The materials are located on a website sponsored by Consumer Against Supermarket Invasion and Numbering. There are numerous news articles from local newspapers and business periodicals, plus some pricing studies on supermarket loyalty cards. The website is interactive with a feedback feature, along with other resources and links. It also contains rather controversial material, such as information on RFID chips “in your grocery cart” that can identify customers and collect information through a wallet or purse. The site indicates readers can also anonymously become members of CASPIAN for free and sign up for a periodic newsletter.
Type of Material:
Reference material
Recommended Uses:
Could be used as one of several positions to defend in the classroom to make students learn to think proactively about both sides of an issue.
Technical Requirements:
Computer and internet browser.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The site could be considered controversial. It seems to be opposed to any consumer loyalty cards due to invasion of privacy on grocery purchases. The goal in using this web site in a class would be to start students thinking critically about some of the issues surrounding the use of tracking technology in supermarkets. Also, the class can discuss the conveniences of loyalty cards balanced against the overall costs to the consumer in the long run,costs that include implementing and running the programs, and the common practice of raising overall prices in the store.
Target Student Population:
Undergraduate college students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Principles of Marketing course would be a helpful pre-requisite, but not absolute for using this site effectively.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This web site clearly presents a discussion of an important invasion of consumer privacy that may be found by technologies used in local supermarkets. Arguments for and against supermarket loyalty cards are also very well covered. Interestingly, the posting of the materials happens in a free society with a free press. So, the argument against consumer loyalty cards would be to squelch freedom of choice by consumers in supermarkets to possess a loyalty card. The freedom viewpoint would make an interesting topic of discussion for students.
Concerns:
Many of the topics covered are sensational in tone and this brings into question the objectivity of some of the material; the site is obviously against supermarket loyalty cards.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This module brings brings awareness to new issues not commmonly found in text books. For example, it starts the students thinking about potential problems in the future in the area of unauthorized consumer tracking after one leaves the supermarket. It would be effectiveness as a lively classroom discussion topic.
Concerns:
It would seem students should be viewing additional examples on this topic that reflect critical thinking and sound decision-making to round out the material presented on the web site.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The materials are easy to use, although the website is not necessarily very easy to navigate.
Concerns:
Many of the links in the site did not work. When trying to view a video or obtain further information on a topic it was difficult to find the links and some links were not found at all.
Other Issues and Comments:
This web site is certainly filled with surprising topics!
Creative Commons:
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