Enhancing Educational Outcomes Through Strategic Guest Speaker Selection: A Comparative Study of Alumni and Industry Experts in University Settings

IF 1.4 Q2 COMMUNICATION

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Pub Date : 2024-07-26 DOI:10.1177/23294906241263035

The Anh Phan, Thi Hong Nhung Vu, Ngoc Thao Nguyen Vo, Thu-Hang Le

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Abstract

This study investigates the impact of guest speaker programs on student engagement and skill development in a university setting, focusing on different types of speakers: alumni and industry experts. Through a quantitative analysis involving 159 business students, the research examines how speaker characteristics influence perceived learning outcomes, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. The findings reveal that alumni speakers, sharing a common educational background with the students, significantly enhance students’ perceived learning outcome and communication skills because of their relatability and personal insights. The implications of these findings underscore the need for educational institutions to strategically select guest speakers to optimize educational outcomes and prepare students more effectively for professional environments. This study contributes to the broader discourse on integrating practical experiences within academic curricula to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in higher education.

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通过有策略地选择演讲嘉宾提高教育成果：大学校友与行业专家的比较研究

本研究以校友和行业专家这两种不同类型的演讲者为重点，调查了客座演讲者项目在大学环境中对学生参与和技能发展的影响。通过对 159 名商科学生进行定量分析，研究探讨了演讲者的特点如何影响学生的学习效果、解决问题的能力和沟通技巧。研究结果表明，校友演讲者与学生有着共同的教育背景，他们的亲和力和个人见解能显著提高学生的学习效果和沟通技巧。这些研究结果的意义强调，教育机构需要战略性地选择客座演讲者，以优化教育成果，让学生更有效地为职业环境做好准备。这项研究有助于更广泛地讨论如何将实践经验融入学术课程，以弥合高等教育中理论知识与实际应用之间的差距。

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来源期刊

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly COMMUNICATION-

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

38.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Business and Professional Communication Quarterly is the only refereed journal devoted to research that advances the teaching of communication in the workplace. The journal aims to present the many interdisciplinary, international, and organizational perspectives that characterize the field and specifically to publish research that advances knowledge about business and professional communication pedagogy and praxis in both academic and workplace settings, including technical and scientific communication, rhetoric, program design and assessment, the impact of technology, sustainability, global and multicultural issues, nonprofit communication, and best practices. As an interdisciplinary journal, BPCQ welcomes manuscripts that address a variety of theoretical, applied, and practical approaches and topics in the teaching and praxis of business, corporate, organizational, professional, or technical communication, including qualitative and quantitative research on classroom teaching or assessment, case studies of specific classroom techniques, reports on strategies for program development, innovative assignments or methodologies, and reviews of scholarship relevant to business and professional communication pedagogy. BPCQ especially welcomes manuscripts that address the principles of SoTL (scholarship of teaching and learning). BPCQ also publishes articles on a particular theme, for which a call may be announced on the ABC website: http://www.businesscommunication.org. Information on submitting book reviews can be found at http://www.montclair.edu/cwe/bcq