Touro University School of Business faculty members Professor Charles Priolo and Dr. Gavin Goldstein (R) have been invited to present at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) 2024 Conference in Puerto Rico. Ta.
Dr. Goldstein, an expert in corporate social responsibility (CSR), discussed difficult issues in the field in a lecture titled “The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility in Business Education.” “Companies have entire departments dedicated to CSR, but as academics, we don't have a concrete definition of CSR,” Dr. Goldstein explained about the presentation. “That makes it very difficult to research, teach and promote this field. There is this term, but no one knows what it is.”
In his talk titled “The Impact of AI Presentation Training Software on Students,” Professor Priolo talked about experimenting with AI in public speaking classes. “Software His program PitchVantage allows students to practice their public speaking skills in the privacy of their own homes,” explained Priolo, who used the program in conjunction with in-class presentations.
“This program provides students with feedback on their tone, pace, and eye contact via a virtual audience.”
Mr. Priolo's presentation builds on his recent paper, which measured outcomes between a control group that did only in-class presentations and an experimental group that used in-class presentations in conjunction with software. The results showed that there was a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group.
“When we surveyed students about what teaching methods they should use, 85% said they preferred a combination of using PitchVantage and giving an oral presentation in front of the class, rather than just presenting in class. I liked the approach,” he said.
Both presentations were well attended.
“It was a great experience to discuss CSR and bounce ideas off of others working on the same issues,” said Dr. Goldstein. “We now have a more precise definition of this topic and how it can be implemented in the business world. This conference highlighted our efforts as academics; bringing experts together in the same room. We sit down, discuss ideas, and come up with solutions.”
Professor Priolo said meeting with other experts would be beneficial for both the professor and the university.
“I think it's very important to be aware of what's going on in the business world,” he said. “And this is a good opportunity for us at GSB to demonstrate our capabilities. Sharing knowledge with each other in an academic forum is a win-win situation in all respects.”
