The video cover letter: embedded assessment of oral communication skills

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to describe the development and execution of the video cover letter exercise. This learning innovation challenges students to develop a concise, targeted marketing message using video technologies and tools. Design/methodology/approach In the first full semester of mandatory implementation, a pre-test/post-test design using McCroskey's measure of communication apprehension (CA) examined the effects of the exercise in reducing students' levels of CA. There were 200 students in the course, of which 139 completed both the pre-test and post-test measure survey. The measure captures overall levels of CA and more specifically examines anxiety associated with oral communication in group discussions, dyads, group meetings and public speaking. Findings Paired sample t-tests revealed that the CA was significantly reduced overall and more specifically in settings related to group discussions and public speaking. The tool provides an effective and efficient means for assessing basic oral communication skills. It also advances oral communication skills by significantly reducing levels of CA in undergraduate business students. Originality/value Oral communication skills are consistently ranked toward the top of faculty, student and recruiter lists of requisite skills for successful business graduates (Maes et al., 1997) and marketing majors more specifically (Nicholson et al., 2005). It is not surprising then that oral communication skills are also typically included as one of the most commonly assessed learning outcomes in college of business programs (Martell, 2007). Unfortunately, decreasing resources, growing class sizes and diverse course formats (e.g. online, face-to-face and blended) create ever growing challenges to effective development and assessment of oral communication skills in our marketing and business student populations.