¶ … eCRM Strategies One of the more interesting tools of analysis used when dealing with marketing, business, or consumer issues is moving the learning dynamic from rote and informational (more quantitative) to more qualitative. There were several aspects to the assignment on eCRM strategies that were both exciting and contributed to a more robust learning environment:

Group Discussion -- teamwork was challenging because of different learning styles, but we discussed the various theories and methodologies that focused on key issues of the articles. The group discussions helped develop higher level thinking skills by exchanging disparate ideas and giving the other people in the group time to develop and verbalize their own views. It was difficult, with English as a second language, to present ideas clearly and to deliver a focused and understandable message. Asking questions, probing ideas, and working with the group solidified more communication skills and gave ideas on how best to present technical material.

Moving from Rote to Analysis and Synthesis -- A very typical way of both learning and studying has been to memorize materials by rote. This type of memorization lends itself to formulas, dates, and factual data, but really...

These assignments allowed for a move from simply acquiring knowledge for factual sake to taking those facts and synthesizing them with prior knowledge, analyzing the result, and coming up with new combinations that make more sense in the real world.
Globalization -- It is very clear that the modern business world if full of multinational organizations that have different ways of looking at business challenges, consumer behavior, and even organizational dynamics. These assignments helped in understanding the way that social and cultural differences can change both the business dynamic and expectation from the consumer. One can no longer look at the world in terms of regional dynamics, but instead, must use a broader brush stroke that factors in global diversity with global economic measures.

Vetting of Resources -- Using the Internet can be a challenging academic experience. Learning to verify sources and take a more critical eye towards bias, information quality, peer-reviewed journals, and even academic credentials is a bit more work at the front end of the project, but saves hours of time later when dealing with potentially conflictual information. Using Google…