Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course
44.1K views | +0 today
Follow
 
Scoop.it!

A Message from Court Bovee and John Thill

A Message from Court Bovee and John Thill | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

We hope the new year and your current term are off to a successful start. Once again, we would like to salute your efforts in helping students get ready for the communication challenges and scenarios they will face on the job.

With every new edition of the three titles in the Bovée-Thill business communication series, we look for opportunities to add topics and features to help you in this important effort—and to make the course as satisfying, entertaining, and successful as possible.

Following on the recent launch of the Fifteenth Edition of our flagship text, Business Communication Today, this feels like a great time to highlight some of the advances in our texts that help students get ready for the practices and expectations of today’s digital workplace.

Continuing our record of introducing major technological breakthroughs to the business communication course, our newest editions explore the exciting—and occasionally daunting—changes being brought about by artificial intelligence.

We refer to these innovations as intelligent communication technology, and we explore a variety of systems that students are likely to encounter during their job searches and potentially use on the job. These include augmented writing, real-time translation, virtual teammates, smart listening systems, résumé bots, and AI-assisted interviewing. We’re fascinated by the impact these technologies are beginning to have, and we think you and your students will be too.

On the subject of technology, today’s students have plenty of experience with digital, social, and visual media, but as you know not all that experience translates well to the business world. Our texts show students how to apply what they already know about media usage—and which habits they need to develop or change to succeed as professionals. For instance, our highlight box on developing professional-grade email skills points out five choices that writers need to make to graduate from social email to “business class.”

 

Speaking of the ever-evolving digital workplace, our latest editions keep up with changing business practices and contemporary employer expectations to make sure students enter the workforce primed and ready. A good example of shifting and sometimes confusing standards is the vexing question of whether to use emojis. They are widely used (and often for good reason) but not universally accepted or universally appropriate, so we offer students in-depth advice on why and when they should consider using them.

 

In addition to covering emerging topics, we continue to add features to help you and your students. (These new features are available in Excellence in Business Communication 13e and Business Communication Today 15e.)

  • Build Your Career activities guide students through creating their employment-communication packages chapter-by-chapter throughout the course so they’re ready to apply for jobs by the end of the term.

  • Apply Your Skills Now highlight boxes help students apply communication skills they are learning in this course in their other classes and in their personal lives.

  • Five-Minute Guides serve as handy reminders of the steps needed to accomplish a variety of fundamental communication tasks, from writing business email to planning reports and presentations.

Here's a video preview of our texts. If you haven't already done so, we invite you to order review copies. Or click here to get in-depth information on all three titles or to catch up on the latest posts from our blog.

 

We wish you and your students a positive learning experience this year!

All the best,

 

Court Bovee
John Thill

No comment yet.
Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course
This is an online magazine by Bovee & Thill, authors of the leading textbooks in business communication, published by Pearson, featuring resources for business communication and business writing instructors. For more information about Bovee & Thill texts and the exclusive, superior materials they provide for teaching a modern course, visit http://boveeandthillbusinesscommunicationblog.com. For instructor examination copies, go http://blog.businesscommunicationnetwork.com/texts. To find your local sales representative, visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/replocator. To contact the authors, use this form:  https://businesscommunicationnetwork.com/contact-us/. To get a free Comprehensive Guide to Business Communication Instructional Resources, visit http://blog.businesscommunicationnetwork.com/resources.  Subscribe to a free weekly newsletter of new posts to all 11 of Bovee & Thill’s Online Magazines: http://sco.lt/8kgeVV.
Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!

Why "Cereal for Dinner" Became a Crisis Communication Case Study

Why "Cereal for Dinner" Became a Crisis Communication Case Study | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
Kellogg's 'cereal for dinner' comment became a viral PR disaster. Explore this case study on audience misalignment, empathy failures, and crisis communication.
No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Digital Literacy and AI in Business Communication Textbooks: What True Integration Requires

Digital Literacy and AI in Business Communication Textbooks: What True Integration Requires | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
How curriculum design, AI readiness, and revision speed shape student preparation for modern workplaces.
No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Teaching Ethics in the Age of AI: Why Business the Communication Course Is the New Ethical Front Line

Teaching Ethics in the Age of AI: Why Business the Communication Course Is the New Ethical Front Line | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
Your students face AI ethical dilemmas in every assignment. Here's why ethics integration, not isolation, is the only answer.
Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

Business communication courses have become the primary training ground for ethical decision-making in the age of generative AI. Using a real classroom case and recent research, it shows that most students are not trying to cheat with AI but lack clear frameworks for ethical judgment, while employers increasingly expect graduates to use AI responsibly and transparently.

