Reimagining an Experiential Learning Exercise in Times of Crisis: Lessons Learned and a Proposed Framework

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced marketing educators to innovate and adapt their existing teaching methods. This article presents and discusses an experiential learning exercise called the market-immersion project (MIP) and how it was adapted to suit online teaching. The MIP was an integral part of the course on the “bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) and rural markets,” which had to be pivoted as a photoessay exercise due to the limitations of not being able to venture out for a physical immersion. The design, implementation, and grading are elaborated for both exercises, and lessons are identified for marketing educators. Building on the lessons from two experiential learning exercises and using Kolb’s experiential learning theory, a six-step model of short-term field immersion is proposed. The proposed framework could be useful for marketing educators who want to use experiential exercises, including field-based exercises, in their courses in the postpandemic scenario. Finally, implications for theory, marketing education, limitations, and future directions are presented.

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“…Similarly, Satyam and Aithel (2022) suggested that experiential learning activities can be enhanced through developing projects that engage institutions in developing countries or subsistence markets. CVSI students’ exposure to artisans working in a developing market was valuable to their development of entrepreneurial qualities.…”

“…Satyam and Aithal’s (2022) recent study underscored the importance of immersion and field trips for fostering student learning in educational programs that explore cross-border opportunities in developing countries. The bottom-up approach relies on the experiences of the field trip participants (e.g., students, faculty, and mentors) to capture knowledge and uncover relevant insights about field trip activities in developing countries.…”

“…Satyam and Aithal’s (2022, p. 1) study on “reimagining experiential learning exercises in crisis situations” advocates the need and potential for more experiential learning studies in crisis situations in developing countries. They also contend there is a gap in the literature in terms of understanding how educators have responded to the impact of the pandemic on the curriculum and advocated for more experiential learning studies in developing countries.…”

“…Resource dependence theory (RDT), network theory, and network competence perspectives can serve as important lenses for developing and implementing experiential learning curriculum that accounts for crisis situations and institutional challenges. Hence, in addition to the literature gap identified by Satyam and Aithal (2022), this study is needed to better explicate how network competence is developed through curriculum design and experiential learning experience.…”

“…The study contributes to previous studies on experiential learning in three ways. First, within the entrepreneurial marketing discipline, the study advances the theory of experiential learning in developing countries or subsistence economies (e.g., Satyam & Aithal, 2022). Second, the study extends the KNOW-DO-BE pedagogical framework (Drake & Burns, 2004) to include the operate dimension.…”