DEVELOPING STUDENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS WHILE ASSISTING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Transcription

1 INNOVATIVE ASSIGNMENT DEVELOPING STUDENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS WHILE ASSISTING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS H. Lon Addams Weber State University Denise Woodbury Southern Utah University Tony Allred Weber State University Joel Addams University of Utah BUSINESS WRITING INSTRUCTORS work diligently at raising the level of student writing performance in business communication classes. Some students, however, need additional motivation to apply writing concepts and perform to their highest level. Typically, business students are confronted with hypothetical writing situations, such as claim letters, sales letters, and case analysis reports, and they receive instruction in writing principles, such as tone, audience analysis, conciseness, and mechanics. Yet our experience has taught us that students want to see the tangible results of their writing, and one way to do that is to incorporate actual business situations into assignments. If nonprofit organizations are selected, they could benefit financially from well-crafted student-generated documents. The purpose of this article is to provide communication instructors with two persuasive writing assignments that use nonprofit clients as a vehicle. We have designed two assignments that we believe motivate students because of the impact they could have on these Authors Note: The authors acknowledge Weber State University student Todd Markham for his assistance with this article. Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 73, Number 3, September DOI: / by the Association for Business Communication 282

2 Addams et al. / Innovative Assignment 283 organizations and offer students opportunities to interact with business professionals in client-student relationships. CLIENT-BASED LEARNING Assignments specifically designed to interact with business professionals are often referred to in the literature as client-based learning (Parsons & Lepkowska-White, 2009). Client-based learning projects can include small or large businesses as well as nonprofit and forprofit organizations, and the amount of student contact with the client business can vary widely. Parsons and Lepkowska-White (2009) further emphasized that the process used to implement the project is just as important as the material that the project addresses (p. 154). The related literature on client-based learning generally indicates that students perceive client-based assignments to be more challenging, interesting, and valuable than traditional theory-based assignments. Client-based assignments benefit both faculty and the community, and they help students develop persuasive writing skills and provide student-to-business networking situations, resulting in career development and potential employment opportunities. Davis and Krapels (1999) advocated that higher education place more emphasis on helping students apply the knowledge they receive in the classroom. When educators act as liaisons between the classroom and the business world, students have an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in business situations. According to Davis and Krapels, the benefits to students include increased opportunities for problem solving, critical reasoning, and adaptability in diverse organizations skills required for successful business careers. In addition, assignments based on actual business situations help educators stay current on business practice, add innovation to teaching, and create a benchmark to validate principles taught in the classroom, thereby addressing Kastman Breuch s (2001) contention that all too often assignments do not teach students how to interact with actual businesses. She further reported that students have difficulty with interviewing, listening, and seeking clarification. Brumberger (2004) designed student team writing projects for corporations and found that the collaborative documents produced were high-quality work, especially when the audience was a real company. Providing

3 284 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / September 2010 projects for students involving the business community can help develop communication skills. The literature thus supports the premise that client-based learning has real value for students and companies. Kreth (2005) argued for the use of realistic assignments, suggesting that client-based pedagogy helps students understand how to respond effectively to real clients. Unlike case studies that require students to play roles in a fictionalized setting, actual client projects can provide meaningful experiences that bridge the classroom to the workplace. Kreth also provided a detailed summary of Blakeslee s (2001) research on how to assess the effectiveness of actual workplace assignments by using four criteria: Authenticity provides similarity of assignment to workplace Transition facilitates students transitioning to the workplace Response helps client, instructor, and student see the usefulness of the assignment Exposure gives students contact with the community (pp ) More recent research on classroom-workplace collaboration or clientbased learning provides additional insight. Smith Taylor (2006) suggested that writing expectations and priorities of the instructor and the client may differ, and this disparity can create uncertainty and frustration for students. However, clearly identifying expectations at the beginning of the project can lead to effective school-to-work transitions. Smith Taylor concluded that the client-based writing course simulates a workplace context with emphasis on working as a team, satisfying the client, and enacting manager-employee relations between faculty and students (p. 112), and an important goal of these classes is to help students begin the transition between school and workplace standards. Parsons and Lepkowska-White (2009) examined the benefits of client-based learning but also highlighted some of the disadvantages. Their research suggested that students can be overwhelmed by the ambiguity and time-consuming nature of client-based assignments. Despite these challenges, Parsons and Lepkowska-White s empirical investigation demonstrated that students perceive client-based assignments to be a valuable educational experience.

