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The landscape of student tolerance for ambiguity and engagement, both in and out of the classroom, has changed markedly in recently years. Technology is simultaneously redefining the boundaries of learning and eroding tried and true pedagogical structures. Signs of change were present prior to recent global upheaval. However, against the backdrop of the pandemic, students connected with others online and consumed media in new and different ways that have arguably emboldened a do-it-yourself attitude toward learning. The authors argue that this learning breakdown, exacerbated by loosened course structures (if not standards), is rooted in psychological ownership. Empowerment theory is employed to conceptualize, and subsequently deploy, a choose-your-own-adventure marketing course format to guide students toward achieving a sense of control. Quantitative and qualitative feedback suggest that this approach may substantively enhance both perceived quality of instruction and rigor, while shifting a greater number of attributions for poor performance onto the student.

Higher education has and continues to be sharply disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, our focus is on the pandemic's impact on higher education, specifically on undergraduate marketing students' perceptions of learning experiences "during" the switch from traditional face-to-face learning to online approaches. Understanding student perspectives on which specific aspects of their learning experience were satisfying or dissatisfying offers faculty valuable insight as to how to navigate this (for many) new teaching environment and enhance student experiences and outcomes. Collecting data during spring semester 2020 offers a unique view from students as universities abruptly pivoted from previously face-to-face instruction to online learning. The Critical Incidents Technique was used to capture the voice and perceptions of marketing students. Results are reported and aligned with teaching strategies for faculty to utilize in this new (for many) learning environment, as well as future learning/teaching shifts necessitated by other disruptions in higher education.

As educators we strive to facilitate knowledge and ways of learning that serve students throughout their lives, but we also recognize their sometimes short retention span. The innovation we present in this article consists of the use of digital storytelling as a conduit for students to construct a narrative of their experience in a marketing simulation throughout the semester. We explain the innovation's implementation as well as the results observed throughout the years in the digital stories developed by students. Finally, we discuss further applications of this innovation in other courses and future research avenues.