We propose a new Coursera-University of Colorado Boulder collaboration titled “Effective Communication: Mastering Business Writing, Graphic Design, and Successful Presentation.” This specialization targets busy professionals who seek to enhance their careers by developing strong communication skills. Our focused, efficient lessons fill a clear market need: business publications cite the lack of writing and presentation skills in the workforce, and they also emphasize these skills’ importance to job performance. Our specialization fills this gap, but it also offers much more. While our students will learn practical, easy-to-apply techniques, our courses ultimately provide a path to self-realization. By learning to communicate with confidence, our students discover the transformative experience of projecting their best selves to the world.
“Effective Communication” gives students tools to achieve professional success. Every career hinges on writing, designing, and presenting ideas effectively. No matter how good an idea is, if it’s not delivered clearly and powerfully, it won’t achieve results—and it won’t reflect well on the presenter. A well-written document, a crisp visual, and a powerful speech communicate not just the concepts they contain, but also the personal brand of the professional who has delivered them. Our specialization teaches our students how to transmit their exceptional abilities to the world.
This specialization fills a clear market need. Although business managers emphasize that job success depends on well-developed communication and writing ability, they also complain about the lack of that ability amongst their employees. Corporations globally spend billions of dollars a year on additional writing and presentation training for their workforce. Clearly, employees who do not need additional training have an advantage in the workplace. Effective Communication offers that benefit to our learners.
The lessons of Effective Communication focus on practical, easy-to-learn and easy-to-apply techniques. By the end of the course, our learners will:
• Understand the common principles that inform writing, design, and presentation;
• Write well organized, clear documents;
• Design impactful, elegant slides; and
• Speak with confidence and power.
Effective Communication delivers skills that serve as the foundation for success in any career. This specialization addresses a clear market need as employees increasingly enter the workforce without the ability to present themselves in the most effective way possible. Our focused techniques are easy to learn and easy to apply, so that our learners can make immediate improvements in their work. Beyond teaching practical lessons, our courses intertwine into a journey of self-discovery. Our mission is to push our students to discover, become, and believe in their best selves through their ability to communicate powerfully and confidently.