Including the Student Voice: Experiences and Learning Outcomes of a Flipped Communication Course

Abstract

In this article, we present a study focusing on the learning experiences of business students in an organizational and marketing communication course. The pedagogical approaches of a flipped classroom, collaborative inquiry, and communication in the disciplines guided the planning of the course. A mixed-methods approach was used. The key findings include positive student evaluations of the pedagogies utilized. Moreover, a wide variety of learning outcomes was reported, particularly in the fields of crisis communication and workplace communication. The pedagogies utilized enabled a comprehensive model for teaching communication and contributed to relevant learning experiences and skill development for the 21st century.

Keywords

flipped classroom collaborative inquiry collaborative learning communication in the disciplines students’ experiences learning outcomes mixed methods

In order to be well prepared for the workplace, students are expected to acquire 21st-century skills including collaboration, communication, information and communication technologies (ICT), social and cultural competencies, creative and critical thinking, and problem-solving (Voogt & Roblin, 2012). In business, the skills necessary for the specific kinds of communication challenges that students will face in their professional careers are emphasized (seeDannels, 2002;Morreale, Hugenberg, & Worley, 2006). Interpersonal communication skills, negotiation skills, and teamwork skills are all significant for obtaining employment and achieving success in global business (Tuleja & Greenhalgh, 2008;Wardrope, 2002). Employees expect business graduates to have hard and soft business-related knowledge and skills and prior work experience (Andrews & Higson, 2008;Robles, 2012). In other words, business graduates are expected to be good communicators, able to work independently, and ready to obtain and apply theoretical knowledge in practice. These expectations pose challenges for course content and pedagogy (how the content is taught) within higher education. According toVoogt and Roblin (2012), in order to support the development of 21st-century skills, such as collaboration and communication, teachers need to be familiar with and align their pedagogical practices with these skills.

Despite these expectations, lecture-based teaching is still actively used in higher education, a method that relies on one-way information delivery from lecturer to students (Young, Robinson, & Alberts, 2009).Phillips (2005)referred to this phenomenon as a distinction for espoused theory and theory-in-use, meaning that, even though current research about learning stresses student-centered and collaborative learning practices, the reality in education is different. Higher education is often based on teacher-centered and instructive learning activities, such as lectures. A disadvantage of lectures is that there is typically a low level of interactivity between the lecturer and students and between students (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005). This passive role of students typically leads to a decrement in the students’ vigilance and to surface learning (Young et al., 2009).

In order to improve teaching in higher education, and in lectures especially, several different methods have been developed (seeMurphy & Sharma, 2010). These methods contain interactive voting systems, smaller group assignments during lectures, audience responses used as a source for learning, authentic cases, debates, and different feedback software (Fang, 2017;Murphy & Sharma, 2010). One actively used way of developing teaching and learning in higher education is the flipped-classroom (FC) model (e.g.,Chen, Wang, Kinshuk, & Chen, 2014;Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000). The basic idea in an FC is that lectures are replaced with video and other materials (i.e., preclass assignments) through digital platforms in order to bring more flexibility to studying content. The preclass assignments are studied before face-to-face (F2F) meetings. In the F2F meetings, time is devoted to learning more complex issues and practical aspects through student-centered learning approaches (Chen et al., 2014;Lage et al., 2000). The FC allows for the use of a large spectrum of student-centered approaches in the F2F meetings. In the annual Horizon reports (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015), the FC has been suggested as one way to drive educational change by providing students with greater ownership of their learning. Despite the FC’s recognized benefits for learning, studies of this pedagogical approach in the context of business and communication studies have been scarce (Huang & Lin, 2017;Sherrow, Lang, & Corbett, 2016).

Theoretical Background

We developed our theoretical framework using a combination of pedagogical principles from the FC model, communication in the disciplines (CID), and collaborative inquiry (CI). This combination results in a comprehensive model to teach organizational and marketing communication to business students, as it allows for the creation of learning environments that offer student flexibility, collaboration between peers and with teachers, students serving as active creators of knowledge, and students taking responsibility for their own learning. We believed that with this combination we would be able to adopt pedagogies developing 21st-century skills, and to prepare students for the workplace of the future.

First, we outline the main principles of the FC model. Then, we briefly discuss two pedagogical approaches that emphasize students’ active roles and collaboration: CID and CI. These two pedagogical approaches and the FC model form the main pedagogical framework of this multidisciplinary study, which draws from the disciplines of communication and education. In agreement withVoogt and Roblin (2012), we assume that these practices align with the demands of 21st-century skills and are important for developing higher education practices.