4 Addams et al. / Innovative Assignment 285 One subcategory of client-based learning is student collaboration with nonprofit organizations, including service learning. Turnley (2007) noted that service learning provides opportunities for students to gain real-world experience through work in community contexts. Turnley considered service learning to be a form of experiential learning in which students apply classroom learning to meet the needs of local nonprofit organizations. She further emphasized that working with nonprofit organizations allows students to learn social responsibility and the importance of community involvement while breaking down barriers between academics and communities. This kind of student-community collaboration can increase student understanding of the important role nonprofit organizations play in the economy and society. In sum, client-based assignments provide opportunities for student problem solving, critical reasoning, and experience in actual business settings and also help educators by connecting them with current business practices and fostering innovative teaching pedagogy. TWO SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS We designed two different persuasive writing assignments in which students assist nonprofit organizations. These assignments were used by business communication instructors in undergraduate business programs at two different universities. With both assignments, we found that students were motivated to perform well because they were given realistic assignments that made a difference both to them and to the organizations they were serving. A Persuasive Letter to Solicit Donations for Nonprofit Organizations In the first assignment, students wrote to a for-profit company to solicit resources for a nonprofit organization, according to the following instructions: Write a persuasive letter to a medium- or large-sized for-profit company to convince them to donate to a nonprofit organization. First, research a company to identify its history of donating to charities and the type of charity the company typically targets. Second, you must

5 286 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / September 2010 research a charitable organization to determine the amount of money for goods or services needed and why they need the donation. Third, you must assess aspects of the organization that would appeal to the for-profit company you selected. If you can provide documented evidence that your targeted company actually donated to the nonprofit organization, you will receive an additional 50 bonus points on this assignment. Evidence could include affidavits with signatures or receipts from the nonprofit organization. You (or your family members) cannot hold ownership in the organization selected. Students were inspired by being given the freedom to select both the donor (for-profit company) and the recipient (nonprofit organization). Upon approval of the instructor, the students contacted the potential donors. Student reactions to writing a persuasive letter were extremely positive, and they became passionate about assisting their chosen nonprofit organization. One well-conceived example of a submission for this assignment was written by a student who solicited goods for a women s shelter located in a large city. The director of the women s shelter emphasized the need for pillows and linens, which were always in short supply. The student realized that he had access to a potential donor a manufacturer of pillows and linens and wrote a persuasive letter to the manufacturer, resulting in a donation of pillows and linens worth $250. The student was pleased that he could help the women s shelter, and he also appreciated receiving bonus points for his assignment when he submitted the documentation to the instructor. Finally, he believed he had learned valuable persuasive writing skills. A second well-conceived example of a submission for this assignment was written by a student seeking assistance for a university snowboarding club, of which he was a member. This student, who appeared to be disinterested in the class until this assignment was introduced, contacted a prominent snowboarding clothing manufacturer and requested a clothing donation to the university s snowboarding club for its upcoming fund-raising auction. One week after writing his persuasive letter, he submitted documentation to the instructor verifying the donation of snowboarding equipment. Subsequent to this assignment, he became more engaged in the class, and his business writing ability grew considerably.

6 Addams et al. / Innovative Assignment 287 In a period of 2 years, 150 university students raised over $27,000 in cash, goods, or services. Several students wrote persuasive letters to their current employers to request donations for a nonprofit organization, which subsequently received thousands of dollars in donations. The recipients included local and national charities and spanned a variety of other nonprofit organizations, including a fine arts museum, a university, an HIV awareness organization, and local chapters of international organizations such as the Red Cross, Save the Children, and UNICEF. Several parties benefited from this assignment: The nonprofit entity, which received additional funds, products, or services and was therefore able to provide continued or expanded services The donor company, which may gain community visibility and, incidentally, a tax deduction The students, who improved their persuasive writing skills and gained the satisfaction of assisting a nonprofit organization During economic downturns, nonprofit organizations experience fewer outside donations. Thus, this type of assignment can be advantageous to nonprofit organizations by utilizing the writing expertise of students to solicit outside donations. A Persuasive Letter to University Alumni In the second assignment, each student was required to write a persuasive letter to business school alumni, soliciting donations to fund specific needs of the university s business school. The assignment instructions were as follows: Write a persuasive letter to school of business alumni soliciting donations. These donations will be used for scholarships, equipment, and other School of Business programs. The instructor convinced the dean of the business school to sponsor a writing contest that would identify the best solicitation letters to send to alumni. The dean agreed to fund scholarship checks of $50, $35, and $15 for the first-, second-, and third-place winners, and his intent was to use the winning letters in the school s upcoming capital campaign.

7 288 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / September 2010 Next, the dean spoke to the business communication class, expressing the needs of the business school: improved classroom technology, support for student clubs, student computer lab needs, and additional tutors. With the dean present, the instructor then explained the overall assignment, including the scholarship reward funds for the three best persuasive letters. The instructor spent the majority of the class period teaching the students how to use the A-B-C letterwriting technique: A Attract attention B Bullet benefits to reader C Close with action needed After listening to the writing instruction, the dean ended the class period by announcing that he just decided to increase the scholarship amounts to $500, $350, and $150. The students thus had an added monetary incentive to complete this assignment. The instructor and the dean jointly judged the letters. After reading the letters, the dean remarked, The quality of the writing exceeded my expectations. The dean personally awarded the scholarship checks to the three winners and also congratulated all students in the class for their effective writing and creativity. Clearly, the dean realized many benefits, including a stronger connection with current business students, well-written solicitation letters with fresh ideas for his capital campaign, and a greater realization of the importance of excellent business writing instruction. Given the budget shortfall during a slow economic time period, the dean was particularly grateful for assistance in soliciting donations from alumni. This writing assignment also sparked student interest in business communication. One of the contest winners expressed his newfound enthusiasm for writing: Assignments can become very monotonous. This persuasive writing assignment inspired me. Our dean planned to use the winning letters in his campaign to raise funds for the School of Business. I was motivated beyond just receiving a good grade. I was honored that the dean would trust his students to supply ideas for a letter to alumni. Prior to this assignment, I happened to read a solicitation letter from the

