Teaching Philosophy

Currently I teach Intro to Marketing, professional sales and the marketng capstone coure.  The level of student interest in marketing varies across courses.  I apply diverse methods based on learning theory and human performance metrics to help students learn and see the application of course topics in their careers.  My learning outcomes focus on motivating students to become knowledgeable and practically skilled in marketing concepts and methods.   

I teach from the most recent academic research and leading industry standards.  To do this I keep ongoing contact with top industry players and consistently reading.  An enhanced learning experience in every course is a final consulting project for a real firm.  This has been challenging for many students, but with coaching, I have been impressed how they pull together what they have learned and make it useful for a firm.  Each semester, many of my students impress the firms they consult for with their knowledge and ability to make useful recommendations. Students often receive internships and job offers from these experiences.  Some students create startups using best practices they learn in my course.  Additionally, by searching out and gaining the respect of firms, I have been fortunate to increase the number of firms recruiting at the University of Utah.  I hope this will translate to increased starting salaries and donations to our program.

To help students develop skills to be successful business leaders, assignments are structured so my students become actively engaged in learning and applying what they learn.  For example, to learn to think and converse about marketing topics a couple of marketing related news items are discussed at the beginning of each class and students are randomly called on to review specific readings while others are called on to share their thoughts.  I get to know the career and recreation interests of students and provide examples from these industries. 

To develop skills, I strive to make the course a combined lab and class experience.  They do assignments on each chapter assessing a live firm’s practices. Students’ assignments are based on a firm of their choice to make it as meaningful as possible.  They are required to participate in faculty research lab studies (OOCP) which we discuss afterward.  Additionally, based on learning theory, there are frequent quizzes to ensure consistent scholarship.  As time allows, I bring in industry leaders or marketing specialists to share how they do what the students learn about.  As students regularly engage in the process of learning and feedback, there is an opportunity to develop long lasting learning and skills. 

Specific methods I use to enhance student learning based on learning theory that go beyond reading and lectures include: 

• Read, practice and record performing a specific skill.  Students review themselves, others in the class and get my personal review and feedback as well
• Frequent quizzes to ensure principles are learned
• Stand and share – students are randomly called on at the beginning of each class to summarize a reading for that day’s class
• Written homework assignments where students extend what they are taught in a case of their choice
• Chapter Assignments using a firm of their choice.
• Consult a real business group in the theory and skills they learn during the course
• Industry expert class visitors who share their experiences and answer questions
• Marketing Case with a competitive side
• Research participation design and review

To improve my teaching I ran a survey to get feedback about the pace, curriculum and what was and wasn’t working.  I also watched some class recordings to review my teaching. Based on this, adjustments I made include:

• Extend the time for most chapters to 2 classes
• Speak more slowly
• Reduce the number of ppts I go thru in a class
• Remind students of my open zoom office hours each week

TEACHING FEEDBACK:

End of semester student feedback from the system was not for my class alone and my name was attached to other classes I did not teach, so it was not useful.

Some of the Feedback I received in student emails from my first semester at the UofU, during covid teaching hybrid classes and with new curriculum include:

Good Afternoon Dr. Masters,

I wanted to reach out to thank you for creating such an interesting marketing course this fall that provided many students with the ability to connect with fellow students. You truly gave us an amazing opportunity, so thank you.

I also would like to thank you for the time and understanding you put in for me. I truly appreciate it. Good luck with the spring semester, and Happy New Year!

I am so thankful to have learned so much about marketing from your BCOR 3040-006 class this past semester and am really hoping that I can apply what you have taught me within this internship. I have also registered to attend the Adobe Sales Information session that you informed us about through your Canvas announcement, thank you so much for sharing. Thank you again for everything!

Professor Masters,

I wanted to reach out to say thank you for everything this semester! In my three years as an undergrad I cannot think of a class where I learned as much as I did in your BCOR 3040 course. I truly enjoyed attending your lecture every day and I feel so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to be taught by you. I grew very close to Madisen and JT mainly because of your final project and I sincerely enjoyed every lesson and subject that we covered. I hope you know your passion to teach and your willingness to get to know us did not go unnoticed! You are a one of a kind professor and I say that very sincerely. I hope to see you around campus some time.

Thank you so much for a wonderful semester. Even though COVID made it difficult, you managed to do a great job at teaching us. We all really appreciated your effort to involve us in discussions throughout the semester. Personally, it was great to be involved and engaged with my other classmates, as I was rarely communicating with my peers.

Hi, I want to thank you for the amazing semester. I truly learned so much about an amazing career path. I was so grateful to have you are a teacher this semester and I hope to see you in classes down the road.

Thank you so much for an amazing semester, I hope that our paths cross again in the future!

Feedback received from a last semester student on 2/16/2021:

Hi Professor Masters!

I hope you are doing well. I was just working in my internship today and wanted to send you a quick thank you. I am writing a business plan for a new for-profit sector a non-profit called Women of the World here in Salt Lake. I have applied so much of what you taught us in class and I truly think I would be completely lost if I had not taken your class.

Thank you so much for everything you did and for teaching such a wonderful class.