnaires for data collection. The data was consolidated and analyzed by the students using WebSurveyor’s online survey tools. Comparative analysis was also performed using secondary data sources such as city tourism and visitor information, as well as sundry information from previous projects and similar city revitalization plans. The results of their analysis and corresponding conclusions are outlined in this paper.