MKTG 302: Foundations of Marketing

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID: Marketing 302: Foundations of Marketing
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a Foundations of Marketing course for undergraduate students by Dr. Rebeca Perren and Dr. Abigail Nappier Cherup at California State University San Marcos. The open textbook provides up-to-date content on the building blocks of marketing with contemporary examples provided directly in the text, discussion-based exercises to bring into the classroom, and question banks for generating assessments. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to reduce the student cost of course materials. Most students access the open textbook via the textbook’s website as an integrated digital tool.

Course Title/Number: Foundations of Marketing - MKTG 302
Brief Description of course highlights:  Marketing is the process of identifying and satisfying customers’ needs for products, services, and ideas and simultaneously creating and delivering a standard of living to society. The course examines the components of the marketing process, sources, and uses of marketing intelligence, consumer behavior, and international marketing.  https://catalog.csusm.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=1&coid=1583

Student population: Enrollment is open to students who have completed all lower-division pre-business core (major status in Business Administration – i.e., attained business status), Computer Science majors in the Computer Information Systems option, and Biotechnology majors.

Learning or student outcomes:  List student learning outcomes for the course.

• Define marketing and its role in a firm’s strategic planning
• Explain the elements of the Marketing Mix –   Product, Price, Place, and Promotion – and how they interact to create brand positioning.
• Identify market targeting, segmentation, and positioning strategies.
• Explain the processes consumers go through when choosing products or services.
• Discuss the ethical concerns of marketing.

Key challenges faced and how resolved:
- Foundational Content Coverage: Efficiently covers extensive material within two units using a structured, modular approach.
- Flipped Classroom Support: Encourages pre-class engagement through interactive texts and videos.
- Preparation and Familiarization: Utilizes notetaking guides and quizzes to enhance familiarity with content before class.
- Manageable Reading Loads: Allows for selective assignment of crucial sections, complemented by interactive features to ease reading volume.
- Structured Learning Path: Features web-designed chapters that conclude with practice quizzes for manageable section completion.
- Engagement and Application: Integrates critical thinking questions into “poll everywhere” for real-time application discussions in class, aiding in tracking engagement and attendance in large student sections.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption [optional]: Critical Thinking Exercise 1 Reconciling Segmentation and Diversity.docx

Textbook or OER Title: Principles of Marketing by Openstax

Brief Description: The “Principles of Marketing” textbook by OpenStax integrates core marketing concepts and pedagogical approaches tailored for undergraduate business majors. It emphasizes practical applications through problem sets, real-world scenarios, and a modular structure that supports varied learning outcomes. The text covers marketing fundamentals, analysis, and strategy across three units focusing on creating customer value, understanding the marketplace, and the marketing mix. It employs a modern pedagogical approach, including ethical considerations and employability skills, leveraging the OpenStax platform’s accessibility and resources for a comprehensive learning experience.

Please provide a link to the resource: https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-marketing

Senior Contributing Authors:
Dr. Maria Gomez Albrecht, University of Texas at Dallas
Dr. Mark Green, Simpson College
Linda Hoffman, Ivy Tech Community College

Contributing Authors:
Jacqueline Babb, Northwestern University
Lauren M. Donovan, Delaware County Community College
Debra Ellerbrook, Concordia University Wisconsin
Lisa S. Goolsby, Southern New Hampshire University
Jaciel Keltgen, Minnesota State University
Sarah M. Shepler, Ivy Tech Community College
Deborah Toomey, Northwest Missouri State University

Student access:  Most students access the textbook via the OpenStax website that hosts this digital tool. A small number of students choose to pay the $40 to have the book printed and mailed to them as a physical textbook. Students also have the option to download the book as a PDF or .DOCX file.

Supplemental resources:
Course Cartridge for Canvas: This course cartridge supports integrating OpenStax books and resources into common learning management systems. Community Hub: Members of the OpenStax community can join the Hub to share resources they’ve created to use with Principles of Marketing.
Instructor Getting Started Guide: Guide to become familiar with the platform.
Instructor’s Manual: Developed in response to numerous suggestions from instructors teaching this course, this Instructor’s Manual is designed to provide maximum guidance for delivering the book’s content in an interesting and dynamic manner.
Diversity and Representation Guidelines: These guidelines support OpenStax efforts to ensure diverse representation in the development and improvement of their materials. These guidelines can be used to develop and improve all open educational resources.
Lecture Slides: These lecture slides include selected graphics from the text, key concepts and definitions, and examples.
Test Bank: The test bank contains multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter of the textbook.
Ability to Customize the Book: OpenStax generates Docx files for each section of this textbook to provide an easy way for instructors who need to customize OpenStax content. The Docx files are converted automatically and may contain some conversion errors. These files are provided to instructors as a helpful resource, but the OpenStax website is the preferred method for students to access their books.
Customer Print with XanEdu: XanEdu is their preferred print partner. They offer customizations for several titles.

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook. By switching to this textbook from our previous one, we have saved students 77% or over $100

License: Content is licensed.
Publish Date: Jan 25, 2023=
Web Version Last Updated: Dec 20, 2022
Hardcover: ISBN-13: 978-1-711471-51-8
Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1-711471-52-5
Digital: ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-88-6

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process
Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. The primary motivation was to save students money without sacrificing the quality content of learning materials. The secondary reason was to streamline the student learning journey. Previously, we used an e-textbook and learning platform with a high number of short exercises. Over time, we learned this created the perception of “busy work” among students, and some students would even “gamify” their learning experience to get through the exercises quickly. Additionally, since the book is a free digital resource, students have access to the OpenStax book long after they complete the course. Many times, students reference this content as they take upper-level marketing and business courses. The textbook even provides a free business plan template that many business students could find useful as they work on their capstone Senior Experience Project.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? Dr. Abigail Nappier Cherup did a basic google search for open-source Principles of Marketing textbooks. She narrowed down her search to a couple of alternatives. Together with Dr. Rebeca Perren, they decided to try this resource. The main reasons for picking this particular resource were (1) it is constantly updated with contemporary examples and content, and (2) it provides an immersive experience via embedded videos and links to examples from the text.