The article explains why traditional, stand-alone ethics sections fail, especially when students face AI-related ethical dilemmas continuously across routine messages, persuasion, reports, presentations, and employment communication. It identifies recurring dilemmas—attribution, disclosure, verification, authentic voice, and competitive pressure—and makes the case for teaching ethical reasoning rather than rule-following.

Ultimately, it calls for ethics to be integrated throughout the business communication curriculum, supported by practical frameworks, cases, and reflection that prepare students for real workplace complexity rather than artificial classroom rules.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

12 Most Important Questions Instructors Ask about Teaching Business Communication

12 Most Important Questions Instructors Ask about Teaching Business Communication | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
Explore the 12 most common questions business communication instructors ask—and how one text helps address relevance, engagement, ethics, and AI-ready skills.
No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Take This Test!

Take This Test! | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Take the Test

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

The Whistleblower's Email

The Whistleblower's Email | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

3:47 AM. The office should be empty.
Sarah Chen has been at Goldman & Frasier Accounting for eleven years. Senior auditor. Trusted. Invisible. Which is exactly why she saw what no one else was meant to see: $340 million in fabricated assets, reaching into pension funds, college savings, retirement dreams.

The email cursor blinks on her screen.

To: Securities and Exchange Commission; Financial Times; Department of Justice

She's rewritten it seventeen times. Get the tone wrong—too emotional—and she's dismissed as disgruntled. Get the facts wrong, and she's sued into oblivion. Get it right, and she might survive what comes next.

Business Communication Today, 16th Edition lies beside her keyboard. She's practically memorized: "Clarity in high-stakes communication." "Protecting yourself legally." She's used it to structure evidence, choose words that can't be twisted, build a message that's bulletproof.

Her phone shows her daughter's kindergarten photo. She thinks about the mortgage. The whistleblower horror stories. But she has also thought about Mrs. Patterson from church, who lost her pension. About her daughter inheriting a world where corruption wins because good people stay silent.

Through the frosted glass, a flashlight beam sweeps past. Security. She freezes. The light passes.

Subject: Formal Disclosure of Fraudulent Financial Reporting at Goldman & Frasier LLP

The right words can topple empires. The wrong ones can destroy you.
In the textbook's margins, her 2 AM note: "You can't unknow what you know."

Sarah closes her eyes. Thinks of her daughter. Clicks. Message sent.

Tomorrow, she'll be anything but invisible. When everything is at stake, every word matters.

Business Communication Today, 16th Edition
"When Words Matter Most."

Request an examination copy now!

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

AI Prompt Pack for Business Communication Instructors

AI Prompt Pack for Business Communication Instructors | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

AI Prompt Pack: https://lnkd.in/ezWvh6c4. To request examination copies of Bovee and Thill's award-winning business communication textbooks (instructors only), visit https://lnkd.in/bvxGGmT. Do you prefer contacting your local Pearson Rep to request examination copies? If so, use this Rep Locator: https://lnkd.in/eDSmx3XG.

A Comprehensive Guide to Business Communication Instructional Resources: https://lnkd.in/ekFbQA5

Business Communication Today, 16th Edition: Brochure: https://lnkd.in/eFUvUZHH. Seven Key Ways AI Is Woven into Every Chapter of Business Communication Today, 16th Edition: https://lnkd.in/eKKqvGfw. Video: The New Fundamentals--Business Communication Meets AI: https://lnkd.in/eCvcniWV. How Does Your Book Compare?: https://lnkd.in/egVEMVS. Instructor Self-Test: Is Your Course AI-Ready? https://lnkd.in/eydJmR-t.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

If You're Waiting for the Next Edition of Your Text for AI, You're Gambling Your Students' First Job

If You're Waiting for the Next Edition of Your Text for AI, You're Gambling Your Students' First Job | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Order an examination copy of this text.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Instructor Self-Test: Is Your Business Communication Course AI-Ready?

