Designing an online business communication course in English by responding to student needs through an evidence-based approach

Prithvi N Shrestha

doi:10.1515/jccall-2021-2003

Abstract

Abstract Communication skills are essential for the employability and academic success of business graduates. These skills are either embedded in undergraduate business management courses or taught in a separate course. Designing an English communication course for business management students is reported widely in the literature. However, research on such courses for distance education is scarce despite their increasing demand for distance courses due to an increasing globalisation of higher education and workplaces. This paper reports on the evidence-based design of an award-winning online business communication course in English which responded to changing needs of distance business management students at The Open University, UK. It draws on student needs analysis data (student surveys, online forum posts, industry skills survey reports and a content analysis of business management courses and assignments) and course evaluation surveys to investigate how the online course addressed student needs in terms of course content, teaching and learning and assessment. It argues that student needs analysis is paramount for any new course design and online delivery because the success of a course relies on meeting student needs. The paper has implications for business communication course design and business communication teachers.

Highlights

Communication skills are one of the key attributes required of employees in any workplace
This paper reports on the evidence-based design of an award-winning online business communication course in English which responded to changing needs of distance business management students at The Open University, UK
Understanding student needs for the course material format or structure is key to the course’s success. Keeping all this in view, this paper reports on a successful design of an online business communication course in English (BCCE) at the Open University (OU), UK to meet student needs through an evidence-based approach which draws on multiple sources of needs analysis data

Summary

Introduction

Communication skills are one of the key attributes required of employees in any workplace. This paper is concerned with needs of distance education students at The Open University (OU), UK and it is important to explain the nature of these students They are considerably different from those in other universities for a number of reasons: they are almost all part-time students and most of them may be in fulltime employment; students are isolated and dispersed across the country and globally rather than being in a campus. As distance learning students tend to be already in employment, they will have deeper insights into workplace realities and demands Understanding their needs compared to traditional university students provides richer data to a needs analysis. Keeping all this in view, this paper reports on a successful design of an online business communication course in English (BCCE) at the OU, UK to meet student needs through an evidence-based approach which draws on multiple sources of needs analysis data

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Discussion

Conclusion