Sharing Best Practices: Implementing an open-source textbook effectively requires a strategic approach to ensure that the material is both relevant and engaging for students. One key strategy is to select a textbook that closely aligns with the course's topic and incorporates up-to-date information and examples. This ensures that the content is directly applicable to the students' learning objectives. Additionally, adopting a flexible approach to the textbook's content—"taking what you need and leaving the rest"—can greatly enhance the learning experience. This method allows instructors to focus on the most relevant sections, making the educational process more efficient and tailored to specific course needs. Further enriching the course with low-cost, applied resources, such as simulations, can provide a practical application of theoretical concepts, thereby creating a well-rounded educational experience. Combining open-source materials with supplementary resources offers a cost-effective, comprehensive learning solution that caters to diverse learning styles and needs.

Describe any challenges you experienced, and lessons learned. The primary challenge in adopting open-source textbooks is the scarcity of comprehensive instructor support materials, notably exam banks which are crucial in today's digital learning environment. Traditional open-source textbooks often lack the depth in question banks required for effective assessment. Collaborating as instructors, leveraging years of course experience, and utilizing our own materials allowed us to overcome these obstacles. However, creating and maintaining these resources adds a significant burden on instructors, who must develop their lecture slides and supplementary materials without the support typically provided by publishers. This experience underscores the need for a community-driven approach to enrich open-source educational resources with robust ancillary materials.

Instructor's Name: Rebeca Perren, Ph.D. 
I am an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Marketing, as well as the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee in the Academic Senate, and a Faculty Innovation Fellow at the College of Business Administration. I teach MKTG 302 (Principles of Marketing), MKTG 458 (Marketing Analytics), MKTG 448 (Global Marketing), and several courses in our graduate programs. In my role as a Faculty Innovation Fellow, I lead a student-run digital marketing agency from the Innovation Hub, dedicated to supporting non-profits and social enterprises in our region.

Please provide a link to your university page.
https://www.csusm.edu/profiles/index.html?u=rperren

Please describe the courses you teach.  In MKTG 302 (Principles of Marketing), I introduce students to marketing fundamentals, focusing on strategies, consumer behavior, and market analysis. MKTG 458 (Marketing Analytics) delves into data-driven decision-making, teaching students to analyze and interpret marketing data. MKTG 448 (Global Marketing) explores marketing strategies in a global context, emphasizing cultural differences, market entry strategies, and international marketing mix decisions. Each course is designed to equip students with practical skills and theoretical knowledge pertinent to their marketing careers, integrating real-world applications and analytical tools. Additionally, I offer graduate-level versions of Marketing Analytics and Global Marketing, deepening the exploration of these subjects with a focus on advanced concepts and applications relevant to a globalized business environment.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  My teaching philosophy revolves around fostering lifelong learning, critical thinking, and preparing students for their careers. I prioritize student-centered learning, integrating experiential learning and technology to enhance engagement and understanding. My courses, including Principles of Marketing and Marketing Analytics, reflect this approach, focusing on real-world applications and continuous feedback. My research interests align with my teaching, exploring technology, innovation, and the impact of diversity in education. I strive to create an inclusive environment that respects diverse backgrounds and encourages students to engage deeply with the material.

Instructor's Name: Abigail Nappier Cherup, Ph.D.
I am an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California State University San Marcos. I teach MKTG 302 & MKTG 305 (Principles of Marketing courses) and MKTG 461 (Marketing and Public Policy). Additionally, I advise project teams for our capstone class, BUS 495 (Senior Experience).

Please provide a link to your university page.
https://www.csusm.edu/coba/about/meet-our-faculty/ancherup.html

Please describe the courses you teach.  MKTG 302 & 305 are foundational courses in the marketing discipline. As such, we spend the semester focusing on the building blocks of marketing, from both consumer and firm perspectives. In this class I do my best to blend building students’ conceptual understanding of the discipline with applying what they are learning to further solidify their emerging knowledge.

MKTG 461 is an upper-division elective course on the intersection of marketing and public policy. In the course students learn about the evolution of responsible marketing and the various forms of market regulation. This course follows the same structure as MKTG 302 & 305 so students are able to build upon their conceptual knowledge with relevant responsibility strategies. Students select a company and utilize instructor provided prompts to conduct a semester-long research project into the company’s responsible marketing strategy. At the end of the semester, students are well situated to make observations about the company’s current responsible strategy and recommendations for further enhancing or expanding it.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  I take a student-centered approach to instruction, in which I seek to empower students to own their education and encourage them to envision themselves as professionals. In doing so, students realize their own productive capacity, integrate what they are learning into their current knowledge, and take an active role in their present and future career. I view my role of the instructor as a coach, guiding students and providing them with enthusiastic encouragement. I strive to instill in students critical thinking skills and an appreciation for diverse perspectives, so that all students feel challenged and included in the learning process. From time to time I am able to integrate my research interests into the classroom. I research responsible marketing as well as marketplace inclusion from both the consumer and managerial perspectives. This often allows me to bring interesting cases or examples to class. Additionally, it allows students to experience an inclusive environment firsthand as we work to co-create such a space together.