Infusing media analytics content into a communications curriculum: Partnering with athletics using experiential learning

Abstract

Abilities to interpret, analyze, and report data are in-demand job skills that many colleges and universities struggle to incorporate into the curriculum. The client-based project outlined in this study examines the experiential learning pedagogy used to teach students media analytics. This semester-long project encourages students to complete a collaborative client-based project, utilizing Google Analytics and Tableau to enhance the client’s website. Overall, students’ reactions were positive to this approach, as they were able to learn the basics of media analytics while solving real-world problems for the clients. Courses This project was conducted in a stand-alone course titled “Intro to Media Analytics.” However, this project would work well in any media analytics, social media analytics, or social/digital marketing course. This assignment could be adapted slightly to meet the needs of a public or strategic communications course where the focus on a public relations plan is needed. A student-run public relations agency could use this assignment to apply to client work related to increasing web and social media traffic. Objectives With this assignment, students (1) apply appropriate methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting media analytics data for understanding and engaging audiences; (2) engage in research and analysis to provide insights, problem-solving strategies, and decisions in strategic planning for a client; (3) gain a basic understanding of factual knowledge, methods, principles, generalizations, and theories in producing media content and for visualizing data derived through media analytics to clarify and present complex results; (4) evaluate the impact of business structure, competition, and positioning for accessing media usage in various media platforms, including social and mobile media; and (5) write clearly and effectively for reports that guide recommendations for a real-world client in order to develop competencies and points of view needed by professionals in the field most closely related to this course.