The Flipped Classroom

According toChen et al. (2014), the traditional definition of an FC is the replacement of direct instruction with videos and an increased focus on students engaging in important learning activities with their teachers inside the classroom. Basically, this means that, before the F2F meetings, the students have prepared themselves by becoming familiar with the preclass assignments provided by the teacher. Typically, these materials include short videos and narrated screencasts in which the teacher goes through the main topics or video lessons from trusted Internet sites (Uzunboylu & Karagozlu, 2015). The aim is for the F2F meetings to provide students with the ability to deal with difficult topics and areas with the support of their peers and teacher. Traditional lecture-based teaching does not provide this preparedness.

Particularly in business and communication pedagogy,Hall and DuFrene (2016)suggested seven important factors for teachers in an FC: (a) It works better in smaller classes than in larger ones; (b) starting with only a small proportion of change is better; (c) plan and prepare the class/course well; (d) use the class time mainly for more difficult content; (e) if videos are used, the maximum length should be 10 minutes; (f) consider ways to motivate students in their out-of-class tasks; and (g) be an ongoing learner yourself and use student feedback.

Based on the structure of the FC course, we should also consider the pedagogical principles of course planning and F2F meetings. The course and class meetings of our case course were designed according to the principles of CID and CI. These models are outlined briefly in the following section in order to provide a more detailed picture of the target course.

Communication in the Disciplines

The theoretical framework of CID is based on the principles of disciplinary knowledge construction, the social construction of knowledge, and situated learning (Dannels, 2001;Dannels & Housley Gaffney, 2009;Lave & Wenger, 1991). It suggests that communication is a situated contextual activity and, therefore, should be taught as such (Dannels, 2001). According toKoponen and Julkunen (2015), CID focuses on teaching specific disciplinary communication conventions and competencies which are valued within the discipline. This pedagogical approach emphasizes collaborative learning within the specific context of one’s own discipline (Koponen & Julkunen, 2015). Therefore, we considered it to be a suitable pedagogical approach combined with an FC, particularly when considering how to organize in-class meetings with the students.

CID pedagogy can be summarized in the following four principles. First, communication competence criteria must be defined in the disciplines based on disciplinary values and preferences. Second, learning communication is a situated, context driven, and social phenomenon. Third, discipline-specific communication competence is gradually learned as the individual participates in professional work and in the professional community. Fourth, evaluation criteria for communication competence should be defined within the discipline (Dannels, 2001;Hyvärinen, Tanskanen, Katajavuori, & Isotalus, 2010).

Collaborative Inquiry

In addition to CID pedagogy, we also used a CI model within our course design. Traditionally, teaching and disciplinary research have been brought together in university education by delivering recent research results (research-led teaching) or by teaching research methods or processes of knowledge construction (research-oriented teaching;Healey, Jenkins, & Lea, 2009). The learning model of CI (Hakkarainen, Palonen, Paavola, & Lehtinen, 2004) is a leap forward. It was designed to replicate the work of researchers in the field of learning and to narrow the gap between research and teaching from the very first year of university studies (Healey et al., 2009). In this model, learning is seen as a cyclic process in which students explicate and share their prior knowledge, indicate possible knowledge gaps and misunderstandings, find or create new knowledge to overcome these gaps, and define new inquiry topics. Research has shown that students’ prior knowledge provides a useful basis for learning, even if the prior knowledge needs to be corrected or augmented (Lakkala, 2010). The process is supported by active peer collaboration to share gained expertise. The activity specified by the model should not merely aim toward content mastery; a parallel emphasis is on developing problem-solving skills and on constructing new knowledge collaboratively by imitating the practices of mature knowledge communities, such as research teams (Hakkarainen, 2009;Hakkarainen, Lonka, & Lipponen, 2004;Lakkala, 2010).

The combination of FCs, CID, and CI provided us with a comprehensive model to teach organizational and marketing communication to business students. We were able to create a learning environment that allowed flexibility and collaboration between peers and teachers, as well as individual and collaborative knowledge creation. In prior FC studies (Lage et al., 2000;O’Flaherty & Phillips, 2015), the focus has typically been on flipping the courses with preclass assignments, typically videos. The aim within the current study was to focus on FCs in a way that takes both preclass assignments and F2F meetings into account as a single unit, by better acknowledging the nature of the FC course that contains preclass assignments and F2F meetings with certain pedagogical practices. This study focuses on both these areas to provide an overall picture of the FC course. Therefore, the study fills an obvious gap in the literature.

