Dr. Neil Hair

This summer I completed my third online learning class at the MBA level using the Adobe Connect suite of products. I'm a passionate convert to the platform and so are my students and their clients. The course I teach mirrors the in-class version of Marketing Concepts;

• Office hours – twice a week face to face (in one of the Connect Meeting rooms set up specifically for it).
• Small study sets of no more than 6 students working for a real client needing marketing help.
• Secure team rooms where students meet with each other, me, and the client to discuss the project.
• Bespoke lecture materials streamed in Adobe Presenter format and MP3 for those on the go.
• Client deliverables include an online presentation (sometimes pre-recorded) and a live debrief session in their Connect Meeting room.
• and the usual levels of rigor and stress that tends to accompany one of my classes and then some.

The feature I enjoy most about Adobe Connect is the ability to record and archive live meetings. This takes the whole client presentation and debrief to a new level of usability. More people get to see it. What a I love most about the process is that a team of masters students can co-exist in a virtual space, deliver top quality marketing plans and present all of their hard work without ever having physically met either myself, the client or eachother in the process. Many of us have also travelled this summer whilst still being able to fully engage in this process. Now if that isnt REAL online learning then I dont know what is. Congratulations summer class of 08. A fantastic set of projects. YouTube video of these guys in action to follow…