marketing a mathematics laboratory to faculty and students by mark rokhfeld, ph.d. director,...
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing a Mathematics Laboratory to Faculty and Students
By Mark Rokhfeld, Ph.D.
Director, Mathematics Laboratory
Barry University, Florida
Math Lab Conference, August 6-7, 2009
Bowling Green State University, Ohio
The Presentation Overview What is marketing? A brief overview of developing marketing as an
academic field Is Marketing a Math Lab a Necessity?
Students’ preparedness for college Increased demand for tutorial services
The Math Lab Marketing Model Outcomes of marketing the Math Lab
Barry University A co-educational Catholic
International University located in South Florida
First opened its doors in 1940
Over 100 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral programs
Student-faculty ratio is 13:1 Student population is about
10,000 students
Defining “Marketing”
Marketing refers to the procedure that is used to design and deliver appropriate products to satisfy customers
“Marketing is the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producers to customers” (Keefe, 2004)
According to the American Marketing Association (2007), marketing is defined as an activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large
Marketing and Advertising
Marketing is the systematic planning, implementing, and controlling of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for an advantageous exchange of products
Advertising is the presentation or promotion of products or services to existing or potential customers. It includes the process of developing advertising strategies such as ad placement forms and the frequency of advertising
Service Marketing
Before 1970: interest concerned industry- specific applications
The growth of service marketing as an academic field between 1970 and 1990
By 1990, service marketing became a fast-growing discipline
Service marketing filled a need in the marketing process
(Berry,L. & Parasuraman A., 1993)
Social Marketing
Development of social marketing in 1971 Kotler P.& Zaltman G. (1971). Social marketing:
An Approach to planned social change. Journal of Marketing
Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing, along with other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioral goals for a social good(e.g.: health, sustainability, and recycling)
(National Social Marketing Centre, 2006)
Social Marketing
Social marketing was developed in relation to health promotion campaigns (e.g., anti-smoking campaign in 1988; campaign to prevent skin cancer in 1988)
Listen to the needs and desires of the target audience
Research and evaluation form the cornerstone of the social marketing process
‘Social marketing’ vs. ‘Commercial marketing’
Marketing the Math Lab as a Service Marketing and Social Marketing
Service Marketing: Marketing the academic services
Social Marketing: Helping students improve study and
math skills, develop efficient learning processes, become independent learners of mathematics, and prepare them for future employment
Math Education as a ‘Social Good’
Excellence in math and science education in the U.S. has a direct correlation with the country’s ability to successfully compete, prosper, and feel secure in the global community of the 21st century
The top 15 highest-earning college degrees required math skills
(NACE, 2009)
Components of a Marketing Process
Producers and customers Evaluation of customers’ needs and
desires Design and delivery of appropriate
products Research and evaluation again
Marketing the Math Lab
Marketing the Math Lab
Students Faculty
IndirectDirect
Is Marketing a Math Lab a Necessity ?
Addressing the Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities of the
New College Student Generation Increasing demand for academic tutorial services In Barry University, (2008/09 a.y.) 772 out of total 2,169
students (35.6%) were enrolled in developmental math courses
28 % of entering freshmen enrolled in one or more remedial reading, writing, or mathematics courses in public and private 2-year and 4-year institutions (NCES, 2004)
Community colleges: 42% (Wilson, 2004)
Defining “Preparedness” for College
The term “Under-prepared student” refers to a student whose academic skills fall below those determined to be necessary for college success
College readiness skills include the use of strategies that lead to effective study, problem solving, and critical thinking in order to progress satisfactory through college-level course work
Dzuback, C.M. (2008)
In Your Opinion, How Well Prepared Are Your Students for College
Work in Math?