Previous Studies of FCs, CID, and CI

Studies of FCs.Previous studies of FCs provide rather positive results that have focused mainly on students’ learning results and experiences with FC courses. The FC is seen as a flexible (Wanner & Palmer, 2015) and enjoyable way of learning (Mortensen & Nicholson, 2015;O’Flaherty & Phillips, 2015). Results also indicate improvement in learning performance when compared with traditional teaching methods (Thai, De Wever, & Valcke, 2017). Easy access to the preclass assignments in electronic platforms and the possibility for students to study these materials at their own pace have led to positive learning experiences (Evans et al., 2016). The FC also has been found to promote students’ self-regulation and self-efficacy for learning (Lai & Hwang, 2016), learning regulation, collaborative skills (Blau & Shamir-Inbal, 2017), cooperative learning activities (Foldnes, 2016), and creative thinking skills (Mortensen & Nicholson, 2015). However, in studies byDavies, Dean, and Ball (2013)andZiegelmeier and Topaz (2015), the learning results indicated no significant differences when the FC and more traditional teaching and learning methods were compared. This may be because new ways of learning, such as the FC, can be challenging for those using them for the first time, or because the change from traditional to novel methods may initially cause negative experiences for some students (Missildine, Fountain, Summers, & Gosselin, 2013;Strayer, 2012). Students may not always be ready to radically change their learning approaches, and unfamiliarity with the FC model may result in challenges for learning (Halili & Zainuddin, 2015).

Studies of CID.Hitherto, studies using the CID theoretical framework have explored discipline-specific contexts and communication education within the disciplines of technical sciences (Dannels, 2002;Darling, 2005;Darling & Dannels, 2003), design (Dannels, 2005), dietetics (Vrchota, 2011), pharmacy (Hyvärinen et al., 2010), and medicine (Koponen, 2012). In business studies,Cyphert (2002)has shown how communication education can be integrated with Executive Master of Business Administration programs, andTuleja and Greenhalgh (2008)have shown how the CID theoretical framework can be integrated with undergraduate business education.Koponen and Julkunen (2015)used CID as a theoretical framework of sales education. However, there are no reports of research that has applied the CID theoretical framework to the teaching of organizational and marketing communication.

In addition to some advocacy, the CID theoretical framework has also been criticized.Fleury (2005)argued that communication education should not focus on discipline-specific contexts and skills but rather on more general communication skills. However, we argue that highly specific business degree programs need more discipline-specific communication education, which better prepares students for specific business contexts.

Studies of CI.Results focusing on CI outline that the learning process itself may cause challenges for students who demand support and scaffolding (seeKollar, Fischer, & Slotta, 2007). In addition,Muukkonen and Lakkala (2009)indicated that the processes of inquiry learning may be challenging for higher education students. However, it is important for students to acquire experience with inquiry, uncertainty, and areas beyond their immediate expertise. In addition to mere content knowledge of the course, readiness for these kinds of processes is important in the workplace. According toJustice et al. (2007), CI supports students in gaining skills for self-directed learning. Similarly, a study byValtonen et al. (2015)indicated that, in addition to the mere discipline knowledge gained, learning experiences of collaborative inquiry with ICT had positive effects on students’ readiness to use ICT for learning purposes. These results are important in that they suggest the positive effects of CI in developing 21st-century skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and communication (Voogt & Roblin, 2012). Overall, there is a shortage of research in which collaborative inquiry has been studied within the FC context, such as with preclass assignments and activities before F2F meetings.

Objectives and Research Questions

In this study, we explore students’ experiences with the FC method and CI in a communication course planned according to the principles of CID. Moreover, we examine the learning outcomes reported by students at the end of the course. Our research questions were as follows:

Research Question 1:What were the students’ experiences with the FC and CI?

Research Question 2:What were the learning outcomes at the end of the course? What kinds of challenges were identified?

Materials and Methods

Context

The case course, “Organizational and Marketing Communication,” is intended for third-year, bachelor’s level business students. The course is optional, runs for 8 weeks, includes 18 F2F class hours, and earns students six European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. The course is the only communication course in the curriculum of bachelor’s level business studies, with the exception of basic courses in oral and written communication. There were 51 students in the course, of whom 25 answered the electronic questionnaire before and after the course, 29 gave written feedback during the last class meeting, and 42 evaluated their own learning in their final essay assignment. About two thirds of the students are business majors, and one third pursue business as a minor with very diverse backgrounds, from computer science to theology.

