Shadow Days: An Experiential Approach for Introductory Classes

Much of the teaching in introductory courses is limited to textbook lectures, field trips, case studies, guest speakers, and library projects. The author describes an exercise called "shadow days" and presents seven key decision areas to be addressed in developing such a program. Implementation of the exercise in an introductory apparel merchandising course is described as an illustration. Through the "shadow days" program, students were exposed to various aspects of retail merchandising in action. Their responses indicated that shadow days should become a part of the content of introductory courses.