Updating Negotiation Teaching Through the Use of Multimedia Tools

Abstract

This paper shows how a relevant use of multimedia may help improve negotiation teaching, especially to better bridge the gaps between theory and practice, simulation and reality, and to deal with multiple perspectives which are needed, for example, in cross-cultural negotiations. The proposed approach calls for the use of different multimedia tools according to various pedagogical needs that are identified. In order to justify the use of multimedia, some of the limits of usual teaching approaches are presented. It is important to expose needs that are not met by the usual methods and how multimedia tools can fill this gap. In the first part of the paper, the teaching methods of doing, showing and telling are exposed. Simulations, discussions, and theory summaries are discussed. Some pitfalls of these methods are expounded. They call for complementary teaching methods, using, for example, the potential of multimedia innovation. In the second part, four cases pertaining to the use of multimedia tools are presented and some possible advantages are illustrated.