Bridging the Gap from Classroom-based Learning to Experiential Professional Learning: A Hong Kong Case (original) (raw)
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2016
This paper describes and evaluates a funded longitudinal teaching development project that aims to bridge the gap from classroom-based theory learning to experiential professional learning, and thereby prepare ideal and competent world class graduates. To align with the University's shared mission to foster links with the business community, the design of the internship program has a threefold purpose and was implemented in stages. It intends to enhance students' professional awareness-knowledge-skills through a multi-leveled approach integrating classroom learning with professional practice. A debriefing mechanism was also built in enabling students to share their learning and professional challenges, and theory application to problem-solving scenarios. A 360 degree multiple evaluation procedure were used to measure the project effectiveness, including the use of industry consultants, student interns, hosts, and academic supervisors. The project has proved to promote closer...
Communication Teacher, 2024
In this senior capstone course, students participate in a semester-long project to observe an organization while applying communication theories and concepts that they have learned throughout their time in the program. After observing the organization and conducting informal interviews with some of its members, students identify a communication-related challenge facing the organization and recommend practical solutions that the organization could implement to improve their communication effectiveness. In the final paper and presentation, students describe conclusions and recommendations for improving the organization’s communication processes, policies, procedures, and/or plans. This capstone project is effective in teaching communication principles because of the immersive impact on the learning process.
A topic of interest in teaching business courses is incorporating the practical aspect of the subject matter into teaching as this helps to bridge theory and real-world practice. Research indicates that students gain a deeper understanding of material when theory is contextualized through reallife practical examples. However, given the traditional career-path of academics in finance in countries such as South Africa, a significant proportion of finance lecturers have little or no relevant practical experience in the subject matter. In this paper, we discuss a strategy implemented in finance courses at sophomore and senior levels in order to link theory and practice. Guest speakers were invited from industry to contextualize the topics for the students. Students' perceptions on the benefit they derived from the speakers were deduced from statistical analyses of student evaluations. The results indicate that the experience was positive and aided in their understanding of the subject.
Business Communication Research and Practice, 2019
Are business schools adequately preparing graduates to be ready for the interactions that they will face in the professional world? Some studies and research have found that they are not and that graduates lack in these communication skills. For instructors who teach business classes in higher education, this becomes a challenge if the state quo class style is based on the lecture and exam model of learning. However, there are other methods of instruction that can be easily used instead of or as a supplement to current course designs. These alternatives not only assist in aiding learners with higher scores but are a safe way to practice communicating professionally by using critical and reflective thinking while still in school and receiving feedback on it, i.e., before it can negatively affect a company’s bottom line. This communication paper is a statement about the need for research and learner-based approaches to higher education course building. It also briefly outlines the technique called “jigsaw” as one technique to illustrate a way to implement active and research-based classroom goals.
Kentucky Journal of Communication, 2024
Numerous institutions encourage and implement service-learning and experiential learning to expose their students to professional, real experiences in their field. However, few extend this application to large, introductory courses. This study examined students’ perceived knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) gained in a large, introductory communication course when engaging in an experiential learning project. Students participating developed a social media campaign that addressed a professional client’s social media needs. This work used a survey with a scale and open- ended questions to detail the wide range of KSAs gained and extends understanding for experiential learning outcomes for students and faculty. Results support the extension of service-learning and experiential learning in introductory communication courses and their ability to prepare students for future communication careers.
Improving students' professional communication skills through an integrated learning system
2013
Communication is the essence of interpersonal relations. The outcomes of all the activities we carry out depend on how we communicate, and in spite of the fact that it is essential that we prove our communication skills, we are poorer and poorer at doing so. Our study aims at revealing whether and to what extent young graduates of Romanian universities are aware of the importance of acquiring, practising and improving their communication skills, the more so that such abilities are decisive when it comes to achieving success in one's career. Our study was conducted between 2-13 May, 2019 on the basis of an online questionnaire. The research methodology used in order to achieve the objectives formulated in the study consists in quantitative research, by means of a survey supported via an online questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected by means of the questionnaire was done using techniques such as: frequency of occurence of the answers to the questions addressed to the participants in the study, multiple response analysis and, where appropriate, in order to enhance the interpretation of the results, the calculation of the interquartiles applied to the questions quoted on a 10 point Likert-type scale. The 195 answers received were validated, analysed and processed econometrically using the SPSS for Windows and ANOVA applications. On the one hand, We have noticed that universities do not ensure minimum training to the future graduates with respect to the acquisition and development of communication and negotiation skills. For this matter we intend to extend the study in the near future, to see if this is the result of a lack of concern/interest on the part of the universities and/or on the part of future graduates. At the same time, we have found that the future university graduates are not stimulated to become aware of the importance of developing their communication and negotiation skills or to actively participate in various forms of scientific interaction such as national or international scientific sessions, round tables, meetings with outstanding representatives of the business environment, etc. Obviously, we are aware of the limitations of our study. Thus, we consider that its addressability was rather restricted. The group of respondents included very young graduates of economic higher education institutions. On the other hand, the respondents were not previously selected, so that there is the risk that the points of view expressed would be based not only on experience, but on intuition. Extending the respondent base (both in terms of age/expertise and field of activity) is also and important point for future action. Finally, we have formulated several proposals meant to contribute, in our opinion, to giving more importance to the training and development of business communication and negotiation abilities as a prerequisite of career success.
Testing ERE Cycle in Teaching Business Communication Courses: Experiential Learning Strategies, 2019
Effective communication skills demonstrate the capacity and efficacy of any business graduate; however, the business industries have continuously raised their concerns on the lack of effective business communication (BC) skills, to serve the requirements of rapidly growing communication within and outside the organizations. Among many factors, teaching methods at higher education have been identified as a major factor that does not allow working skills to be developed. Scholars and researchers have tried to explore and test Experiential Learning (EL) techniques in teaching different courses of business administration programs. EL theory presents a playfield where learners can learn the best by doing (Kolb, 1984). Although business education around the world has already inculcated EL strategies into its system, in Pakistan EL theory is at its initial stage. In this regard, the researcher developed an ERE cycle which was based on Kolb's (1984) EL theory and tested its impact on the grades of the students of oral and written communication skills. The study was conducted using one sample t-test in the paradigm of quantitative research. Three classes of BBA and MBA from oral and written communication courses were selected for this study. This research compared mean scores of these classes with the population mean over the last three years. The results showed a significant positive difference between the sample mean scores and population mean. The study proved that EL based ERE cycle could prove very effective in the enhancement of the skills of business communication students that were reflected in their performance in exams. The study aimed to provide communication faculty, trainers and institutes the opportunity to explore and utilize the effectiveness of the ERE cycle and perform further researches to extend the utilities of EL based teaching methods.
Business discourse views language as contextually situated social action constructed by its social actors and aims to understand how people communicate strategically in an organizational context. This paper presents insights and experiences of teaching Business English Communication to undergraduates in a well-known University College in Malaysia. It aims to share scholarly views, effective strategies and practical methods that can be incorporated in any Business English Communication classroom. In this paper, the methodology of teaching ESP for business is reviewed with special emphasis on the usage of authentic materials, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for teaching and learning, and continuous assessment. The learners need to get involved in learning activities in the classroom in order to enhance their abilities to communicate effectively in the business world.