Teaching Professional Use of Social Media Through a Service-Learning Business Communication Project

Abstract

Using social media communication (SMC) for personal and professional use represents two different skill sets. Though students often use SMC on a personal basis for fun and connecting with friends, they often fail to understand how SMC can be used effectively as a professional organizational/corporate communication tool. A service-learning project was conceptualized in a business and professional communication (BPC) course, where students ( n = 93) used professional SMC skills to design social media campaigns for fulfilling nongovernmental organizations’ needs of manpower, material, and/or money. Students’ attitudes and efficacy toward SMC were recorded using a survey questionnaire. The need and obstacles in including SMC in BPC are also discussed in the article.

Making Meaningful Connections and Learning Workplace-Like Business Writing Through LinkedIn and Blogging

“…This methodology is used to develop, improve, or change a process. In an educational setting, researchers and instructors use action research to develop, improve, or change teaching-learningassessing processes (Plant & Slippers, 2015;Sharma 2021Sharma , 2022. This research used action research methodology to develop and improve an innovative business writing assessment tool that creates an authentic role and a real purpose, and facilitates an actual readership of the student writing with the help of Web 2.0 tools and platforms like blogging and LinkedIn.…”

“…In this context, both researchers and industry experts call for a better mechanism that teaches and assesses BPC and writing skills in a context-specific and applied manner with a focus on the effectiveness of the communication along with the style and mechanics of communication. Several innovative tools and mechanisms, such as service-learning (Sharma, 2021, 2022), client-based projects (Dauletova, 2014, 2015), multimedia cases (Arduser, 2016; Lind, 2020), simulations (Drury-Grogan & Russ, 2013; Ismail & Sabapathy, 2016), have been used by BPC faculty and researchers to fill the gap between industry’s expectations and academic practices and create authentic learning experiences.…”

“…Since the inception of electronic communication tools like emails to the advent of Web 2.0based tools and platforms like social networking sites, the macro environment of the businesses and the way they communicate are changing. The BPC area has also evolved simultaneously (Sharma, 2022). Repeatedly, the leading BPC research journals call for theoretical and applied research that infuse new-age technologies and tools in BPC research (Knight 2021a(Knight , 2021b.…”

Developing Self-Efficacy in Public Speaking Using Video and Digital Oratory on YouTube

“…Their findings suggest that the higher use of digital communication tools in the personal space does not automatically lead to digital intelligence and awareness in the professional context (Melton & Hicks, 2011;Rheingold, 2008;Vie 2015Vie , 2017. Sharma (2022c) in his research also highlighted that students act more as consumers of digital communication tools and platforms and less as content creators. They use social media more for fun and connecting with friends in their personal context, whereas in the professional context they are expected to engage and persuade internal or external stakeholders (Sharma, 2022b).…”

“…The National Association of Colleges and Employers (2020, January 13) also stated that BPC skills now include digital literacy, professional use of social media, and online synchronous and asynchronous presentations skills as the skills desired by employers. Management students, managers, faculty, and scholars also put considerable importance on digital communication skills (Frisby, 2017;Lind, 2012;Sharma, 2022aSharma, , 2022b2022c). In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where remote work is encouraged, digital communication skills have become even more important (Edwards, 2021;Sharma, 2021b).…”