Office Hours With Dr. Sunčica Vuković, University of Montenegro

Sunčica Vuković is a Teaching Associate at the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, specializing in marketing, digital economy, and business informatics. In 2023, she earned her PhD and later received second prize at the 2025 Academy of Marketing/University of Strathclyde ceremony for one of the best doctoral dissertations in marketing.

Because her research and professional projects focus on AI, digital transformation, marketing analytics, and education, she understands the importance of hands-on instruction for students just entering the digital marketing world. And as the Head of the AI Center at the Faculty of Economics, which helps implement and encourage responsible use of AI in education, research, and business, she is an advocate for using simulations in the classroom to help give students the tools they need to navigate the increasing importance of AI in the roles they’ll take on after graduation.

We sat down with Dr. Vuković to discuss the five-week course she developed using Novela’s Search Marketing (Google Ads) Simulation and Social Media Advertising (Meta Ads) Simulation

How did you incorporate Novela into your course?

“I actually made the simulations the focus of a five-week course,’ Vuković tells Novela. “The group was relatively small, around 15 students, which made it easier to observe their engagement with the simulation and how their thinking evolved over time. The students were second-year undergraduate students with no prior experience or knowledge in digital marketing. They were graded on both their performance in each simulation and the reflection report that they completed after five weeks.”

How did you introduce the simulations to the class?

“We actually had Clark [Boyd, co-founder of Novela] come in and give a guest lecture. His guest lecture served as an introduction to both digital marketing, trends, and Novela. After Clark walked them through the simulations, students worked on them for the remaining four weeks. Apart from the introductory lecture, for each of the two challenges, we had a walkthrough first, and I would take the first few minutes of class to give them some information about the platform, specifics, and what to pay attention to while they played. 

Since this was a simulation-focused course, did you notice a difference in learning between simulation play and a more lecture-oriented approach?

“Hands-on experience and actually seeing what is working and what is not paying off in the campaign is priceless,”  Vuković says. “Platforms are tools, and strategy is a core skill. Students need something tangible to work with. I approached simulation-powered learning as a chance to provide context to the principles they’ve already learned. Students got an outlet to apply their strategic thinking, like setting objectives, interpreting the metrics, and targeting the specific clusters.  Adjusting their next steps based on the results and outcomes of the simulation helped them turn knowledge into action. Simulations and theory should be used as complementary parts of a digital marketing curriculum.”

Were students able to transfer their simulation skills beyond the course?

“Absolutely. Most of them reflected positively on the experience,” Vuković tells Novela. “What stood out even more was one particular student who really engaged with Novela, and based on his performance and the way he approached the tasks, I ended up awarding him the scholarship to a partner’s digital marketing course. He later decided to continue in that direction and pursue a master's degree in marketing. So, in that sense, Novela didn’t just support learning in the course; it actually influenced a career decision!” 

Now that you’ve taught a simulation-powered marketing course, would you recommend Novela to other educators?

“Huge recommendation! I’d tell other professors that Novela’s AI simulations aren’t an add-on. They’re actually a core learning activity that complements what they are already teaching. Students can apply concepts in a practical setting and make decisions in real time based on the outcomes.” 

How do you plan to use Novela’s simulations in future courses?

“I’m hoping to design a complete course with a more detailed background and more structure at the beginning of the semester to fully understand SEM and social media ads. Then we can apply that knowledge to the Novela challenges. I really think this is where it adds most value, to bridge the gap between understanding the concept and actually applying it.”

Dr. Vuković’s method goes beyond incorporating simulations into an existing syllabus. Instead, over the course of five weeks, students think like marketers. In those weeks, they discover firsthand how each decision affects the outcome of a campaign, just like they would in a real marketing role. But unlike real-world marketing roles, students can dare to fail in a controlled environment. By applying the marketing theory they’ve learned across different platforms and campaign types to learn which decisions work and which don’t, learners finish the course better prepared to succeed through the process of discovery.   

Whether you’re looking to incorporate Novela into an existing syllabus or hoping to design a course focused on the AI-powered future of digital marketing, Novela can help. Schedule a demo to discuss ways to customize Novela for your classroom.