Assessing the Pedagogical Value of Branded Digital Marketing Certification Programs

Abstract

Preparing students for careers in digital marketing requires marketing educators to design and deliver courses with relevant and timely content and learning activities that facilitate knowledge comprehension and skill acquisition. Marketing educators may incorporate online training and certification programs on digital marketing in their courses to address this challenge. Branded digital marketing certifications are one type of such training. While these programs provide affordable (and often free) educational materials on digital marketing topics, their pedagogical soundness and value is largely unexplored. This article describes the findings of a research study which assessed the pedagogical value of and implementation considerations relevant to marketing educators who wish to incorporate branded digital marketing certification programs into their course designs.