The case course was designed to align with the FC model. In FCs, traditional lectures are largely replaced by preclass activities such as videos, and class time is devoted to deepening the knowledge acquired, through group discussions or other activities (Chen et al., 2014). Within this course, the lectures were replaced with eight videos and two research articles, which students were expected to study before the F2F meetings. The videos were about 12 minutes long and focused on core topics of the course, such as communication as a profession, reputation, and crisis communication. Preclass assignments were provided for students using the Moodle platform. F2F meetings were designed according to the principles of CID and CI. From the perspective of the CID approach, we first defined communication competence and decided to focus mainly on workplace communication and crisis communication, which are highly significant in business today (e.g.,DiStaso, Vafeiadis, & Amaral, 2015;White, Vanc, & Stafford, 2010). Moreover, understanding the role of the media (e.g., news criteria and the journalistic process), communication planning, and basic communication theories (e.g.,Cornelissen, 2004;De Pelsmacker, Geuens, & Van den Bergh, 2010;Tench & Yeomans, 2014) was considered to be central to communication competence.

Second, by selecting group-based learning activities, we ensured that the students had opportunities to collaborate with each other and to learn through social interaction. Third, we had visitors from business organizations (from two different advertising agencies) who shared current challenges in advertising. Therefore, even though the students were not able to participate in real professional communities, they were at least able to hear and observe how advertising activities are implemented in real life. Finally, the course assessment consisted of five different elements, which we designed particularly for this course, and which, therefore, can be seen as discipline-specific assessment methods. Assessment was based on (a) a written preassignment regarding communication as a profession (10% of the final grade), (b) a written summary of a scientific article related to crisis communication or reputation (10% of the final grade), (c) a written essay plan (10% of the final grade), (d) a written essay of 2,500 words (individual work, 40% of the final grade), and (e) a group presentation on the different communication issues found in the course case (30% of the final grade).

From a CI perspective, the case course’s assignments and tasks were designed to help students question and reflect on their previous knowledge, using it as a starting point to deepen their learning by explaining phenomena, sharing their expertise, and building new knowledge collaboratively. In practice, this meant becoming acquainted with the course case before the first class meeting and working in small groups to first share assumptions related to the case and later evaluate the case from different communication perspectives and on the basis of communication research. Collaborative learning took place both in the class, when students shared their first assumptions and literature-based findings, and during group work outside class time, when students produced their group assignments, which deepened their knowledge and learning. A very topical animal protection case that was discussed actively in the media immediately before the course provided a fruitful crisis communication case (referred to as the dolphin case) to be explored both in preclass assignments and later to deepen the knowledge through group work. The pedagogical framework and the structure of the course are described inFigure 1.

Figure 1.

The pedagogical models of collaborative inquiry (Hakkarainen, Lonka, et al., 2004;Lakkala, 2010) and flipped classrooms as applied to the case course.

Methodology

This intensive case study utilized a mixed-methods approach to answer its research questions (Creswell, 2003;Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2016). According toCreswell (2003), the aim of the mixed-methods approach is to use both quantitative and qualitative data and methods of analysis within one study to confirm findings and provide deeper insight into the research topic. The quantitative data consist of data collected with an electronic questionnaire before and after the course (N= 25,n _female= 15,n _male= 10). Only part of the questionnaire and the results from after the course (i.e., posttest) are reported in this study.

In the posttest, we investigated four dimensions of the FC course from the students’ perspectives: (a) Did the FC function well and effectively? (FC fit; e.g., “Did the preclass assignments and F2F meetings complement each other?”); (b) Was the FC challenging? (FC challenge; e.g., “The content of the preclass assignments was very challenging to me.”); (c) Were the FC preclass assignments studied collaboratively? (FC precollaboration; e.g., “I studied preclass assignments with my peers.”); and (d) Was the FC guidance sufficient and understandable in the course? (FC comprehend; e.g., “The preclass assignments were clear to me.”). Additionally, we investigated the students’ general view of study collaboration (e.g., “Studying in groups improves my learning.”) in the course as a fifth dimension for this study (adapted fromAhonen & Harding, 2017). Students responded to the statements with a Likert-type scale from 1 (I totally agree) to 6 (I totally disagree). Internal consistency of the items was studied with Cronbach’s alpha (α). Due to the small sample size, an α-level of .65 and greater was considered sufficient.

