Use of In-Class Experiential Learning to Promote Student Engagement

The current reality for many large, public higher education institutions is that mega-sections of traditional lecture classes are needed to balance increasingly-shrinking educational budgets. Furthermore, while “A” students are highly motived to learn and enter the classroom prepared to succeed, other students may feel overwhelmed or lost in a large class. As a teacher of large (200+), Introduction to Marketing classes, I have incorporated in-class experiential learning techniques to engage and excite students. Students’ responses to the in-class experiential learning activities were so positive, that I adapted a similar interactive teaching style to build a professional selling curriculum within our marketing department. Engaging students through in-class experiential learning has resulted in positive student feedback, an increase in student enrollment and ultimate success in job placement for students.