International Journal of Education and Development using ICT

International Journal of Education and Development using ICT > Vol. 15, No. 3 (2019)

Teaching Public Speaking to Business Students in the Digital Age: Updating our Methods

Colleen Carraher Wolverton, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
John Tanner, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Abstract
Few would disagree that public speaking is an important skill for business graduates and is critical for career success. With an increasing number of online courses in addition to organizations expanding the use of technology to facilitate communication, we posit that students should focus on learning public speaking skills in a digital setting. In this article, the authors propose the use of synchronous online discussions to develop the important skill of effective online professional communication and ameliorate students’ fear of digital public speaking. We present the results of a survey of MBA and undergraduate students that indicate the importance of online learning and a desire to learn more about how to effectively conduct a business presentation at an online setting. We then present an explanation of how instructors can incorporate synchronous online discussions into a course. Moreover, findings from a qualitative survey of MBA students are presented, for the purpose of demonstrating how synchronous online discussions reduce fear of digital public speaking. By teaching our students skills to improve their public speaking ability in online settings, we can better prepare our graduates for career success in the digital age.

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