In recent years, client-based projects have become a popular method of bridging the gap between the “ivory tower” and the “real world” as instructors require students to put their skills to work for communities, non-profit organizations, or small businesses. Panelists present three client-based experiences: good, bad, and ugly.
''How Will This Affect My Grade?'' by Jennifer Veltsos
Seventeen students in a graduate professional communication course were paired with the owner of a small posada in Mexico to create professional documents for her business. The cultural differences that the students were prepared to address took a backseat to the problem of establishing common objectives for the project when the goals and intentions of the students--including earning grades and satisfying the criteria of the course--did not match those of the client.
''Disagreement, Dishonesty, and Dirt in 'the Real World'' by Matthew Search
From an new instructor's perspective, a client-based project can seem like an ideal vehicle to motivate students, encourage creativity, and teach practical business communication skills. In practice, however, a client project introduces an element of chance into the syllabus: By bringing a client into the classroom, the instructor must balance the valuable insights that students can gain with the risks of ceding authority and control to a third party with conflicting goals.
''Vetting the Client'' by Dr. Dave Roberts
An experimental cross-departmental learning community at Iowa State University now encompasses four courses--two in agronomy, one in economics, and one in English. Students are employed at a fictional consulting firm that works with Iowa farmers. Unlike many other ''pretend'' projects, this project includes real farmer-clients who actually use the information in students' reports. This presentation will share experiences and offer some suggestions for structuring such projects for success.