Curriculum mapping is a well-known assessment tool used to articulate and align a curriculum. The authors present an improved method of curriculum alignment that combines the traditional curriculum mapping with what is often called prerequisite mapping. This improved method of curriculum alignment mapping we label Program Alignment Mapping (PAM)…

Offers tips on conducting productive discussion of curriculum in staff meetings. (JW)

More courses in the relatively new area of organizational communication should be offered because the subject matter is transdisciplinary in scope, method, and application, and the area holds promise for contributing to the advancement of knowledge and the possible unification of the sciences. Such courses can explain the communication processes…

Argues that researchers questioning the communication needs of the business community have based their research on the wrong assumptions. Uses the language of business rather than academia to determine the communication skills desired by the business community, skills involved in motivating people, delegating authority, listening, direction…

Office managers face an increasing array of job responsibilities in today's business environment. To prepare new office administration employees and managers, educational institutions must maintain a progressive curriculum to meet position demands. Using a population of members of the Association of Professional Office Managers, this study was…

In order to identify the demands, the skills, and the various contexts that students can expect to face in their chosen professions, organizational communication researchers need to conduct studies that will lead educators to make intelligent decisions regarding what should and should not be taught in business and professional communication…

Josephine County School District (Oregon) provided the Applied Communications modules to vocationally oriented students at its three high schools. The project's goal was to improve the communication skills of high school graduates. Each high school presented the program in a different manner; all offered English credit. Hidden Valley High School…

A number of studies consistently identify the importance of communication skills, both oral and written, as vital to employability. Speech communication departments, however, have been slow either in responding to industry's needs or in informing students of the high correlation between communication skills and employability. Some of the possible…

Surveyed managers of businesses and organizations to determine which communication skills are used frequently on the job and those in need of further academic development. Found that listening, motivating people, and handling grievances were the top three areas where additional communication education is needed. Discusses implications for…

One of a series of workplace education modules, this module includes activities and exercises for teaching communication skills in the workplace. First, introductory material reviews the goals of the module and defines three levels of difficulty of module activities (i.e., beginner, intermediate, and advanced). The importance of communication…