• This course introduces the theoretical foundations and practical processes of designing training programs for organizational and business contexts. It is designed for graduate students in the Business Communication master program and therefore combines curriculum theory, instructional design, adult learning, intercultural communication theory, and applied training development.
• The course begins with the foundations of curriculum development. Students first explore what a curriculum is, what a training program is, and how these concepts differ from and overlap with related concepts such as syllabus, module, lesson plan, workshop, seminar, learning intervention, and training package. The course then introduces key approaches to curriculum development, including objective-based, learner-centered, competency-based, backward-design, process-oriented, and culturally responsive approaches.
• The first four sessions are mainly theoretical. They focus on curriculum and training as planned educational interventions, curriculum development models, aims, goals, objectives, outcomes, and competencies, and the theoretical grounding of training. The later sessions are practice-oriented. Students individually design a focused intercultural communication training program for a clearly defined organizational need, target group, and learning aim.
• The course builds on the existing course idea of preparing students to design, develop, and evaluate trainings for organizational settings, with attention to needs assessment, learning objectives, training materials, delivery strategies, and evaluation of training impact.

After successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. explain the differences and similarities between curriculum, syllabus, course, module, lesson plan, workshop, and training program,
2. critically discuss major approaches to curriculum development and relate them to organizational training design,
3. distinguish between aims, goals, objectives, learning outcomes, competencies, and assessment criteria,
4. formulate coherent, measurable, and theoretically grounded learning outcomes for training,
5. analyze organizational problems and translate them into specific training needs,
6. apply curriculum and instructional design models to the development of communication training programs,
7. develop an individual training program for a specific organizational target group and learning aim,
8. design an evaluation plan to assess participant learning, satisfaction, behavioral transfer, and organizational relevance.

• Regular attendance is required because the course combines theoretical discussion, design workshops, peer feedback, and project development. Students are expected to attend all sessions, complete the assigned readings before class, participate actively in discussions, and contribute constructively to peer feedback activities.
• Attendance is especially important from the practical design phase onward, because students will gradually develop their individual training program through in-class workshops. Missed sessions may affect the quality of the final project, particularly where peer review, design consultation, or project presentations are involved.
• A minimum attendance requirement of 80% is recommended. Students who miss more than the permitted number of sessions should complete an additional compensatory task, such as a written theoretical reflection or an extended design rationale, depending on the missed content.

• The course uses a combination of theory-based teaching and practice-oriented design work. The first part of the course consists mainly of short lectures, guided reading discussions, conceptual clarification, and analysis of curriculum and training models. The second part functions as a design studio in which students gradually develop their own intercultural communication training program.
• The teaching philosophy of the course is based on constructive alignment. The course itself models the principles students are expected to use in their own training design. Therefore, course aims, learning outcomes, readings, classroom activities, assignments, and assessment criteria are aligned with the final task of designing a theoretically grounded and practically usable pragmatic training program.

Final individual project

Each student designs an individual training program with a very specific aim. The training should not be a broad generic program such as “intercultural communication training.” It should address a clearly defined organizational need. The final training program portfolio should include: title of the training program, target group, organizational context, training need/problem statement, theoretical justification, overall aim, specific goals and learning outcomes, session structure or training agenda, training content, training activities, materials or handouts, facilitation strategy, assessment/evaluation plan and short reflection on limitations and possible improvement.

• The course is designed for graduate students in the Business Communication master program. Students should have an interest in intercultural communication, organizational communication, training, teaching, facilitation, or professional development.
• No previous formal experience in curriculum development or training design is required. However, students are expected to engage with theoretical readings and apply them to practical design tasks.
• If the number of registrations exceeds available places, priority should be given according to the program’s official registration and waiting-list regulations.

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• Students should have basic knowledge of intercultural communication, organizational communication, or business communication. Familiarity with qualitative research methods, such as interviews or observation, is helpful but not required.
• Useful previous skills include: reading and discussing academic texts, analyzing organizational communication problems, writing learning outcomes, giving and receiving peer feedback, designing presentations or workshops, reflecting critically on culture, power, identity, and communication.

• The lecturer is available by email and during office hours by appointment. Students are encouraged to contact the lecturer early if they need support with narrowing their training topic, defining a target group, formulating learning outcomes, or designing training activities.

Office: D2 Building, Room 300
Consultation: by appointment

• This is a "device free" course. That is, students are asked to turn off their devices during the sessions.
• Students are expected to submit original work.
• AI tools may be used for brainstorming, language editing, visual design, or formatting support, but not as a substitute for the student’s own conceptual, theoretical, and design work. Any use of AI tools must be disclosed briefly in the submitted assignment.
• Because the final project is a training design portfolio, students should avoid overly broad topics. A strong project identifies a specific target group, a specific communication challenge, and a specific learning aim.