Developments in teaching approaches: "A novel approach to learning reinforcement"

The first part of this paper describes a novel approach to learning reinforcement that has been developed as part of the learning and teaching strategy of the undergraduate Product Design Programme at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC). This new approach is based around a new analytical method known as Reverse Marketing Analysis (RMA). The main focus of this new approach is the clarification of understanding of the activity of target marketing within a Level-1 Marketing module. Market research has shown that personas and lifestyles can be identified to describe the typical average end user of a product. However, the conventional study of existing products does not normally provide the learners an opportunity to clarify and demonstrate their understanding of the theory behind the identification of target markets. In contrast, the implementation of RMA facilitates the clarification and reinforcement of the role of the target marketing that led to the development of a product. The initial experimental implementation of this new learning method has been conducted and has yielded encouraging results and the second part of the paper presents a case study of the implementation of RMA within the Product Design programme at UWIC.