Considers some ways that past research equips educators to tackle research challenges they are now facing. Suggests two challenges for consideration, convergence and commonality. Notes that convergence and commonality challenge educators to let go of the search for disciplinary identity, to stop seeking uniformity in methods, and to use diversity…

Presents a project where educators assign a joint class project to students at the University of Northern Carolina at Greensboro, at Indiana University, and at Fachhochschule Rheinland-Pfalz in Worms, Germany. Discusses how team members use the Internet to participate in electronic meetings leading to a group consensus. Encourages readers to…

Explores why researchers have been drawn to genre-based research. Notes that this approach to studying professional communication offers a way of understanding the role of texts in the social ordering of communication in organizations by drawing attention to patterns of repetition and variation in the habits of workplace professionals. (SC)

Notes that one way to expose students to the problems associated with profanity is to tie the exploration and discussion of the issue to the persuasive writing assignment that is common in many undergraduate business communication courses. Presents a discussion of such an assignment. (SG)

Shares some surprising results from a business communication program's recent experiment in using a large lecture format to teach an upper-division business communication course: approximately 90-95% of the students liked the large lecture format, and the quality of their communication deliverables was as good as that produced by students who took…

Explains how to use checklists as a tool for developing, implementing, and evaluating business writing assignments. Gives an example of their use with memoranda, short reports, and analytical field reports. (SK)

This study aims to verify the effectiveness of English language materials using mobile devices for business people in terms of the effect on motivation, overall learning performance, and practical performance in real business situations. We compared the use of materials developed from business English for a sales department in a company…

Use of eportfolios for business communication students in an advanced two-quarter capstone brought an unexpected networking opportunity, in addition to their conventional use as a showcase for student writing and research. This article discusses how students developed their eportfolios. Then, through use of a course website providing an optional…

In assessing the application of social media on the teaching of business communication, this article looks at MBA student use of blogs, online photo database contributions, and video contributions to YouTube channels. These assignments were part of their course activities, which included a 2-week study tour in China. The article looks at these…

Describes a business communication instruction method which integrates business research techniques and communication skills. Offers theoretical justification for such integration and discusses the premises and benefits of a course based on the integration. Describes the course in detail and evaluates its strengths and weaknesses. (SG)

Word processing, a systematic approach to office work, is currently based on the use of sophisticated dictating and typing machines. The word processing market is rapidly increasing with the paper explosion brought on by such factors as increasing governmental regulation, Internal Revenue Service requirements, and the need for stockholders to be…

An example of an on-line printout from the Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service (DJNR) is given accompanied by a brief discussion of how to use the service, description of how one library uses it, and some of its constraints. (JPF)

Suggests various ways of integrating intercultural communication and report writing in business communication courses by having students interview a foreign student, research his or her home country, and report the results to the class. (RAE)

Graduate business students wrote one-page reports one week and presented similar reports orally the next. The errors and needed improvements were quantified, and it was found that a significantly greater number of vague and incorrect usages appeared in the oral presentations. (JOW)

Explains the costs, uses, and options of desktop publishing for the business communications community. (MS)