International business is a lucrative field that many young people choose to pursue academically. It allows them to develop relevant skills to run their businesses, become financial experts, or work as inbound marketing, sales, or PR professionals afterward.
Due to COVID-19, however, many academic institutions have shifted toward online learning, international business classes and majors included. Here are a few tips on how you can still pursue international business education for your students online to facilitate their academic development.
Draw Examples and Case Studies from International Business
There is a plethora of real-world cases studies and examples of how international business management should be handled. Harvard University’s business management section has its own set of business case studies that you can use to teach. Using these examples in your classes will make memorizing theory and applying it to practical exercises easier for your students. Real-world cases will also better prepare your students to tackle actual projects later on.
Prepare your Classes Weeks in Advance
Despite teaching international business online, you should still adhere to a formal semester curriculum. Go over your planned lessons, classes, and assignments weeks before they are due. This will help you organize written essays, papers, theoretical exams, and other study points for your classroom. It will give you enough time to look for international business examples from other countries to use as case studies. You can use top online translation services to properly translate and localize any foreign language materials you come across while preparing classes.
Record Your Classes for On-Demand Learning
Teaching international business online means that some of your students may not be able to attend live online classes. They might be doing internships, working, or tending to other classes. You should record your lessons and make them available to your classroom, so they can learn from them whenever they want. This is very helpful since students can listen to previous lessons while preparing for exams or writing their essays.
Use Various Content Types in your Classes
By relying on online teaching, you open the door for a wide range of content types in your classroom. You can discuss international business trends, publications, and blog posts with your students in an open discussion environment. Likewise, you can use documentaries, news reports, or podcasts as references or recommended learning materials. Don’t box yourself in and use only presentations and textbooks to teach online – adapt to the new digital medium.
Send your Students Learning Materials Via Email
You can make it a habit to send useful links, research papers, and study notes to your students after each online class. Gather your students’ emails and use them to send valuable learning materials to the classroom whenever you find something interesting. While not all students will use them, those that do will appreciate the effort you put into looking for relevant study materials.
Assign Homework Writing Assignments and Case Studies
Students who learn remotely are in a unique position where they don’t have to commute or lose precious time on campus. Instead, they can tend to do more homework assignments and essay writing from home. You can instruct students to use essay writing help online when they are short on time and need a professional editor to proofread their papers. Be liberal with the deadlines you assign for written assignments, but make them a regular part of your international business education online.
Schedule Discussion-Based Classes to Talk to Your Students
As you go through online classes, you should enable your students to speak their minds on the various international business topics you covered. This will allow them to develop their rhetorical and presentation skills in a controlled environment. Moreover, students will look forward to new classes more fondly and be more engaged with your classes thanks to being able to speak their minds.
Track and Evaluate your Students’ Online Learning Progress
Lastly, you should carefully track your students’ performance over the semester in regards to the international business curriculum. Each student will naturally gravitate toward different niches and specializations in international business. Help each student pursue their own goals in the field and evaluate their performance fairly while doing so. Adopt a mentor’s position instead of being an authoritative figure and your students will respect you more for it.
Being an Effective Online International Business Educator (Conclusion)
With 2022 close by, signs point toward online learning becoming the new norm in academia. Teaching international business in an online classroom doesn’t have to be negative. You can still use traditional textbooks, written assignments, and online resources to teach your students. Look at the situation from a positive aspect and you will become a more efficient teacher as a result.
