Transforming Social Media Marketing Education Through Competency-Based Learning: Integrating the 5E Framework for Enhanced Student Outcomes

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-608-1_18How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Competency-Based Learning; 5E instructional model; social media marketing education; authentic assessment; digital skills gap; marketing pedagogy

Abstract

Traditional lecture-and-exam approaches in social media marketing education fail to develop the practical, rapidly evolving competencies demanded by industry. This study explores the integration of Competency-Based Learning (CBL) with the 5E instructional model (Engage–Explore–Explain–Elaborate–Evaluate) to produce “day-one-ready” graduates. Using a multimethod qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight marketing faculty members, analyzed course documents (syllabi, rubrics, assignment briefs), and performed structured classroom observations across three undergraduate social media marketing courses.

Findings reveal that the CBL-5E approach shifts the instructor role from “sage on the stage” to facilitator, replaces high-stakes exams with continuous authentic assessment (live client projects, real-time analytics challenges, crisis simulations), and significantly enhances student mastery of content creation, platform analytics, strategic planning, and reputation management. Students receive ongoing formative feedback through peer critiques and digital tools (Nearpod, Canva, Meta Business Suite), fostering both technical and soft skills. The study provides a replicable pedagogical framework and practical toolkit for marketing educators seeking to close the widely acknowledged academia–industry digital skills gap.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ashavaree Das
AU  - Shreesha Mairaru
AU  - Sanjay Kumar Tyagi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/10
TI  - Transforming Social Media Marketing Education Through Competency-Based Learning: Integrating the 5E Framework for Enhanced Student Outcomes
BT  - Proceedings of the 12th AIM-AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium & International Marketing Conference 2025 (IMCDC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 299
EP  - 307
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-608-1_18
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-608-1_18
ID  - Das2026
ER  -