Oral Communication (and Listening Skills)

In defining this Student Learning Outcome, California Lutheran University states:

Students will:
Communicate publicly in a clear, engaging and confident manner
Effectively create, organize, and support ideas for a particular audience
Critically evaluate content and delivery of oral communication
The School of Business at California Lutheran University (adds Listening Skills
explicitly to this Student Learning Outcome) and further states:
Speaking Skills:
Basic speaking skills are expected for college students. Students in classes must be able
to ask questions when they have them, present their ideas and opinions, work with others
on group projects, relate to others socially, and answer questions. These skills are
essential for educational environments. As students progress through their majors, they
develop additional skills required in their future professions. Advanced skills must be
developed and honed throughout one's lifetime. We've been able to identify basic,
advanced, and blends of speaking skills for college and beyond. Take a look at this new
list of Communication Skills for College Students and Graduates .1 This link is a
valuable resource for building rubrics to aid in the assessment of assignments which
include a speaking component. This list of communication skills has been developed by
the National Communication Association for the use of college and university professors
as they design courses and assignments. The skills list is comprehensive and includes
differentiation between those necessary to inform, persuade, manage conversation,
manage conflict, and interpersonal and group work. Further, the skillset necessary to
organize, manage and deliver speaking assignments is addressed, including nonverbal
communication.
Listening Skills:
Communication is a two-way process. Listening is an important (perhaps the most) skill.
Several studies have confirmed that listening skills are identified as more important than
speaking, writing, or managerial skills. In interpersonal communication, listening with
empathy is a skill to be refined. In media professions, asking the right questions and
listening carefully to the answers are both essential. Listed below are various types of
listening and their definitions (Barker, 1984). Some people have better remembering
abilities, whereas others have better comprehending skills. Listening isn't a singular
activity.
Hearing: The ear determines that sounds are apparent. Hearing difficulties will
impede the listening process.
Perceiving: The person hears sounds and determines that they are worthy of
paying attention to.
1

http://www.library.kent.edu/page/10867

Attending: The listener pays attention to what is being said, trying to avoid
distractions.
Comprehending: The listener assigns meaning to the words or sounds.
Remembering: Having heard, attended to, and comprehended the message, the
listener remembers what was said or heard.
Responding: The listener lets the speaker know that the message was
comprehended or does something to reflect accurate message reception.2

At business listening.com, several articles are available to use as references if listening

skills is a Student Learning Outcome for a course. These include recommended
references for students and faculty, alike, such as Steven Coveys 7 Habits of Higly
Effective People, an article by Paul Glen (writier and business consultant), 5 steps to
Poor Listening: The IT Professionals Guide, and an article by Bruce Wilson (an
executive coach), How to Listen (Attentive Listening Skills).
Summarizing the need for both speaking and listening skills: Communication is a
prerequisite to problem-solving and one of the most fundamental skills in life.
Communication could be defined as mutual understanding. The main problem in
communication is the translation problem: translating what we mean into what we say
and translating what we say into what we mean. The first challenge, therefore, is to learn
to say what we mean; the second challenge is to learn to listen so that we understand
what others mean. (Stephen Covey, Principle Centered Leadership)3
Level of Assessment (based on Blooms Taxonomy4:)
Level 1: Knowledge and Comprehension
At this level of knowing, students should be able to recognize the terminology from
literature/discussion about Oral Communication and Listening Skills. They would be
aware of the importance of the development of those skills for success in their chosen
careers.
Level 2: Application and Analysis
At this level of knowing, students would be able to recognize various levels of quality
in communication skills. In course work, they would be reading about, as well as
practicing communication skills. They would be able to provide constructive
feedback to peers. They would recognize and apply constructive feedback as they
strive to develop their own communication skills.
Level 3: Synthesis and Evaluation
Achievement at this level would include an advanced ability to communicate and
listen. Students would be able to critique and evaluate communication skills of
others. They would have adopted communication and listening skills for differing
situations, occasions and requirements. They would be adept at constructively using
2

http://www.library.kent.edu/page/10867
http://www.jacksonleadership.com/services/listen_skills.php
4
http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm
3

communication for conflict resolution, team building and developing interpersonal

relationships.
For student assessment, sample questions and a more detailed look at what is expected at
all 6 levels of knowledge in Blooms Taxonomy, this link is helpful.