We also asked the students “How well did the studying method for preclass assignments and F2F meetings suit you? In the future, would you like to study in similarly designed courses?” and “Would you rather study in traditional lectures than in this type of course?” The statistical software SPSS, Version 23, was used to report descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and percentages) from the quantitative data. In addition, the electronic questionnaire contained two open-ended questions. Open questions focused especially on students’ experiences with using videos as preclass assignments. The questions were as follows: (a) “How do you see the role of preclass assignments, and how well did they work within this course?” and (b) “How did you experience studying and learning with video materials?” The data from the open questions were analyzed using ATLAS.ti, a qualitative analysis tool.

The main qualitative data included students’ own evaluations of their learning outcomes, written either in the course feedback collected during the last class meeting (N= 29) or presented in their final essay assignment (N= 42). ATLAS.ti-assisted qualitative content analysis was performed inductively on this data.

Results

Students’ Experiences Based on Questionnaire Data

Table 1presents the descriptive statistics of the FC course from the students’ perspectives as well as the internal consistency of the dimensions. According to the results, students mostly agreed that the FC functioned well, was understandable and well guided (FC comprehend), and was an effective way to study (FC fit). The FC was not considered challenging (FC challenge), although some variation existed. Students completed FC preclass assignments minimally, if at all, in collaboration with peers (FC precollaboration). However, the general view of collaboration was positive at the end of the course. The internal consistency of all dimensions was acceptable.

Table 1.

Descriptive Statistics of the Flipped-Classroom (FC) Course.

	M(SD)	α
FC fit	4.77 (0.57)	.75
FC challenge	2.77 (0.92)	.81
FC precollaboration	2.12 (1.11)	.70
FC comprehend	4.81 (0.73)	.89
Collaboration	4.19 (0.69)	.66

To the question “How well did the studying method for preclass assignments and F2F meetings suit you?” 32% answeredvery well, 64%well, 4%not so well, and 0%not at all. A similar pattern was found in the responses to the statement “In the future, I would like to study in similarly designed courses”: 23.1% respondeddefinitely yes; 69.2%yes, quite surely; 7.7%not necessarily; and 0%definitely not. To the statement “I would rather study in traditional lectures than in this type of course,” 76% of students answerednoand 24% answeredyes.

In order to deepen the quantitative results, we outline the results of the open questions focused on students’ experiences with the FC model, especially about learning with preclass assignments such as videos. The responses regarding the use of preclass assignments in this course were mainly positive (Table 2).

Table 2.

Experiences of Preclass Assignments and Video Materials.

Categories	Codes (numbers in data)	Examples of quotations
Learning with preclass assignments	Provided an overview of the course (7)	“Pre-class assignments worked well within this course and provided a preview of the course.”
	Made the course more efficient (4)	“Pre-class assignments helped me become oriented to the course.”
	Helped the students to learn and become oriented with the topic (3)	“Pre-class assignments helped with learning and especially with theoretical areas of the course.”
		“Pre-class assignments increased the efficiency of the course.”
Learning with video materials	Suitable and meaningful way of learning (8)	“It was a nice change from reading PowerPoint slides.”
	Easy to use and flexible way of learning (5)	“Videos were an easy way to start studying, even when you were not very motivated at that moment.”
	Positive and motivating change (3)	“Video materials provided a nice and easy-to-follow way to learn the topics.”
	Prefer paper (2)	“An excellent way to study. At the same time, you could relax a bit and still you learned more than from a traditional PowerPoint exercise!”
		“I have gotten used to reading the materials, and written materials are easier to come back to, so I prefer them.”

First, students found the use of preclass assignments to be a positive factor; the material provided a preview of the topics for the course and meetings. This triggered students to think about the course topics and helped them better orient themselves to the course. In addition, the preclass assignments in the Moodle environment provided students with help in managing their time during the course. Students also found that the preclass assignments were important for helping them learn better and grasp the topics. Students thought that the preclass assignments made the course more efficient. Time spent during F2F meetings was used for dealing with the important topics and issues.

