Learning With Cases Thomas v.

Learning With Cases

Thomas V. Bonoma's article entitled Learning with Courses proposes a radical approach to learning and teaching business and marketing skills. Bonoma's complaint with the current method of instruction is that too much classroom time is spent on strategy, execution, tools and processes that are taught in isolation and thus never translate into practical use. Instead, he proposes an experiential learning method where the learner gains an "intimate understanding of marketing's principles" and thus "have the confidence and skills to do the job" through hands-on learning.

According to Bonoma's definition of learning, "learning occurs when you are changed because of an encounter." The key word used here is "encounter." Bonoma's theory promotes the use of actual encounters with marketing so that the classroom skills can translate into actual use and thus the student gains a better understanding of the skill (or theory, etc.). Therefore, according to Bonoma, "when the real world can be brought closer to the classroom, either by alternative instructional methods or through some useful simulation, then it is fair to hope for changes in the (student) from the encounter."

To successfully implement such a hands-on marketing education approach, the method of learning must be matched to the goal of the outcome. For example, when the stated goals are skill-building and problem solving across a variety of real-world settings, Bonoma states "a nontraditional kind of learning, experiential learning, is called for."

Bonoma's experiential learning is defined by the author as being "a fancy phrase for encouraging students to learn from semistructured experiences." The advantages of such a curriculum is that the material stays with the student longer than mere memorization; the students experience prevails over the teachers (thus the student teaches themselves); and the information learned is customized to the needs of the individual learner. Disadvantages of such an approach is frustration on the part of the student for their being a lack of a "right and wrong answer (or instant gratification); there is immense responsibility on the individual student and therefore requires a certain level of maturity; and there is not defined start and finish to the learning process.