We started a discussion last week for those who are involved in market research, for new and projected awards and modules. We encouraged members to share their experiences and concerns on the subject. Some Members did not reply to the discussion because they had other commitments so we decided to take a more personal approach by visiting them (colleagues that we know) or contacting them informally by phone or email and surprisingly we received great feedback, members preferred to talk about their experiences rather than writing them down into the community site.
Based on the feedback we received, it was interesting to know that award leaders/tutors conduct their own researching methods for the new awards (e.g. networking with colleagues from other institutions, attending workshops and conferences, visiting the employers and gathering students’ opinions). Most of them agreed that a well- thought out market research programme on any planned award or module is very important in order to recognise the need for it in industry.
Issues
Replication - not all of them followed a thorough research programme, some just researched briefly this stage of the validation process, relying on other institutions’ research and replicating awards running in other universities which were unsuitable for us. As a result of this, some awards did not run in the university because of insufficient numbers of enrollers.
Time-consuming - market research can be a very lengthy process which may not be acceptable to employers who are expecting the research to be undertaken quickly.
Support – some award leaders/tutors required more support from the university in terms of the resources (time, expenses, more guidance) to enable them to make proper research.