In reference to the use of videos, the responses were mainly positive. The use of videos during the course was typically described as a useful and meaningful way for learning. Students reported that learning with the videos was a positive change compared with more traditional ways of learning, especially lecturing. For some students, this new way served as a motivating factor for learning. The main benefit of using the videos was the flexibility they provided. Students were able to watch the videos when it was best for them and in a place that they found most suitable. These features were also found to be a relaxing way to study. In addition, students reported that the videos were easy to use and that the technology worked well. The only negative answers focused on the preference of using written materials over videos. Some students found it easier to learn content in print, because they could more easily return to previous topics.

Students’ Experiences Based on Course Feedback and Essays

The main qualitative content analysis of the in-class feedback and final essays, conducted with ATLAS.ti, revealed 95 quotations regarding experiences with teaching methods. These were further classified as presented inTable 3.

Table 3.

Categorization of Learning Experiences.

Pedagogy	Categories	Codes (numbers in data)	Examples of quotations
Flipped classroom	Face-to-face class meetings	Class discussions (2)	“In class meetings, we shared opinions, and there was active discussion. The learning atmosphere was positive and encouraging because each opinion was important.” (Class discussions) “The press conference we had was a fun and useful experience.” (Simulation)
		Guest lectures (7)
		Lectures (5)
		Simulation (3)
	Independent learning outside class meetings	Challenges:	“This last essay was definitely the most challenging course assignment.” (Written assignments)
		Time management (6)	“In the beginning, I felt the course meant a heavy workload because of the pre-class assignments and all the smaller assignments. Towards the end of the course, I understood their meaning, and they helped us concentrate on the essentials; studying the theoretical part was your own responsibility.” (Preclass assignments)
		English texts (4)
		Poor background knowledge (4)
		Written assignments (21)
		Preclass assignments (2)
Collaborative inquiry	Collaborative learning outside class meetings	Group work (8)	“We were SO proud of our group work; we put many hours of work into it and really pondered it thoroughly.” (Group work)
Collaborative inquiry	Course case	Dolphin case (12)	“All course themes were combined into the dolphin case, which gave us a practical example, and we could consider how to apply the communication theme in the case in question.” (Dolphin case)
General notions on course implementation	Course implementation (19)		“I think this flipped classroom method was something new and refreshing. Pre-class assignments supported well the contents that we had to study, and I think we had enough materials to complete the course.” (Flipped classroom)
General notions on course implementation	Flipped classroom (2)

Based on the students’ experiences, the course seemed to function well. The dolphin case provided a practical and up-to-date case to examine communication from different perspectives. The idea of preclass assignments combined with in-depth class discussions received positive feedback.

It was interesting to observe that the adoption of pedagogical methods of FC and CI revealed some explicit learning challenges that need to be addressed. These were related to the individual assignments of the course. Challenges included issues such as finding, reading, and understanding English research journal articles, written assignments (essay writing, in particular), poor background knowledge, and time management (Table 3). More attention must be paid to academic writing, because the challenge of essay writing was shared by many: “The last essay was definitely the most challenging course assignment.” Thus, many of the challenges were associated with the adoption of learning strategies that are essential for academic studies. It is natural that these strategies and skills are still being developed during the first years of academic studies; however, it was eye-opening from the faculty’s point of view that both third-year business students and business minors struggled with the basic skills of information retrieval, time management, and essay writing.

Learning Outcomes

According to the business school curriculum, knowledge-related learning objectives of the course focus on understanding the strategic role of organizational and marketing communication in successful organizations. The skills to be learned include the application of communication theories and models in workplace cases, mastering different communication situations and tools, communication planning, and acquiring information-retrieval skills and the basics of academic writing to prepare the students for their bachelor’s thesis. Moreover, the core content of the course was outlined to include managerial and workplace communication, media relations, crisis communication, and integrated marketing communication.

The qualitative content analysis of the in-class feedback and final essays revealed 159 learning-related quotations that were further classified as presented inTable 4.

Table 4.

Categorization of Learning Outcomes.

