Why is visual merchandising important for the success of a business? Brittany E. Mondrinos Instructional Media Design Project EDLT 538 Dr. Kozlozski

Learner Environment Junior and Senior level college students. Collaborate with classmates. Work with field experts.

Learning Context Students will choose a particular business; for example, Small Clothing Boutique, Big Box Retailer, Grocery Store, Corporate Retail Store etc. They will take photographs of the merchandising setup and analyze the pros and cons of how the product is displayed. Asking the question- Why is visual merchandising important for this business- they will collect data from the field and apply it to a real world scenario. Students will analyze the data they have collected and present it in the form of a Digital Story; 5-7 minutes to the class via a class wiki page.

Learning Experience Students will be involved in researching merchandising techniques that pertain their store. They will learn how to organize data and articulate solutions to current technique to improve sales. Students will learn first hand the process of making a digital story; each student is responsible for every step of the process.

Learning Model- Design Based Research Design based research- used to study learning environments which are designed and systematically changed by the researcher, Barab, p.153 This process allows the researcher to move beyond simply understanding the world as it is, and involves working to change it in useful ways with the broader goal of examining how these systematic changes influence learning and practice. (Barab & Squire, 2004) DBR involves more than simply reporting outcomes: offers insights about process, so that it can be taken up by others. (Barab, 154) Conducting DBR requires posing significant questions that can be investigated empirically; linking research to theory; providing a coherent and explicit chain of reasoning. (Shavelson, Phillips, Towne & Feuer, 2003)

Driving Questions? Why do stores need visual merchandising? How can I improve the visual presentation to increase profits? What merchandising techniques will I use to elevate the presentation?

Pedagogical Theories & Standards Driving Questions Pedagogical Principle Nets- SNets-T Bloom’s Taxonomy Why do stores need visual merchandising? Authentic Learning; investigations, case scenarios, field based, outside experts. Creativity & Collaboration; Communication & Collaboration Facilitate & Inspire Student Learning and Creativity Analysis How can I improve the visual presentation to increase profits? Collaborate to understand deep meanings; Learner Engagement Communication & Collaboration Design & develop Digital Age Learning Experiences Comprehension What merchandising techniques will elevate the presentation? Visual Thinking- use of graphic organizers & models; multiple intelligences. Creativity & Innovation; Technology Operation & Concepts. Promote & Model Digital Citizenship & Responsibility Application & Evaluation

Learning Goals Involve research based learning- students research the Industry’s profitable techniques to understand what type of merchandising works for different retailers. Incorporate critical thinking and decision making skills by analyzing a business and finding solutions. Communication & Collaborative learning- reach out to classmates and field experts. Understand how Movie Maker software works and the importance of a digital story to present information. Figure 1.1- ISTE Diagram Nets-Students

Technology Used /IM - for collaboration and feedback with the classmates and teacher. Digital/Video Camera Audacity or similar- to record script for digital story. Movie Maker to create the digital story. Post to class Wiki site- give feedback to classmates. Figure 1.2- Sample Movie Maker Screen Shot

Sample of Design Project Students will plan their story with the story board using the photos related to their specific store concept and merchandising theories.

Category4321 Point of View - Awareness of Audience 20/100 Strong awareness of audience in the design. Students can clearly explain why they felt the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience. Some awareness of audience in the design. Students can partially explain why they felt the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience Some awareness of audience in the design. Students find it difficult to explain how the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience. Limited awareness of the needs and interests of the target audience. Voice - Consistency 20/100 Voice quality is clear and consistently audible throughout the presentation. Voice quality is clear and consistently audible throughout the majority (85-95%) of the presentation. Voice quality is clear and consistently audible through some (70- 84%)of the presentation. Voice quality needs more attention. Images 20/100 Images create a distinct atmosphere or tone that matches different parts of the story. The images may communicate symbolism and/or metaphors. Images create an atmosphere or tone that matches some parts of the story. The images may communicate symbolism and/or metaphors. An attempt was made to use images to create an atmosphere/tone but it needed more work. Image choice is logical. Little or no attempt to use images to create an appropriate atmosphere/tone. Economy 20/100 The story is told with exactly the right amount of detail throughout. It does not seem too short nor does it seem too long. The story composition is typically good, though it seems to drag somewhat OR need slightly more detail in one or two sections. The story seems to need more editing. It is noticeably too long or too short in more than one section. The story needs extensive editing. It is too long or too short to be interesting. Point of View - Purpose 20/100 Establishes a purpose early on and maintains a clear focus throughout. Establishes a purpose early on and maintains focus for most of the presentation. There are a few lapses in focus, but the purpose is fairly clear. It is difficult to figure out the purpose of the presentation. Rubric designed by

References The Cambridge Handbook of The Learning Sciences; Edited by R. Keith Sawyer Pedagogical Principles; Instructional Media Matrix; Elizabeth L. Haslam, Ph.D. Figure 1.1 Net-S; Net-T ents/NETS_for_Students.htm ents/NETS_for_Students.htm Bloom’s Taxonomy- nology.com/worksheets/time_savers/bloom/ nology.com/worksheets/time_savers/bloom/