8 Addams et al. / Innovative Assignment 289 Huntsman Cancer Institute. The cause, cancer research, grabbed my attention. After I finished reading their letter, I felt like donating. When we received this assignment, I was excited to try to write a letter that could impact our School of Business. The realistic application helped me apply course concepts and skills better than just a typical writing assignment. CONCLUSION These two innovative assignments were very effective. Students were more motivated to write effective persuasive letters because they were given client-based assignments that made a difference to them. Writing to persuade businesses and to alumni to donate to nonprofit organizations was a win-win situation for all parties involved. In the first assignment, the students writing expertise was acknowledged through documented donations. The nonprofit organizations received much-needed donations, and the for-profit donor companies gained community visibility and a tax deduction. Students focused on the needs of their chosen nonprofit organizations, and their letters persuaded for-profit companies to donate money, goods, or services. In the process of refining this assignment, we emphasized documentation of the gift, which reinforced good business practices. In the second assignment, the students assisted their own school of business to gain funding for needed programs and to win a personal scholarship. The dean gained greater appreciation for the importance of written communication training and indicated to the class that he would be using parts of their letters in his upcoming capital campaign. Also, the business school alumni had an opportunity to reconnect with their alma mater, to have an impact on the school s future by donating to specific programs, and to feel ownership in the development of those programs. Furthermore, we found in the process of developing this assignment that the incentive of additional scholarship money motivated the students, and average grades on this assignment were higher than the average student grades for other letter-writing assignments during the semester. The client-based assignments we have described were successful for all stakeholders. Most importantly, students learned to write persuasively and to interact effectively with business professionals.

9 290 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / September 2010 References Blakeslee, A. M. (2001). Bridging the workplace and the academy: Teaching professional genres through classroom-workplace collaboration. Technical Communication Quarterly, 10(2), Brumberger, E. R. (2004). The corporate correspondence project. Business Communication Quarterly, 67(3), Davis, B. D., & Krapels, R. H. (1999). Applied communication consulting. Business Communication Quarterly, 62(3), Kastman Breuch, L. M. (2001). The overruled dust mite: Preparing technical communication students to interact with clients. Technical Communication Quarterly, 10(2), Kreth, M. L. (2005). A small-scale client project for business writing students. Business Communication Quarterly, 68(1), Parsons, A. L., & Lepkowska-White, E. (2009). Group projects using clients versus not using clients: Do students perceive any differences? Journal of Marketing Education, 31(2), Smith Taylor, S. (2006). Assessment in client-based technical writing classes: Evolution of teacher and client. Technical Communication Quarterly, 15(2), Turnley, M. (2007). Integrating critical approaches to technology and service-learning projects. Technical Communication Quarterly, 16(1), H. Lon Addams is a professor of management in the Business Administration Department at Weber State University. He is a Dee Smith Fellow in the Goddard School of Business & Economics. Address correspondence to Lon Addams, Business Administration Department, Goddard School of Business & Economics, Weber State University, Ogden, UT ; laddams@weber.edu. Denise Woodbury (deceased) was a professor of finance at Southern Utah University. She was a major contributor to this article. Unfortunately, she passed away recently from ill health at her home in Cedar City, Utah. Denise has published her work in a variety of journals regarding teaching methods, business communication, entrepreneurship, finance, and mathematics. She will be remembered for her many contributions to students, faculty, and administration at Southern Utah University, Weber State University, and Brigham Young University Hawaii. Beside her teaching expertise, she devoted much of her time to professional organizations. She was a journal editor, writer, presenter, and ambassador for the Allied Academies. Her contribution to SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) is legendary. She will be greatly missed by students, colleagues, community, family, and friends. Tony Allred is a professor of marketing in the Business Administration Department at Weber State University. He is a Dee Smith Fellow in the Goddard School of Business & Economics. Address correspondence to Tony Allred, Business Administration Department, Goddard School of Business & Economics, Weber State University, Ogden, UT ; aallred@weber.edu. Joel Addams has been an adjunct faculty in the Goddard School of Business & Economics at Weber State University, teaching managerial communications and a lecturer in the University of Utah s writing program, teaching business and professional writing. Address correspondence to Joel Addams; joel@joeladdams.com.

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