Future Skills Case Study: SGMA 591

Teaching team 

• Dr. Jim Dewald, PhD
• Jenna Baker, student partner

Cohort 

Fourth-year business students (~50 students each section) 

Module 

Constructive dialogue is an enabling skill that supports students’ performance in the course. The module was selected in response to continued student dissatisfaction with group work and concerns from industry partners that graduates often lack strong communication, collaboration, and dialogue skills. The instructor wanted students to leave the course better equipped to navigate group dynamics beyond the classroom and into professional environments. 

Focus 

Developing students’ ability to engage in constructive dialogue during high-stakes group decision-making, particularly in strategic contexts where disagreement and tension are common. 

Applied learning

Students reflected on in-class learning (a large group project and an in-class debate) as well as work and their personal lives.  

Assessment 

• Students submitted the FUSION Student Workbook.   
• Learning was assessed using a rubric developed by the instructor. The workbook evaluated students’ ability to reflect on their approach to group work before and after the module, apply constructive dialogue principles, and connect those insights to course content and real-life experiences. 

Grading 

20% of final grade 

Pacing 

• One deadline was provided at the end of the semester for the student workbook. 
• Students were expected to complete the explore phase before the in-class activity. 

In-class integration 

• The module was introduced early in the semester to establish expectations and context. 
• Students completed the Explore phase independently before participating in a flipped-classroom workshop. A Mentimeter-based knowledge check was used to assess understanding from the Explore phase early in the semester.  
• The in-class workshop included: 
• A structured, debate-style activity using a real business case, requiring students to argue competing strategic options and reach a group decision 
• A live reflection component completed in the workbook during class allowed students to reflect immediately after practicing their skills 

Observed impact 

The module contributed to a noticeable shift in how students approached group work.  Including more willingness to engage in disagreement, more structured discussions, or stronger alignment in the final project. 

Insights  

• Condense the workbook and set word count expectations. There was a high workload associated with marking lengthy workbooks, as students invested a lot of time for the 20%.  
• Add structured checkpoints throughout the semester to encourage ongoing engagement. Otherwise, there is difficulty ensuring students completed modules and reflections progressively rather than all at once near the end of the semester. 
• Customize workbook questions to align more closely with course content. 

Feedback from students and the teaching team

“The level of effort students put into the workbook showed that they had genuinely taken ideas from the module and applied them to real-life situations.”  — Dewald

"This semester, I had the most productive and positive group project experiences because I, as well as my group members, made conscious efforts to apply constructive dialogue skills. We had so much synergy in our final project, and using the skills we learned in the explore phase had a huge impact. Even in my group projects in other classes where we weren’t learning about constructive dialogue skills, i noticed that simply using them myself had a positive, contagious effect and encouraged everyone else to follow suit." — Student feedback