MAPPING IDEAS: A COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY.

This article focuses on the challenge of helping learners to understand the realistic implications in business coursework. It begins with an overview about the reasoning used to examine adjusting a core course, business communication, required for all business majors. The next section reports findings from a pilot study that used concept maps via industry expectations to develop aBusiness Communication assignment focused on improving realistic understanding of business fields and writing deliverables.The final section discusses how connections between coursework and industry expectations helped business majors develop applicable discipline-based skills expected by industry.