Real world feedback is the most authentic type of feedback that students can receive. In my Electronic Communities course students work with the founders of real-world startups. Many of these startups were featured on Shark Tank, a television series. Examples of course clients include  Villy Customs, Daisy Cakes, Cousin Maine’s Lobster, SayPlease, Dr. Antell, CustomClipIn, Michalski Studio, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and many more. Students work with these real businesses to plan and implement a social media strategy. They see the cause and effect relationship between the strategies they implement and the online communities responses to their strategies. Real world feedback allows students to see the relevancy of their work beyond the classroom. This evidence based approach takes the intuition out of decision making and emphasizes a experimental and empirical method for decision making in business. 

 

Authentic learning through authentic practice