Abstract:

This study is a continuation of the findings from an online hybrid distance learning research course developed by the Virtual Academy (VirtAC) in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) of the Volgenau School of Engineering (VSE) at George Mason University (GMU). The development and research is funded by a grant from Cisco Systems. An initial study (Islam, et al., 2015) compared the effectiveness of traditional and social media marketing strategies in launching the first online non-credit 24-week Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) course. Preliminary cost and conversion metrics from the first course supported the use of social media to market the course.

This second study analyzes the results of the marketing activities for the second offering of the course. It applies Robert Cialdini’s six tools of influence: reciprocation, liking, commitment and consistency, authenticity, social proof, and scarcity to the marketing activities including word of mouth, registration and retention. The six tools of influence are applied to the findings in retrospect and analyzed for future application.

This study also analyzes the growth in registration and retention in comparison to the first session. Using the data from responses to surveys administered to students at the beginning and end of the course, the study discusses the implication of word-of-mouth and the application of learning analytics in retaining students, growing the course’s enrollment and student satisfaction.

Keywords:

Marketing, Social Influence, Word-of-Mouth, Learning Analytics, Online Technical Courses.