Business and Professional Communication Quarterly 1–12 © 2015 by the Association for Business Communication Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/2329490615610777 bcq.sagepub.com Article Business Meeting Training on Its Head: Inverted and Embedded Learning Ellen Van Praet 1 Abstract This article explores the value of using embedding to extend the notion of first exposure learning in flipped classroom practices. It describes a preclass assignment for a meeting and negotiation skills course, in which students are instructed to observe an authentic business meeting, interview participants of the meeting, photograph the boardroom, draw a sketch of the seating arrangement, and write a reflective account. Its main argument is that immersion in corporate culture before class makes business communication training not only more authentic but also produces richer in-class discussions, ultimately leading to a level of metacognition associated with deep learning. Keywords classroom exercise, flipped classroom, ethnography, meeting, negotiation, portfolio, situated learning, authentic task In essence, “flipping the classroom” means that students gain first exposure to new material outside of class, usually via reading or lecture videos, and then use class time to do the harder cognitive work of assimilating that knowledge (application, analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation), supported by their peers and instructor (Brame, 2013). Whether it is via discussion, debates, minilectures, or “clicker questions” (Crouch & Mazur, 2001), the key to the “inverted classroom” (Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000) is to provide an opportunity for students to gain first exposure prior to class and preserve 1 Ghent University, Belgium Corresponding Author: Ellen Van Praet, Department of Translation, Interpreting and Communication, Ghent University, Groot-Brittanniëlaan 45, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Email: ellen.vanpraet@ugent.be 610777BCQ XX X 10.1177/2329490615610777Business and Professional Communication QuarterlyFlipped Classrooms research-article 2015 by guest on December 8, 2015 bcq.sagepub.com Downloaded from