A model for teaching business report writing using modern office technology

Graduates of business curricula at the postsecondary level lack skills in preparing effective written business reports in the present and emerging technology-oriented office. Another dimension of the problem is the lack of instructional materials available for teaching written communications courses utilizing modern office technology. The primary purposes of the study were to identify concepts needed by graduates of collegiate schools of business, to develop instructional materials for teaching business report writing using modern office technology, and to provide experiential learning situations in which students could test learned theories and concepts and receive immediate and constructive feedback.

A conceptual framework consisting of identifying concepts needed by business school graduates, developing instructional materials, and testing the materials constituted the methodology used to develop the model for teaching business report writing using modern office technology.

Seventeen report writing concepts were identified as being needed by graduates of collegiate schools of business. Based on student evaluations, the model developed for this study proved to be an effective means of teaching business report writing. Those areas which received the highest ratings were: the use of electronic equipment with immediate feedback, benefit of writing a practice report, and the correlation between the lecture content and the laboratory activities.

Modern office technology can be used as a tool of communication for writing business reports. The model for teaching business report writing which integrates concepts interfaced with modern office technology was successful within the setting used in this study.