Instructor Self-Test: Is Your Business Communication Course AI-Ready? | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Does your current text have these essential features to help students develop the skills that most employers now expect them to possess?

Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

Take the test now! 

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Stop Teaching Students to Write the Way They'll Never Write Again

Stop Teaching Students to Write the Way They'll Never Write Again | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Order a review copy of this text.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

LinkedIn on the Urgency of AI and Human Skills

LinkedIn on the Urgency of AI and Human Skills | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Skills on the Rise report, 70% of job skills will change by 2030 because of AI. Stephanie Conway, LinkedIn’s Senior Director of Talent Development, put it bluntly: organizations must cultivate AI literacy and human-centric skills—like communication and adaptability—if they want to thrive.

This isn’t just an HR issue. It’s an education issue.

The danger is that many courses teach one without the other. Students might experiment with AI tools, but they aren’t being taught how to use them ethically, strategically, and persuasively.

Or they’re practicing traditional communication skills, but without the AI fluency employers now expect as a baseline.

The winners in this new era will be the students—and the instructors—who master both.

That’s why John Thill and I created Business Communication Today, 16th Edition, with AI integrated into every chapter. We show students how to use AI in context:

🔹 Writing messages that balance efficiency with authenticity
🔹 Presenting ideas enhanced—not replaced—by AI tools
🔹 Job hunting with AI ethically and effectively
🔹 Collaborating in teams where human judgment guides AI
       output

The message from LinkedIn is clear: the future belongs to those who merge AI with communication. Business Communication Today is the only text designed to make that future a reality for your students.

👉 Don’t just keep up. Lead.

Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

Order an examination copy.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

The 2026 Skills Mandate for Business Communication Students

The 2026 Skills Mandate for Business Communication Students | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Get Immediate access to guide.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Why Business Communication Courses Matter More Than Ever in the Age of AI

Why Business Communication Courses Matter More Than Ever in the Age of AI | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
87% of executives say business communication competencies matter more in AI workplaces—yet 71% can't find graduates with these skills.
Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

As AI revolutionizes content generation, a paradox emerges: 87% of executives say communication skills matter more in AI-augmented workplaces, yet 71% struggle to find graduates with these competencies.

 

While AI can draft emails and reports instantly, it cannot manage meaning, judgment, consequences, or the strategic decisions about why, how, and when to communicate—capabilities that remain distinctly human.

Business communication courses have evolved from teaching writing mechanics to developing critical competencies AI cannot replicate: evidence-based persuasion, cross-cultural collaboration, ethical reasoning, and strategic thinking that turns AI tools into professional assets rather than passive dependencies.

 

The future belongs to professionals who master Human+AI collaboration—using communication expertise to direct AI effectively while maintaining the accountability, cultural sensitivity, and ethical judgment that separate successful careers from obsolete ones.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Why Your Students Are Failing Their First Performance Reviews?: The Business Communication Crisis Employers Won't Tell You About

Why Your Students Are Failing Their First Performance Reviews?: The Business Communication Crisis Employers Won't Tell You About | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it
Employers are spending $37 billion annually fixing what business communication courses should have taught. Here's what's missing.
Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

The growing gap between business education and workplace expectations is not a marginal skills issue but a systemic failure of traditional business communication pedagogy.

 

Drawing on recent employer data, it shows that graduates are underprepared in AI-augmented communication, digital collaboration, visual storytelling, cross-functional communication, and ethical judgment—competencies now prioritized over technical expertise.

 

The root cause is an outdated instructional model that overemphasizes theory, document formats, and static textbooks while lagging behind rapid technological change.

 

This article ultimately makes the case for a career-ready redefinition of rigor—one that integrates AI and digital communication throughout the curriculum, uses authentic workplace scenarios, and equips instructors with practical tools to prepare students for how communication actually happens today.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Order Examination Copies of Bovee & Thill Textbooks

Order Examination Copies of Bovee & Thill Textbooks | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Bovee and Thill are the recognized leaders in the field of digital communication, social media, and technology--including mobile communication and artificial intelligence, and were the first authors to cover these topics. They continue to be far ahead of all other texts with heir cutting-edge coverage.

