Executive Summary

OER can be a valuable resource to Business students at LaGuardia Community College. Thanks to the affordability, flexibility, and creativity of current available resources, instructors can provide a vibrant learning experience that does not sacrifice substance. As an instructor of Principles of Marketing, my main concerns surrounding OER have always been about the experience. Would OER tools be able to offer the same experience to students as the more expensive, supported traditional textbook resources? The following analysis answers that question and puts in perspective a practical way to use the materials in an online-only, hybrid, or traditional course setting.

Goals

• To provide business students an experiential education utilizing OER
• (For online education) To empower self-directed students in their understanding of marketing concepts by providing a variety of affordable OER tools
• (For hybrid education) To support in-class lecture with varied applicable activities out of the classroom, using affordable OER
• (For traditional education) To supplement face-to-face learning with tools that support various learning styles
• To provide students a sense of confidence and agency in their learning by sharing tools that will further support their progress

Course Description

• Principles of Marketing, BTM104
• This course explores the vital role of marketing in our economy. The factors of consumer behavior and motivation are covered to provide an understanding of market planning. The system of distribution of goods from producer to consumer is discussed by relating theory to actual case histories.

OER Resources

• SUNY OER Services; Principles of Marketing course developed by LUMEN LEARNING; Boundless Marketing
• LUMEN LEARNING Supplemental Resource
• Cost: $25 per student/term

OER Resources in Action

The BRANDING lesson connects students’ current understanding of branding with the power behind GOOD branding. The lesson shared guides students to Read, Watch, Conceptualize, and later Apply.

1. Read: Elements of Branding
2. Watch Video: Coca-Cola

3. Participate in a Branding exercise and continue to follow the lesson:

WHY IT MATTERS: BRANDING

OER Assignment (in progress)

Over the course of the semester, students will apply each lesson to a Marketing Plan to be applied to small business in the students’ neighborhood or in LaGuardia’s neighborhood (Sunnyside, LIC).

By the end of the semester, students will have one complete plan ready to be shared with their small business of choice. They will be asked to make edits along the way, and they may also choose to make changes as their understanding of Marketing develops.

• ASSIGNMENT: To understand the effects of COVID-19 on small businesses in the immediate community by connecting with Sunnyside Shines, Business Improvement District.
• Key Marketing Lessons:
  • Lesson 1: What is Marketing?
    • (Students will use this lesson to consider what business they would like to work with for this assignment. In their write up, they will explain HOW this lesson helped to shape their decision.)
  • Lesson 2: Marketing Functions
    • (Students will analyze how their chosen business utilizes / under-utilizes marketing functions.)
  • Lesson 3: Segmentation and Targeting
    • (Students will define their business’ current target audience, decide whether a NEW target should be examined, and finally choose ONE target audience to focus their Marketing Plan efforts – whether new or old, students will discuss WHY they have landed on a particular target.)
  • Lesson 4: Strategy …
  • Lesson 5: Ethics & Social Responsibility …
  • Lesson 6: Marketing Research …
  • Lesson 7: Consumer Behavior …
  • Lesson 8: Positioning …
  • Lesson 9: Branding (sample of this lesson provided)
  • Lesson 10: Product Marketing …
  • Lesson 11: Pricing …
  • Lesson 12: Distribution Channels …
  • Lesson 13: Promotion …
  • Lesson 14: The Pitch! How to Prepare for the Final Recommendation Pitch to the Client