EDITORIAL

Abstract

As I sat at my computer 3 years ago to compose my first letter from the editor, my term seemed to stretch far into the future with 12 issues over 3 years, yet it now seems to be over in a blink of an eye. I thought the hardest decision as editor was accepting or rejecting papers until I had to make the final decision for the next editor. MER was fortunate to have three excellent finalists for the position; I wish all three could have been chosen. The new editor of MER for the next 3 years starting January 1, 2022, is Dr Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee. He is a professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. He has regularly published in Marketing Education Review, including MER’s Article of the year Award (2014), MER’s Best Reviewer of the Year Award (2015) and has been an Editorial Board member since 2016. Dr Lee recently was awarded the 2019 Axcess-Capon Distinguished Teaching Award by Society of Marketing Advances (SMA) for his pedagogical contributions. In addition, he has been a recipient of two university-wide teaching awards from Colorado State University and Western University. I look forward to working with him as a reviewer as I return to the editorial reviewer board as a reviewer. Being the editor of MER has truly been a privilege, I had the opportunity to read hundreds of papers on different aspects of marketing education; some were published, some were not, but all had value and made me a better educator having read them. I will miss interacting with all the ERB members. Your willingness to take time out of very hectic lives to review and help authors shape their papers to become successful is remarkable. I learned so much reading your reviews. Given that almost 2 years of my editorship happened during a pandemic when all of us were challenged and stretched in ways we never imagined, yet you reviewed – awes me. I am a believer that many hands make light work, so if you have suggestions for reviewers or ERB members please send them to Mark; I make no promises, but I do know he will consider and review them. Welcome to the Winter Volume of the Special Issue on Covid-19, and Its Impact on Marketing Education. Due to the overwhelming response to the call the issue was split into two volumes (fall and winter). The winter volume the papers have several logical groupings. Our first group of four papers explores the different methods used to facilitate learning during the pandemic and the transition from one modality to others. Vander Schee and Birrittella offer insights into being more efficient online in managing students with less resources by employing group projects, peer grading, and group grading. The authors evaluated the peer grading and group grades against instructors’ grades in preCovid-19 and post-Covid-19 courses online. Results show no significance difference in grades. Additionally, students perceive the peer group grading as fair. Ackerman and Gross discuss using synchronous online discussion boards as the primary mode of instruction for an undergraduate marketing strategy course. The authors cite literature that shows online discussion boards have been shown to produce desired learning outcomes. The authors discuss the use of synchronous and asynchronous discussion boards and conclude with tips for success with use of synchronous discussion boards. Mitchell, Anderson, Laverie, and Hass were motivated by the abrupt change to online education to explore and learn from a students’ perspective what worked or did not work. Using a phronetic, iterative approach, 110 student reflections from three different marketing courses which transitioned online in the lockdown were analyzed. The data reveal the use of synchronous video-conference platforms enables studentcentered practices can increase social presence and enhance students’ motivation, engagement, and perceived learning. The authors developed a continuum between transactional distance and social presence where student-centered dimensions can be influenced by faculty practices. To assist faculty in increasing social presence in the online delivery of marketing education they developed a set of propositions. Milovic and Dingus focus on discussion boards as well but with a twist as they propose video-based discussions in addition to the traditional online format. Findings from two studies support that the video-based discussions enhance learning outcomes and foster a sense of classroom community. The authors believe digital discussion boards seem to replicate the benefits of the social interaction of a physical classroom. Milovic MARKETING EDUCATION REVIEW 2021, VOL. 31, NO. 4, 273–274 https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2021.2005750