Categories	Codes (numbers in data)	Examples of quotations
Academic writing skills	Essay writing (12)Information retrieval (9)	“The course exceeded my expectations because the essay sounded quite demanding before I started writing it. However, I changed my mind during the writing process and at the end of it because of moments of enlightenment.” (Essay writing)
Academic writing skills		“I felt the assignment was more useful than a traditional exam. Instead of learning by heart, I could have a problem-based approach when studying the literature and finding answers.” (Essay writing)
Application of communication theories and models in the workplace	Expanding and specifying the communication concept (26)	“I expected the course content to be narrower; for example, I did not think that crisis communication would be a part of the course content. I learned that, for example, companies communicate with their environment all the time in different ways. All company functions, from advertising to the moment when a sales agent gives the product to the client, are communication and interaction.” (Expanding and specifying the communication concept)
	Communication theories (2)
	Workplace relevance (24)
Crisis communication	Crisis communication (21)	“I have learned a lot about crisis communication and how crises evolve, how they can be managed, and how they fade away. It is good to know that you cannot avoid crises in business, but you have to learn from them and accept their impact on business. However, you can be prepared. Also, crisis management and recovery after crisis, and how to do it, were some of my learning outcomes.” (Crisis communication)
Crisis communication	Issues management (3)
Integrated marketing communication	Integrated marketing communication (2)	“I had not thought before how much advertising affects our images and what we consider normal.” (Integrated marketing communication)
Integrated marketing communication	Image, reputation, and brand (5)Public relations (6)	“Public relations are an important company function and a part of the company strategy.” (Public relations)
Managerial and workplace communication, communication tools	Generation Y and communication (2)	“Internal communication is much more important in organizations than I had thought.” (Workplace communication)
	Managerial communication (4)	“During this course I have learned a lot of the many channels and ways to use communication in business life.” (Communication tools)
	Experts’ communication skills (1)
	Tools and channels (5)
	Workplace communication (12)
Media relations	Media: news criteria, journalistic processes (9)	“The course has taught me a lot about media and increased my media literacy.” (Media)
Media relations	Source critique (1)
Strategic communication and communication planning	Ethics (2)	“I had not thought of communication from the point of view of professional ethics. Therefore, I found our group work assignment very instructive.” (Ethics)
	Importance of communication (5)	“I have learned the strategic importance of communication for business and society.” (Importance of communication)
	Planning (5)Proactivity, tone, and style (4)

The analysis of the students’ own evaluations of their learning outcomes revealed the versatility of the course and its emphasis on crisis communication, which can be explained by the course case that dealt with negative publicity. The analysis also shows that the course significantly expanded the students’ understanding of organizational and marketing communication. Moreover, the course developed their understanding of workplace communication, which is advantageous for all academic professionals and excellent from the point of view of future team leaders and managers. It was gratifying to record that the course was considered to have relevance to the workplace, even to the extent that students could consider a career in communication. One student noted, “I have learned to think from a stakeholder’s point of view and started considering communication as my future profession.”

A slight gap in learning outcomes is that learning in the field of marketing communication was relatively modest. The marketing communication content was included in the course mainly through visitors from acknowledged local advertising agencies. Even so, these visitors received very positive feedback, as exemplified in this student comment: “The visit from the advertising agency was very rewarding and inspiring. It was great to hear from a true professional what advertising work is like in real life.” However, as instructors, we must ponder the role of integrated marketing communication in the course content and possibly modify the abundant, and somewhat overwhelming, course content.

Discussion

In this study, our aim was to investigate business students’ experiences with the FC method and CI in a communication course planned according to the principles of CID. Moreover, we examined the learning outcomes reported by the students at the end of the course and related them to the learning objectives of the course.

The results indicated that the students had very positive experiences with learning via the FC method and CI. According to the results, students generally agreed that the FC functioned well, and that it was an effective, understandable, and well-guided way to study organizational and marketing communication. The students did not consider it to be too challenging, but rather found it an enjoyable and flexible way of learning. The use of videos was even found to be a relaxing way to study. These results are in line with previous studies, which have shown that university students consider the FC as a flexible (Wanner & Palmer, 2015) and enjoyable way to learn (Mortensen & Nicholson, 2015) that has improved students’ satisfaction with learning (O’Flaherty & Phillips, 2015). This particular course was previously taught using a more traditional lecturing mode. Our results show that 76% of students would prefer a FC and CI to traditional lecturing, which indicates that this type of pedagogical approach would also be beneficial for their learning in the future. Previously, this course was considered to be more challenging, and in 2015, for example, 8.4% of the students failed to complete the course. This time, the dropout rate was only 2.6%.

