Kimi Anderson discusses strategies to enhance student understanding and engagement in marketing courses, particularly for overseas students with English as a second language. Key approaches include blended learning, group work dynamics, and the use of technology such as Kahoot, Socrative, and Quizlet to facilitate real-time feedback and class participation. Results from implementing these strategies show improved student engagement, mutual satisfaction, and pass rates, highlighting the effectiveness of timely interventions in learning processes.

1. “Do you understand?”:
Ways to check
understanding in the
classroom.
Kimi Anderson
(Casual Tutor: Marketing and
Management)

2. Learning
Outcomes: Understand
• Understanding – what this means, what
are the challenges that we face
Gain
• Some endorsed practical strategies that I
have implemented
Share
• Impacts and results experienced to date

3. About
Me:
Worst student ever
Casual Tutor @ SIBT(Mar 16)

4. Worst student ever
15 years in Corporate
marketing
Casual Tutor @
SIBT(Mar 16)

5. Worst student ever
15 years in
Corporate
marketing
Solo - online &
consulting
Casual Tutor @
SIBT(Mar 16)

6. My
Classroom: My teaching context
• Young students
• Majority are overseas students, English
is their second language
• Enjoying freedom
• Currently:
− 2 hour tutorial – Diploma (marketing)
− 4 hour tutorial / lecture –
Foundations (marketing)

7. The
Challenge:
Knowing if students understood key
concepts when I could best help them.
What I was doing:
• Asked the class, individuals, working groups:
− Does anyone have any questions?
− Do you understand ….?
− How would you explain …. ?
• Tried forming connections
• Offered assistance
− Class activities
− Assignments

8. The
Challenge:
Knowing if students understood key
concepts when I could best help them.
But what I found:
• Silence
• Nods
• Reading their homework, assignments, test
papers, it is clear that many did not:
− Understand the concepts and/or
− Understand the instructions

9. The
Challenge:
Knowing if students understood key
concepts when I could best help them.
The issue is timing - it’s too late:
• Poor marks
• Can’t go back and re teach topics from
scratch
• Missed foundations for the next topics

10. The
Teaching
Challenge
(according to me):
Self
Motivated
to learn
Application &
Analysis
Understanding /
Engagement
Listening / Attention
Attendance (regular, whole class)

11. Self
Motivated
to learn
Application &
Analysis
Understanding /
Engagement
Listening / Attention
Attendance (regular, whole class)
Class announcements,
emails, calls, texts
Remove distractions, re
arrange classroom, body
language, more frequent but
shorter breaks
Understanding key concepts and
talking at the right time.

12. Strategies to
Increase
Understanding
and
Engagement:
Learnt, tested, implemented and recommended:
• Blended learning
− Students are most comfortable with
technology.
• Group work
− Get students talking
• Homework and assignments
• Provides an opportunity to increase their
marks.

13. Technology:
Using technology to increase student engagement
and understanding. Benefits include:
• Provides real time data.
• Can be used to be steer the lesson.
• Engages students in their ‘comfort zone’.

14. Technology:
Using technology to increase student engagement
and understanding. Options include:
• So many platforms out there
• All have their own pros / cons
− Take time to set up / test / trial with
students
• Gauging level of understanding, increasing
engagement and a tool for revision, 3 free,
easy to set up recommended options are:
1. Kahoot
2. Socrative
3. Quizlet

15. Kahoot Socrative Quizlet
About Game based learning
platform - multiple
choice, sequencing,
discussion & surveys.
Multiple choice,
true/false and short
answer questions.
Online flashcards –
matching terms and
definitions.
Pros Students are familiar
with it and love the
gaming aspect.
No character limit, add
explanations for
answers, class /
individual participation.
Can record voice and
add images. Great for
learning basics to build
on.
Cons Character limits While you can see
progress and total
scores, it is not as
‘gamey’.
Not great for the
application of theory.
Best used In class, with music ON,
intervals after main
sections, approx. 5
questions.
In class or at home for
revision.
In class or at home
when students need to
learn definitions.

16. Group work:
While technology has been invaluable, changing
the way group work is done in class has been very
revealing:
• Previously – in-class tutorial activities were
done as per their allocated assessment task
groups (3-5 people)
− Too easy to hide
− Same groups – students become
complacent
− Groupthink

17. Group work:
Have changed in-class activities so that groups are
smaller (mainly use pairs):
• Can mix up the groups more easily if
necessary.
• Students are more exposed yet they still have
a ‘buddy’.
• Hold important activities right before breaks
– can break once done properly or I can
provide more assistance.
• Examples
− Definition and examples
− Pairs critique each others answers
− Demonstrations
− Scriber & presenter

18. Homework
and
Assignments:
If they do not properly understand the
requirements, it is too late to assist them once
they have submitted their work:
Homework
• Pre-class: Bring an example / complete a poll
(PollEverywhere) – more effective than pre
reading requirements.
• In- class: Complete, bullet points, explain
approach etc.
• After class: Reflection type questions.

19. Homework
and
Assignments:
If they do not properly understand the
requirements, it is too late to assist them once
they have submitted their work:
Assignments
• Workshops, early draft submissions– not
great results.
• Google classrooms (trial) for group
assessments: set up groups, milestones,
templates and weekly tasks to for submission
– provide ongoing feedback.
• Inclusion of tutorial activities that directly
address sections of the assignment.

20. Impacts:
Results to date:
• Limited, work in progress but very positive.
• Formally implemented last semester in week
5 when I was doing a Blended Learning
course.
• Here is what I found:

21. Impacts:
Results last semester included:
• Observation: more students got more
engaged – participated more, asked
questions; more positive body language.
• Increase in satisfaction was mutual.
• Pass rates increased from 67% to 76%.
• Significantly more students got D’s & HDs.

22. Impacts:
Results to date this semester include:
• Google classroom trial – templates, gmail
addresses, individual contributions
• Completion of activities
• Biggest win – week 3 – know everyone by
their name and know something about them.

23. Thankyou.
kimi.anderson@learning.sibt.nsw.edu.au