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.