Very Well Prepared Well Prepared Not Well Prepared
Mathematics Preparedness for College
Only 21% of students performed at or above proficient achievement on the new 12th grade mathematical assessment
(NCES, 2006)
The majority of students enrolled in college are not prepared for college-level mathematics
ACT-Tested High School Seniors Taking Core Curriculum, 1993-2003
Involvement in College Preparation Programs
No Involvement 82%
Slight Involvement 13%
Substantial Involvement
5%
Math Anxiety General and recent research on factors influencing
students’ performance in mathematical studies consistently identified a student’s mathematics anxiety and his or her attitude toward mathematics as major influential components of student academic performance (Ashcraft, 2002; Perry, 2004; Tobias, 1993; Zaslavsky, 1994)
Mathematics anxiety is a widespread phenomenon Understanding the causes and implications of
mathematics anxiety and finding a way to decrease it is the key to improving academic achievement for many students (Sean, 2007)
Behavioral Changes and Student Learning
Significant changes have occurred in adolescents’ behavior during the last 10-15 years
Impact on students’ willingness to learn and their expectations about classrooms, teachers, and their own academic performance
►
Degree-Granting Institutions Enrollment (NCES, 2009)
Assisting Under-prepared Students Assessment of
skills Advising Developmental
Education Academic support
services
The Mathematics Laboratory Academic support Positive learning
environment 12 professional tutors and
6 student-tutors Developmental math
through pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, physics, and computer programming
The Mathematics Laboratory and Marketing
Recognizing the need for marketing Passive student participation in Math Lab
activities Low enrollment in the SI courses Need for new tutorial programs
The Math Lab and Marketing Since 2006, marketing has become an integral part of the
Mathematics Laboratory’s management activities Goal: not only to offer students and faculty a number of
tutorial programs, but also to ensure the effectiveness of these programs and the optimum use of them by all students – service marketing
Mission: by embracing the core values of diversity, learning, integrity, fellowship, collaboration, access, and the spirit of inquiry, to assist university students in developing their abilities to assess a learning task, set goals, identify strategies to accomplish the task, monitor the progress, and adjust strategies and behaviors to produce successful learning outcomes- social marketing
THE MATH LAB MARKETING MODEL
MARKET RESEARCH
• External• Literature
Review• Publications
• Internal• Surveys• Faculty
Feedback• Student
Comments
COMMUNICATION
•The Math Lab Staff Meetings
•Faculty Meetings
•Faculty Seminars
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Tutorial FormatsMath Lab
Hours of OperationMath Lab
WebsiteHandoutsComputer
Software
MULTICHANNEL ADVERTISING
FlyersStudent WebFreshman
SeminarsClass
PresentationsWeb AdvisorInfo for
Prospective StudentsService FairsWord of Mouth
ASSESSMENT
Math Lab Attendance
Participation in Math Lab Activities
Surveys
Next
Defining the Marketing of the Math Lab
The marketing of the Math Lab is a process of identifying students' needs for tutorial services, collaborating with faculty, working on meeting students’ demands within the means available, developing tutorial formats, advertising them through different channels, and evaluating the outcomes
Market Research External
Literature Review and Current Publications
Internal Surveys Faculty Feedback Student Comments
Back to Model
Communication The Math Lab
Staff Meetings
Faculty Meetings
Faculty Seminars
Back to Model
Product Development Tutorial Formats Math Lab Hours of Operation Math Lab Web Site Handouts Computer Software
(Minitab, SPSS, PhSTAT, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008)
Real-time online assistance using the Smart Board
Back to Model
Multichannel Advertising Flyers Student Web Freshman Seminars Service Fairs Web Advisor Info for Prospective Students Class Presentations Word of Mouth
Back to Model
Assessment Math Lab Attendance
Participation in Math Lab Activities
Surveys
Back to Model
Outcomes of the Math Lab Marketing
Built a strong positive working relationships with University faculty and staff
Increased student attendance to the Math Lab
Improved student attitude towards mathematics
Decreased students’ level of math anxiety
Improved students’ performance
Math Lab, Developmental Math, and Student Attitudes Toward Mathematics
Enhanced self-esteem and confidence Increased motivation and self-direction Improved learning experience
(Rokhfeld, 2008)
Students in remediation courses are more likely to persist in college in comparison to students who were not required to take the courses (Bettinger, E.& Long, B.T.,2005)
New Educational Challenges President Obama’s American
Graduation Initiative - $12 billion over the next decade
$9 billion to improve the dropout rate
$500 million toward online education
An additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020
The development of new measures of community colleges’ success
The Role of Marketing in Dealing with New Educational Challenges
Focuses on the needs of students and their expectations
Targets a larger student population needing academic assistance
Involves more individuals in solving complex educational problems
Helps avoid duplication of efforts Makes better use of academic resources
Is Marketing a Math Lab a Necessity ?
If you want to provide effective tutorial services that reflect students’ needs, if you want to serve a large student population, if you want to have strong positive working relationships with the faculty and staff, my answer is definitely “yes”
Helps under-prepared students prepare, prepared
students advance, and advanced students excel
References Berry L.L. & Parasuraman, A. (1993). Building a new academic field- the
case of services marketing. Journal of Retailing, 69 (1), 13-59 Croft, A.C. (2000). A guide to the establishment of a successful mathematics
support centre. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 31(3), 431-446.
Different perceptions of student preparedness for college. (2006, Marh10). The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Dzubak C.M. (2009). What skills and whose standards: Why are students under prepared? Synergy Volume 1.Retrieved June 10, 2009 from http://www.myatp.org/Synergy_1/Syn_1.pdf
Keefe, L.M. (2004). What is the meaning of marketing? Retrieved July 12, 2009 fromhttp://market.haloso.net/upfiles/20060527022543.doc
Lovelock,C., & WirtzE. (2004). Services marketing: People, technology, strategy. Retrieved July15, 2009 from: http://www.lovelock.com/associates/images/news/SM5ScottsdalePresentation.pdf
References Madhusudhan, M. (2008). Marketing of library and information services and
products in university libraries: A case study of Goa University library. Library Philosophy and Practice. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/madhusudhan.htm
Moncrief W.C, & Cravens D.W.(1999). Technology and the changing marketing world. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 329-332.
