Instructor and Student Perceptions of What is Learned by Writing the Business Report

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to identify the short- and long-term impact of business communication education on students’ skill developments and performance outcomes. Nearly 400 students at an AACSC International–accredited business college participated in the study during their sophomore and senior years. The findings indicate that the business communication course helped students develop good skills in writing reports, solving problems, working in teams, communicating orally, and using Internet technologies for both the short term (sophomore year) and the long term (senior year). More than 95% of the students reported achieving As and Bs on written assignments, company-analysis reports, problem-solving assignments, and oral presentations in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. However, the long-term effect was statistically less significant than was the short-term effect, although both were within the same positive range.

Section: Summary and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

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confidence: 99%

The Impact of Business Communication Education on Students’ Short- and Long-Term Performances

Zhao

Alexander

2004

“…Communication is a critical component of business education (Arnett, McKendree, Fritz, & Roberts, 2008;Hiemstra, 2001;Russ, 2009;Zhao & Alexander, 2004). Research suggests that proficiency in written and oral communication is a necessity for an undergraduate business degree (Knight, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking Across the Divide: Analyzing Cross-Disciplinary Approaches for Teaching Business Communication

Laster

Russ

2010

This study elucidates pedagogical differences and similarities between the ways in which instructors from business and communication disciplines teach the introductory business communication course. During the spring of 2008, the authors surveyed 444 instructors teaching this course at colleges and universities across the United States. Their findings highlight several cross-disciplinary commonalities and disparities. The article discusses potential implications for the complementary and contradictory instructional approaches and call for more cross-disciplinary uniformity in contemporary business communication education.

“…communication courses (e.g., Grant, 2004;McPherson, 1998;Reinsch & Shelby, 1997;Rubin, 1996;Vogt, Atwong, & Fuller, 2005). What are the fundamental concepts that students must grasp to succeed in not only the class but the world (including Hiemstra, 2001;Netzley, 1999;Sensenbaugh, 1993;Wardrope & Bayless, 1999)? What concepts are the most troublesome for students to grasp, concepts that if not understood hold students back from greater learning in the course?…”

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confidence: 99%

Exploring Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Approaches to Business Communication Research

Pope-Ruark

2012

With our core focus on teaching and scholarship, business communication teacher-scholars are well placed to become leaders in the international Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) movement. In this article, SoTL is defined and contextualized, three SoTL research approaches are introduced, and disciplinary research projects are suggested. A SoTL research agenda in business communication can improve our teaching practices, our students’ learning, and our disciplinary knowledge in very compelling ways.