According to the business school curriculum, the knowledge-related learning objectives of the course focus on the understanding of the strategic role of organizational and marketing communication in successful organizations. The skills to be acquired include the application of communication theories and models in workplace cases, mastering different communication situations and tools, communication planning, and acquiring information-retrieval skills and the basics of academic writing. The core content of the course was outlined to include managerial and workplace communication, media relations, crisis communication, and integrated marketing communication. The results of our study showed that students reported learning within the fields of communication as defined in the curriculum. However, the course case directed the course content and learning outcomes toward crisis communication and workplace communication, and the learning outcomes in the field of integrated marketing communication remained modest. This may also indicate that the course content is simply too extensive and exhaustive and needs more careful framing.

The results indicate that students’ learning challenges were mainly related to individual essay writing, which included information-retrieval skills and composing an essay of 2,500 words. This is surprising since we used CI during the course and prepared the students for setting research questions, finding information, evaluating information, and sharing knowledge in a group. Previous studies indicate that CI supports students in gaining skills for self-directed learning (Justice et al., 2007). Therefore, as teachers, we thought that collaborative learning tasks would have prepared our students for individual writing tasks as well; however, this did not appear to be the case. These results indicate that more support is needed during individual writing tasks to enhance students’ learning. Previous studies have indicated that the learning processes of CI may be challenging for higher education students (Muukkonen & Lakkala, 2009). Therefore, peer support or writing an essay in a small group could enhance the essay-writing process in the future. Moreover, the students could consult the teacher, for example, in online settings and ask for advice when they face problems during the essay-writing process. In addition, the teacher could prepare some support materials (e.g., videos) regarding the essay-writing process and academic writing skills. The teacher could also collect frequently asked questions (FAQs) and their answers in the e-learning environment, so that students can easily find more information regarding academic writing.

Limitations

This study has certain limitations which must be taken into account when evaluating and interpreting the results. First, we investigated only one group of students and one organizational and marketing communication course. Therefore, we cannot compare the results with any other course or group of students. Second, the number of respondents was rather small in this study, but triangulation of two different data sources was used in order to build a coherent justification for the themes. Third, the learning outcomes achieved during the course were based only on students’ self-evaluations. In order to study the direct impact of the course on the students’ learning, a randomized controlled trial should have been designed (Creswell, 2003). However, this was not possible in our university. In the future, an assessment of the effectiveness of the course, built on the principles of FCs, CI, and CID, should be conducted by using a pre- and posttest design and by comparing this type of course to another (e.g., to a more traditional lecture-based course).

Conclusion

Educational institutions and individual instructors are encouraged to plan their curriculum and instruction with a view toward 21st-century skills, including collaboration, communication, and critical and creative thinking (Voogt & Roblin, 2012). Therefore, it is crucial to adopt pedagogies that develop these skills and prepare students for the workplace of the future. Based on our study, we maintain that the pedagogies utilized in the planning and implementation of the case course—FCs, CI, and CID—enabled a comprehensive model for teaching organizational and marketing communication and contributed to the desired learning experiences and outcomes that are relevant in the 21st century.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our students and to the UEF Business School and the UEF Learning Environments Multidisciplinary Research Team (Team Ameba) for collaborating on and participating in this study.

Authors’ Note

This study followed the guidelines of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity for research in the humanities and social and behavioral sciences. According to these guidelines, participation should be voluntary, be based on informed consent, avoid any harm, and collected data and participant privacy should be protected. The research was explained to all students verbally, and they also had access to a short video where research ethics, data management, and data protection procedures were explained. Informed consent was obtained from each participant, data are well protected, and there were no risks for the participants. Student comments are reproduced by permission.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Learning Environment Development Grant of the University of Eastern Finland and by the strategic funding of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, aiming to strengthen the pedagogical and digital skills of staff in higher education.

ORCID iD

Helena Kantanen

Author Biographies

Helena Kantanenis a former communications professional and current senior lecturer of Innovation Management at the University of Eastern Finland Business School. Her research interests include appreciative organizational renewal, value creation through communication consulting, learning and communication in virtual communities, and pedagogy in business education.

Jonna Koponenis accreditation manager and senior lecturer of International Business and Sales Communication at the University of Eastern Finland Business School. Her research focuses on international sales communication, buyer-seller relationship development, modern sales process, computer-mediated communication in business context, and communication education.

Erkko Sointuis a postdoctoral researcher (tenure track) of learning and novel teaching methods at the University of Eastern Finland. His research interests lie in the utilization and students’ perceptions of flipped classroom/learning (FC/L), technology in education, and strength-based approaches.

Teemu Valtonenis a tenure-track associate professor at the University of Eastern Finland, School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education. His research interests lie in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

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