National Center for Educational Statistics( NCES, 2004). Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch
Wilson C.D. (2004). Keeping America’s promise. A Report on the Future of the Community College. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from http://www.league.org/league/projects/promise/files/promise.pdf
Wu, M.,& Hsieh (2008). A study for university library marketing indicators model in digital age. The Business Review, Cambridge, 10 (1), 165-170.
Round Table Discussion Best practices in marketing a Math Lab? Obstacles to providing effective marketing
of academic services? How would the presented methods apply to
and benefit your institutional setting?
Services Marketing ModelBerry, L. & Parasuraman A. Building a New Academic Field: The Case of Services Marketing, 1993
Back to Market Research
Models of Working Relationships
Model A: Networking and Coordination
Model B: Cooperation/Partnerships
Model C: Integrated Instruction
Back to Model
Tutoring Formats One-to-one tutoring Seminars and workshops SI courses for MAT 152 One assistance through e-mail Final exam reviews Tutorial for nursing students Tutorial sessions for GKT
preparation Tutoring for advanced math
courses and physics Tutorial for computer
programming Real-time online assistance
using the Smart Board
Back to Product Development
Service Fair
Back to Multichannel Advertising
Publications Targeting, acquiring, and retaining the right customers is the core of
marketing. The objective is to build working relationships and to develop loyal costumers who will do a growing volume of business during a long period of time (Lovelock C. & Wirtz J.,2007)
Building effective working relationships with the university faculty and staff (Rokhfeld, M., 2005)
Back to Market Research
SeminarsFaculty seminars help to:
Get feedback from the faculty about tutorial services
Analyze the effectiveness of tutorial programs
Offer new tutorial services Help to collaborate with adjunct faculty
Back to Model
Budget Seminar for Students, Faculty and Staff
Jun 25, 2009 Learn how to know where your own pennies go, and how to make a realistic budget
BUDGET SEMINAR
Thursday, June 255:00 – 6:00 p.m. Garner 107
All sessions will take place in the Math Lab at Barry’s Glenn Hubert Learning Center and are open to students, faculty and staff.
If you plan to attend, please bring your laptop if you have one and download the free trial version of the Budget Program beforehand from http://www.snowmintcs.com/ for either the Mac or Windows platform. We will also use the Excel program.
For more information, please contact Prof. James Poulos at (305) 899-4578 Go back
The Math Lab and Math Placement
The Math Lab participation in the math placement testing
Developing the math placement test Administering the placement test
Advantages: First contact with a first year student Let the students know about the Math Lab Partnership and collaboration with Math and
Computer Science Department
Mathematics Education and Global Economy (Cont.)
The top 15 highest-earning college degrees have one thing in
common-math skills (NACE, 2009)
The number of degrees awarded in the technical fields in many emerging countries has expanded faster than in the US, thus putting our nation at a potential risk at a potential disadvantage compared to the rest of the global market
Of the 2.38 million university degrees awarded in the US in 2002, only 335,00 ( 14%) were in natural sciences or engineering fields (NSF, 2002)
Profile of Today’s College Student Male: 37%, Female: 63% Working students: 63% First student generation:
82% Preparedness for College:
73% 34% - preferred lectures 42% - preferred class
discussions Most common approach:
lectures -74%, class discussions - 20%
Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education ( NASPA), 2008
Laptop computer - 83% Active use of the Internet
(3-5 hours per day) - 43% Electronic course
management system (Blackboard and/or WebCT) - 82%
Profile of Today’s College Student
NASPAStudent Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, 2008
The Mathematics Laboratory(cont.)
Worksheets, instructional materials, handouts
The Math Lab Website 200-300 students visits
per week 20 computers with
Minitab, SPSS, PhStat The SMART Board
system
Picture 379.jpg
Today’s College Students’ Characteristics (Dzubak, 2009)
Students are now increasingly visually and kinesthetically sophisticated
The visual sophistication of students is most applicable to multimedia, but not to printed materials that require substantial reading and comprehension
Students of today often demonstrate high self-esteem, but not high self-efficacy. That is, they maintain a strong self concept but lose sight of the fact that a successful outcome is based on, and consisted with, their effort and performance
The attention span of today’s adolescents is estimated to be between 10 and 15 min, as compared with 20 to25 min a decade ago
Current students appear to best prepared to perceive and process data, facts, and chunks of information
Today’s College Students’ Characteristics
Even when students find themselves engaged in the classroom that is interactive and fast paced, many struggle to remain alert and engaged in a classroom that requires extended concentration, listening , and critical thinking
Many students are extrinsically, rather than intrinsically, motivated and anticipate reinforcement for maintaining interest and successful performance, minimizing the role of student effort and time
First semester students increasingly prefer and expect a classroom to be active, interactive, and visual, in contrast with conventional college classrooms that are reflective and verbal
Technology and Marketing Improves market
research Provides Instant
communicationUse of e-mails for advertisingInternet excess to the Math Lab materialsUse of technology for assessment and surveys
ConclusionThe Marketing of the Math Lab:
Promotes an understanding of the Math Lab tutorial activities
Increases Math Lab student attendance Enhances student achievement Improves tutorial services Raises the level of tutors’ professionalism Raises the importance of the tutor’s job in students’
eyes