Through work on the theoretical material (readings) and the discussion of topics and open issues in class, students are enabled and encouraged to creatively use various ideas for elaborating teaching concepts. Putting their thoughts in written format, supports them in further developing their abilities to shift material effectively, structure their thoughts and considerations, and present them in a compelling way. Participation promotes the drive to exchanging ideas and thoughts with others in a learning environment. It sharpens students’ skills to structure and effectively communicate their comments in a competitive setting.

In the first session of the course students will be made familiar with the requirements needed for teaching (international) marketing and international business-related topics to 14 to 19-year olds. This will be done by having a closer look at the curriculum (Lehrplan HAK 2014) as well as by (critically) evaluating existing teaching material and concepts. Detailed instructions on the course’s requirements will be given and the expectations to the students will be laid out. Moreover, input on how to teach the most essential basics of international business will be given.

During the second session there will be time for discussing the annotated bibliographies which students will have prepared by then. Furthermore, part of this session will be dedicated to the question of how to evaluate pupils’ skills. As putting together exam papers is a very critical task, by analysing and critically reviewing existing exam papers relevant insights shall be gained.

Sessions three to five will be used for presenting elaborated teaching concepts. The role as discussant helps students gather not only further topical knowledge, but also critically evaluate existing work and learn from it for their own benefit. Depending on the amount of time given, teaching concepts that are in use at the lecturer’s school will be shown and discussed.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• use their knowledge of the marketing system (i. e. marketing research, marketing philosophy, concepts, processes and decisions), the marketing planning process (i. e. selection of target markets) and the development of appropriate marketing mix responses for developing didactic concepts
• use input received on the importance and the scope of international business activities (from an Austrian point of view) as a starting point for further research on the topic
• develop didactic concepts based on both their existing knowledge and further research
• define precise learning objectives and select appropriate contents and methods for teaching marketing and international business topics effectively
• develop teaching and learning material for marketing and international business lessons emphasising problem-based approaches and hands-on activities
• present parts of their didactic concepts in class, analyse them and put them to discussion

Attendance is required for this course.

Within this course, a variety of didactic elements is utilized to facilitate the successful completion of the learning outcomes outlined above. The course is delivered as a mix of methods ranging from showing existing teaching concepts and their application to knowledge transfer within team coaching sessions. Active participation by the students, who present their teaching concepts in class and serve as discussants on fellow students’ presentations, form a major part of the communicative course design.

Team coaching sessions on how to elaborate marketing and international business topics will provide the chance to discuss open issues as well as reflect on potential ways to deliver the material in classroom (exchange of experiences). These coaching sessions are delivered through distance learning approaches.

Assessment

Individual-level:

• Active Participation (15%): To reward students for actively participating in the course, 15% of the grade are devoted to this. Participation is evaluated on activity during the session (participating in discussions, raising interesting issues etc.). Recognizing the fact that this course is a learning environment, questions/answers are not based on whether they are right or wrong, but meaningful and inspiring for the group overall.
• Peer Review (5%): On an individual basis, group members are asked to evaluate the contribution of fellow group members to the work process (in terms of contributing to the content but also to workflow issues).

Group-level:

• Annotated Bibliography (15%): An annotated bibliography is a list of sources which reviews the literature about a particular topic. It includes concise descriptions and evaluations of each source on a given topic. It allows you to get acquainted with the material available on a topic. It demonstrates the quality and depth of reading that you have done. For others, it exemplifies the scope of sources available - such as journals, books, web sites and magazine articles. It highlights sources that may be of interest to other readers and researchers.
• Teaching Concept (30%): Students will be grouped in teams and assigned a certain marketing/international business topic for preparation (e.g. segmentation-targeting-positioning, choosing market entry strategies). Based on the literature given and additional individual research (Annotated Bibliography), the student group is asked to prepare ways how to teach this content effectively to business students.
• Discussant Evaluation (15%): In addition, each student team is assigned a second topical package (e.g. pricing policy). Students are asked to prepare themselves in terms of contents, as they will evaluate their peers’ teaching concept and serve as “discussants” when their peers present their teaching concept.
• Presentation (20%): Each student team must present its teaching concept in class in a real-life manner. The way how this concept is executed in the classroom setting is graded.

Grading Scheme (Total 100 pts)

• 100-90 pts - 1
• 89-80 pts - 2
• 79-70 pts - 3
• 69-60 pts - 4
• below 60 - failed

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