Teaching Communication Students
How to Consult
Aaron CannistraciGonzaga UniversitySeptember 21, 2010
Introduction Being a teacher, the
aspect of consulting and training I find most interesting is teaching the subject.
The Problem Hines & Basso (2008)
posit that young professionals have been graduating without the skills to be effective and entering the workforce only to disappoint their superiors.
The Solution The communication
professor must work to instill specific skills into their student in order to prepare them for the workforce.
Be Concise “All three
academics/consultants I interviewed emphasized the importance of conciseness (specifically, using bulleted lists) in business writing”
(Dave, 2009, pg 2)
Listen
“Two of the academics/consultants I interviewed gleaned important insights by simply listening to their clients”
(Dave, 2009, pg 3)
Consider Their Audience Communication graduates need to think about
how to craft their message to fit their business audience
MATRF “Clemson University’s Multimedia Authoring,
Teaching, and Research Facility (MATRF), which operates as an academic consultancy service that matches students with industry projects on a for-fee basis” Gives students the ability to put something other
than their degree on their resume. Potentially a chance to develop a relationship
with a future employer.
UNT’S classroom project model Brings client’s projects into the classroom to
be worked on throughout the semester Offers a realistic workplace experience Safer environment because all of the problem
solving takes place in the classroom
Service Learning
“Both [business communication] teaching and research may gain from a greater engagement with business academics/consultants”
(Dave, 2009, pg 4).
Consulting as Teaching
“The consultant is not only researcher and communicator, but also, and perhaps more important, teacher” (Dallimore, 2002, pg 8)
References Cooke, L., & Williams, S. (2004). TWO APPROACHES TO USING CLIENT PROJECTS
IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM. Business Communication Quarterly, 67(2), 139- 152.
Curtis, D., & Cox, E. (1989). MARKETING THE COMMUNICATION TRAINING COURSE ON AND OFF CAMPUS. Association for Communication Administration Bulletin, (69), 39-55.
Dallimore, E., & Souza, T. (2002). Consulting Course Design: Theoretical Frameworks and Pedagogical Strategies. Business Communication Quarterly, 65(4), 86-113.
Dave, A. (2009). CONSULTING BY BUSINESS COLLEGE ACADEMICS: LESSONS FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION COURSES. Business Communication Quarterly, 72(3), 329-333.
Hines, R., & Basso, J. (2008). Do Communication Students Have the "Write Stuff"?: Practitioners Evaluate Writing Skills of Entry-Level Workers. Journal of Promotion Management, 14(3/4), 293-307.
Lattimore, D., Baskin, O., Heiman, S. T., & Toth, E. L. (2007). Public relations: The profession and the practice. New York: McGraw-Hill.
McEachern, R.W. (2001). Problems in service learning and technical/professional writing: Incorporating the perspective on nonprofit management. Technical
Communication Quarterly, 10(2), 211-225.
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