FUDIX - Future Digiexperts

The FUDIX project implemented during 2021 - 2023 renewed the teaching of digital marketing and provided students with even better skills for industry tasks. The project involved innovation and the creation of a new, inspiring digital marketing learning environment that meets the rapidly changing competency requirements of the field. The project was funded by the European Social Fund.

Digital marketing learning environment

The demand for digital marketing expertise is constantly growing. The problem with digital marketing education has been its overly theoretical nature. The FUDIX project developed a new type of digital marketing learning environment in collaboration with local companies. The learning environment demonstrates how theory and practice can be integrated from the beginning of studies.

Experiential learning is an integral part of students' everyday lives in the learning environment, alongside theoretical studies. The goal of the environment is to produce marketing professionals who closely match the needs of companies. The environment responds to the rapid changes in digital marketing by allowing the teaching content to be modified according to the needs.

In the future, companies will have an influence on the content of the education. The teacher's work will also be facilitated by the support from a network of digital marketing experts.

Initially, the FUDIX project identified the best teaching models in Finland and around the world, and then built a collaborative network consisting of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and digital marketing expert companies. In collaboration with them, the digital marketing learning environment, which serves as a foundation for the development of students' digital marketing and sales skills, while also providing experts for the use of SMEs in Central Finland, was created.

Some key points in the learning environment:

Focusing on Generation Z and understanding the overall picture of marketing
Practical teaching
In addition to theoretical and experiential learning, socio-cultural and self-regulatory knowledge are also part of the learning process
Teachers' role as mentors and curators
Collaboration with companies

The dozens of expert and SME companies involved in the ideation of the learning environment have a strong desire to collaborate closely in the context of the digital marketing learning environment.

SMEs employ students, provide practical assignments, real data, and internships for courses. Digital marketing expert companies, on the other hand, play an important role in bringing new and practical knowledge to education.

Below are described in more detail a few examples that companies have highlighted regarding collaboration in the learning environment.

Companies' wishes for the learning environment

In addition to internships, companies also hope for deeper and more diverse cooperation.
By bringing their expertise to the learning environment, companies can improve their employer image.
In order for the company personnel to commit to course activities in the long term, they need to know well in advance what courses are planned in educational institutions.
Companies expect active communication from teachers regarding courses and other ideas.
From the companies' perspective, collaboration with international students is an interesting opportunity.

The teaching contents emphasized by companies

Comprehensive marketing understanding is important when customers are mainly SMEs.
It is important to be able to articulate for SMEs how digital marketing can be utilized and where to start.
Strategic thinking, technological expertise, and operational implementation are needed.
Understanding the logic and principles of operating models and systems is important.
Important skills include presentation, communication, teamwork, and content creation.
Companies need generalists who can interpret data.
Studies should take into account artificial intelligence and continuous learning.

Examples of collaboration that companies can engage in

Various guest lectures and courses
- Topics such as the entirety of marketing
- Introductory lectures related to companies' online courses
- Online courses
Case exercises during courses: real cases where companies have a consultative role in finding solutions.
Experimentation with companies' software.
Various assignments given to students, such as exercises to be completed during the course.

The actions in the FUDIX project

Research and mapping of the best digital marketing teaching methods in Finland and in Europe.
Agile teaching experiments together with students, teachers, and business network partners.
Workshops and development together with business network partners and experts.
The concept of digital learning environment for digital marketing.

Additional information

The challenge is constantly evolving technology

Digital marketing is renewing at a fast pace, as do the requirements of occupational skills. The challenge of teaching digital marketing has been theory-based approach and the lack of suitable learning environments. The FUDIX project created a new concept of a digital marketing learning environment. The project helped students develop important professional digital marketing skills. The new type of teaching model and learning environment ensures that students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for modern digital marketing jobs.

A new kind of teaching model and learning environment ensures that students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for modern digital marketing jobs.

Multi-talents play at one goal

One of the most significant marketing challenges for companies is the more effective use of digital channels and high-quality content production. The goal of the project was to ensure that graduating students possess necessary digital marketing knowledge and practical skills. The digital marketer of the future is a tech-savvy multi-expert who understands the business and works closely with sales and customer care to enable growth. At best, digital marketing is a seamless interplay with sales, communications and customer service.

Experimenting and developing new teaching models

The FUDIX project started with a study that mapped digital marketing teaching methods both in Finland and in European countries. New types of teaching methods were tried out and piloted with students. To support teaching pilot experiments, the project brought together a network of experts from educational institutions and SMEs of the area. The result of the project was a new concept of a digital marketing learning environment, which, when implemented, will promote the professional digital marketing skills of students and employees already in working life.

FUDIX - Future Digiexperts

The FUDIX project was funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). The project started on March 1st, 2021 and lasted until the end of August 2023. The target groups were primarily business students, teachers from partner institutions and SMEs in the region, who participated in the development of teaching models and the learning environment concept in workshops and teaching experiments.