Integrating Intercultural Communication Competence into Entrepreneurially-Minded Online Discussions

Abstract: The continued rise of the global economy, especially during COVID-19, has required stakeholders, including higher education, to think more strategically about preparing future university graduates with intercultural skill development. This study contributes to the literature by showing one approach whereby faculty can integrate intercultural communication competence into the STEM classroom via entrepreneurially-minded online discussions (a form of information literacy). This semester-long study applied a mixed methods approach. First, students participated in five online discussions, which were analyzed qualitatively to identify themes and patterns. Second, at the end of the semester, after completing the online discussions, students responded to a survey assessing their perceptions related to student learning and student satisfaction. The findings show that student perceptions of information literacy were high. Moreover, themes identified within the online discussions align well with the traditional communication process. Integrating intercultural competence into entrepreneurially-minded online discussions within the STEM classroom can be seen as “low hanging fruit” in that the return on investment for faculty is very high (i.e., requires minimal lecture time and promotes optimal connections to the real world)