Institutions of higher education continue to invest in instructional technology for technology-mediated learning (TML) such as online courses. DuFrene et al. realized little research had been conducted on the impact TML has on student learning. Their study investigates the relationship of students’ learning styles to the use of TML in business communication as well as the students’ perceived learning success when using TML. They find that variations in learning styles are often amplified in TML environments and discuss ways for instructors to mediate these variations through student self-assessment at the beginning of the course as well as other strategies.

How do you reassure a public about the financial system when they not long ago witnessed the collapse of Enron and WorldCom and are now living through the meltdown of the global economy? Sharifi et al. speculate that the education system for the public accounting profession may be blamed for some of the troubles that led to these scandals. They suggest that a competency-based communication course utilizing academic service learning (ASL) might address the need for improved communication skills essential to the corporate environment. The authors outline course objectives including communication, ASL, and assessment, and include a representative assignment.

“What kind of writing instruction do students need that they have not already received in their undergraduate classes?”

“What makes an advanced writing class advanced?”

Christine Seifert asked herself these questions after being assigned a graduate-level business writing course and finding herself unsure of the best approach to take. Seifert determines that assignments must move beyond faculty or clients telling students problems that need to be solved. She identifies the need for graduate students to become skilled at identifying problems based on their observations of a client. She then details a semester-long assignment sequence for a communication course focused on developing problem-solving skills. These skills include (among others) independently finding, researching, evaluating, and formulating solutions to client communication problems with the goal of helping students to become effective problem-solvers.