 

Video: The New Fundamentals in Business Communication

Visit this page today to conveniently order examination copies of Bovee and Thill business communication textbooks.

Prefer contacting your local Pearson Rep to request examination copies? If so, use this Rep Locator

 

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Exit in Flames

Exit in Flames | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Captain Rodriguez's hands won't stop shaking.

 

5:17 AM. Twenty-seven years on the job, and his last shift nearly ended with both of them dead.

 

The retirement speech sits half-written on the locker room bench. Business Communication Today—borrowed from his daughter, a college instructor—lies beside him. "Balancing Criticism with Encouragement" in Chapter 10 stuck in his head. She'd laughed when he asked for it. "Dad, you've been leading people for decades."

 

But he's never had to do this. Correct a mistake that almost killed someone while not destroying the kid who made it.

 

Rookie Jake Parsons, twenty-three years old, six months on the job. Smart kid. Eager. Reminded Rodriguez of himself at that age.

Last night, third floor, structure fire. Rodriguez gave the order to ventilate. Standard procedure. But Jake misread the smoke, cut the wrong wall, and the backdraft nearly incinerated them both. Only Rodriguez's instinct—twenty-seven years of instinct—got them out.

 

Jake's been texting all night. Apologizing. Saying he'll resign. Saying he's not cut out for this.

 

Rodriguez knows better. The best firefighters he's ever worked with all had a moment like this. The ones who quit never learned. The ones who stayed became legends.

 

But how do you tell someone they almost killed you and it's okay? That mistakes are part of learning but this job has no margin for error? That you see their potential but they need to earn the right to that potential through discipline and humility?

 

His speech needs to address the whole crew. Say goodbye. Pass the torch. And somehow tell Jake: You messed up. You'll mess up again. But don't you dare quit.

 

Through the window, Jake's truck pulls into the parking lot. Early. Of course he's early.

 

Rodriguez picks up his pen.

 

His last lesson might be the most important one he ever teaches.

 

“Communication Is Power”

Business Communication Today, 16th Edition

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Does Your Text Now Have a "Bonus" AI Chapter?

Does Your Text Now Have a "Bonus" AI Chapter? | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Order an examination copy today.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Newsletter: Business Communication in the Age of AI

Newsletter: Business Communication in the Age of AI | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Get immediate access to newsletter.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Real-World Business Communication in Action

Real-World Business Communication in Action | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Assignments:    Instructor Version   Student Version

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Educational Resources for Business Communication Instructors

Educational Resources for Business Communication Instructors | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Click here for instant access to these resources.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

Preparing Students for the AI-Driven Workplace

Are your students truly ready for the AI-driven workplace? Traditional communication skills—writing, presenting, persuading—are still essential. But in today’s world, where 100% of Fortune 500 companies already use AI, timeless skills alone aren’t enough.

This short video highlights the widening AI skills gap and shows how Business Communication Today, 16th Edition closes it by fully integrating AI throughout every chapter. Students learn to:

✔️ Write persuasively while using AI ethically

✔️ Apply AI to real-world communication tasks

✔️ Understand how leading companies like Microsoft and Coca-
       Cola blend AI with human judgment

For instructors, this means engaged students, immediate workplace relevance, and graduates who are truly career-ready.

📘 Business Communication Today, 16th Edition – Where timeless communication skills meet AI fluency.

Bovee & Thill's Online Business Communication Magazines's insight:

Order an examination copy.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

AI Tool Matrix for Teaching with Business Communication Today

AI Tool Matrix for Teaching with Business Communication Today | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Get immediate access.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

What If? AI Wake-Up Call for Business Communication Instructors

What If? AI Wake-Up Call for Business Communication Instructors | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Order an examination copy.

No comment yet.
Scoop.it!

The AI Skills Gap

The AI Skills Gap | Teaching a Modern Business Communication Course | Scoop.it

Order an examination copy.

No comment yet.