Through their participation in an array of learning activities, students "co-produce" their education. At the same time, they also contribute directly to their own satisfaction, quality and value perceptions. How can students be encouraged to fulfil their coproduction roles more effectively? Services marketing researchers have long acknowledged the important participatory role of service customers and have also tested models of the antecedents and consequences of customer socialisation and participation in a range of service settings. Presents a new conceptual model of student socialisation and participation to be tested in the context of higher education.

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oThe answer to massification in higher education lies not in paper-behind-glass style e-learning. Such courses lack the necessary interaction to ensure success. There are perceived upper limits to where e-learning can be up scaled to accommodate large classes. The Community of Inquiry framework provides a convenient instrument to assess the quality of teaching in an online course. All three of teaching, social and cognitive presences should be at an acceptable level to maintain successful learning. We report on a super-sized class for post-graduate students who received instruction over a distance employing a learning management system and email for communication. By using available functionalities in innovative ways, the one full-time lecturer ensured student engagement. Participating in double-blind electronic peer review brought a deeper dimension of learning to the class and augmented the teaching, cognitive and social presences in the class.

OPSOMMINGDie doel van hierdie artikel is om die bevindinge van 'n empiriese ondersoek te rapporteer wat uitgevoer is om vroulike verbruikers se aankoopbesluite vir 'n kledingstuk te ontleed wat gebaseer is op die waarde wat hulle aan sekere eienskappe van die produk heg. Alhoewel menige studies in die verlede verbruikers se houdings jeens produkte en hul eienskappe gemeet het, is die moontlikheid van die effek van interaksie tussen die attribute oorgesien. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks het die literatuurstudie getoon dat daar 'n behoefte is aan 'n studie om te bepaal wat die waarde is wat vroulike verbruikers aan sekere produkeienskappe heg voordat aankoopbesluite gefinaliseer word.'n Vraelysopname is as primêre data-insamelingsmetode gebruik waartydens die respondente versoek is om aan te toon wat hul voorkeure is vir dertig gepaarde kombinasies van die produk en sy eienskappe. Hierdie studie het op vier eienskappe, naamlik handelsmerk, styl, kleinhandelaar en prys gefokus. Hipoteses is geformuleer en voorkeurkeuse-ontleding ("conjoint analysis") is vir die ontleding van data gebruik. Die bevindinge toon aan dat daar beduidende verskille is in die waardes wat vroulike verbruikers heg aan die eienskappe van 'n kledingstuk voordat aankoopbesluite geneem word.-Prof E North

A steady stream of research over the past few decades has focused on store and shopping mall patronage and consumers' associated enjoyment of the shopping experience. Based on previous research, the sources of shopping enjoyment were identified as shopping to socialize, shopping for bargains, shopping for gratification, shopping for entertainment, shopping for others, shopping to browse, shopping for exercise and shopping for sensory stimulation. The objective of this study was to investigate gender differences in the sources of shopping enjoyment. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires distributed at a large metropolitan shopping centre in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria. The findings indicate significant gender differences on all the sources of shopping enjoyment except 'shopping for entertainment'. This study contributes to the current literature and provides valuable information to South African retailers, specifically with regard to marketing and promotional strategies aimed at male and female shoppers separately. Suggestions for future research are offered.

Little research has been carried out with regard to marketing to functionally illiterate consumers, despite the size and purchasing power of this market segment. This qualitative study examined the decision-making processes and coping mechanisms of functionally illiterate consumers in the South African grocery shopping environment. The findings provide insights that have important theoretical and practical implications for marketers, retailers, and policy makers. For functionally illiterate consumers, the information-search stage of the consumer decision-making process is either nonexistent or limited to a few trusted sources, such as friends and family, which often occurs only after a purchase has been made. Furthermore, these consumers face difficulties in a grocery store environment but have developed several coping mechanisms to compensate for their limited literacy skills.