Owner: Paula Secondo
INTENDED OUTCOMES
"...the NCA has identified several communication skills that are vital for students to learn at both basic and advanced levels (Morreale, Rubin, & Jones, 1998). These skills include, among others, the ability to recognize when it is appropriate to speak, to speak clearly and expressively, to present ideas in an organizational pattern that allows others to understand them, to listen attentively, to select and use the most appropriate and effective medium for communication, to structure a message appropriately, to identify others’ level of receptivity to their message, to give information and to support it with illustrations and examples." (from Oral Communication Skills in Higher Education by Dunbar, Brooks and Kubicka-Miller)
GUIDELINES
Should count for a minimum of 10% of the students' final grade. May be combined with other FYE elements.
IMPLEMENTATION
Possible examples include:
- One individual oral presentation (minimum of 5 minutes) to ascertain students' ability to formulate an argument and communicate ideas and thoughts clearly.
- One group presentation (minimum of 5 minutes per person) which reinforces the importance of working collaboratively.
- Debate format presentation in which each contributor debates for approximately 5 minutes, to develop the students' ability to speak clearly, efficiently and effectively.
ASSESSMENT
Faculty should establish clear criteria to evaluate student work. For example, faculty could determine how successfully (e.g., 1-5 scale) students achieved each of the following criteria. Peer assessment has also been suggested as an effective tool.
- Chooses and narrows topic appropriately.
- Communicates topic clearly.
- Uses suppporting materials appropriately.
- Organizes presentation logically.
- Uses language appropriate to audience and topic.
- Uses correct grammar and articulation.
- Uses appropriate physical behaviors.
(Adapted from the Competent Speaker Rubric from Maricopa CC)