Employability and Oral communication skills Research Findings and Issues Arising Oral communication is the skill that students in the quantitative research reported as finding most challenging. The table below shows a breakdown of the individual aspects of oral communication ranked by degree of difficulty: Oral Communication % Very

% Not

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Det ermining

Dividing my

Remembering

Speaking in

Operat ing t he

Managing my

Speaking

Art iculat ing

Keeping t o t he

Summing up

Underst anding Evaluat ing t he

what aspect s

present at ion

what I want t o

f ront of ot her

audio-visual

not es and

clearly and

my ideas

t ime limit

my

and responding st rengt hs and

say

st udent s or my

equipment

speaking at t he

audibly

coherent ly

my

int o

present at ion

convenient

should cover

sect ions

t ut or

same t ime

present at ion

t o quest ions weakness of my f rom t he

present at ion

audience

35% of students in the quantitative research sample stated that they found speaking in front of their tutor and fellow students very challenging, for which suffering from nerves when speaking in a group situation was the most common reason given. [From: Doing all right? Employment skills, disability and ethnicity among archaeology students (2003) by Michael Reynier & Annie Grant as part of the ESAC project] A number of Dyslexic students interviewed during the qualitative survey stated that they found it problematic to refer to written text and speak concurrently. However, despite the difficulties experienced by students in relation to oral communication, employers and lecturers who were interviewed did not share students’ concerns and were generally positive about their ability to communicate verbally; the exception to this was where students encountered problems identifying and articulating their skills to graduate employers [see section Employability and PDP]. The students are reasonably good at presentations; they do tend to dread them though… [Lecturer]

Issue 1: Confidence It is, perhaps, too easy to dismiss being nervous when speaking in front of a group as inherent in most students, but it seems to point to an important underlying issue, namely confidence. Given that most university Learning and Teaching Strategies cite giving graduates confidence, and among employers the confidence of an applicant is frequently listed as a requisite to successful job hunting, evidence that over one half of the quantitative sample group finds a ten minute presentation challenging must give rise to concerns over students’ confidence in this skill area.

The qualitative study also revealed the devastating impact that seemingly trivial ‘nerves’ relating to oral communication can have on a student’s academic performance: I’m really bad at presentations, I used to be ok, but last year something snapped and then I had a complete panic attack and now I’m absolutely petrified of them. I think I’ll just have to keep doing them, but every time I do them, it gets worse… it doesn’t worry me in terms of getting a job, but I’m really worried about what will happen once I’m there. [3rd Year Student] The qualitative depth research found that some students will base their choice of academic modules on the oral communication requirements: I’m not very good at oral communications – doing presentations and stuff. I am a bit wary of it, so I opted for modules where you do less of it. I’ve only given one presentation this year... I haven’t chosen to do modules where I have to do a lot of oral communication because I don’t want to be assessed on them because it will bring down my grades…I just get nervous, and I go red very easily. That completely puts me off… [2nd year Student]

Issue 2: Technical Aspects Other sub-skills, tied in to oral communication, which students found particularly challenging were related to the technical aspects of giving an oral presentation. Students cited concerns over ‘remembering what I want to say’ ‘speaking clearly and audibly’ and managing my notes and speaking at the same time’; Students with Dyslexia found the latter skills particularly difficult.

Issue 3: Skills Perceptions More general academic skills, some of which were raised in the responses to written communication in the quantitative survey, are also of concern here. A significant (13%) number of students found ‘articulating my ideas coherently’ and ‘evaluating the strengths and weakness of my presentation’ highly challenging. Similarly, some aspects of oral communication that staff suggested were problematic for many students, such as ‘dividing presentations into convenient sections’ and ‘summing up presentations’, are not perceived as such by the students in the quantitative survey sample. As with writing skills, this may point to more fundamental concerns, namely that these skills simply do not register with students as important, or are perceived as irrelevant, and therefore have been recorded as not challenging in this survey. [From: Doing all right? Employment skills, disability and ethnicity among archaeology students (2003) by Michael Reynier & Annie Grant as part of the ESAC project]

Issue 4: Seminars and Tutorials Most students associate oral communication with presentations to groups, as a major preoccupation and source of anxiety. However of number of students also highlighted the difficulty of talking in other academic contexts such as seminars and tutorials, which were not always found to be managed effectively: Also, you have to talk in seminars, but it tends to be the same people doing all the talking all the time. Sometimes the facilitator will pick on individuals to take part, but others just let the ones who usually talk get on with it… [1st Year Law Student] This approach can be particularly problematic for students with disabilities in the light of feedback from Dyslexic and hearing impaired students who reported some additional difficulties in oral communication in group situations. Ensuring that all participants are given the opportunity and encouragement to contribute to oral discussions should be a key role of the facilitator.

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Issue 5: Feedback and Assessment The issue of feedback and assessment of oral presentations was also raised by a large proportion of students. From the qualitative depth research, students stated that they felt they did not receive adequate feedback from their lecturers. However, this may be an issue of how feedback is delivered: oral presentations do not leave a physical record in the way that written work does; it is possible that verbal feedback is not always recalled by a student who is likely to be in a nervous state. We don’t tend to get any feedback when it comes to presentations… [2nd year student] This area needs further investigation. It may be that students cannot always see the differentiation between training, practice and formal presentations where assessment models may be different.

Issue 6: IT and Oral Communication Many students made the connection between facility with software applications for presentations (e.g. PowerPoint) and proficiency in oral communication. As a mature student I have had limited experience with using computer software for presentations. More help at undergrad. level to learn and master these resources would have been helpful… [3rd Year Student] We have had to do a lot of presentations that were really useful and using PowerPoint. PowerPoint is just the most fantastic tool, it suddenly made giving presentations so much easier – it helps so much, not just in presentation, but in organizing your thoughts and having a focus for when you are actually talking… [Postgraduate student] As PowerPoint is used more frequently in schools, many undergraduates are likely to start their University courses with a good level of proficiency in presentation software. However, mature students may require additional support.

Strategies for Success Providing Opportunities for Practice Oral communication skills are largely developed by practice, and the level of student concern over them suggests that more formal provision for oral communication is required. However, a sudden increase in the number of formal presentation sessions may undermine students’ already fragile confidence, and be impractical within timetabling constraints. It may be more effective to introduce more opportunities for students to develop their oral communication skills in a series of short, informal exercises which enable learners to develop and apply their skills in a less intimidating environment. Students can then proceed to more formal activities and develop and apply their skills progressively. An increase in the number of presentations that are not assessed in an informal environment makes things much more relaxed and less stressful has increased my confidence… [2nd Year Student] It may also help students to develop their oral communication skills in seminars by setting the task of discussing issues or problems in small groups and presenting their findings, in brief, to the rest of the group. Students can be more confident when they are presenting collective opinion, rather than their individual thoughts.

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Tips for Positive Communication: speech impairments ¾ The ability to understand impaired speech improves with continued exposure and listening, as does the ability to understand a foreign accent. ¾ Include the following statement on the course syllabus and repeat it during the first class meeting: "If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office location and hours are …” ¾ Be patient and listen. ¾ Do not provide words or finish sentences for a person who stutters or speaks with difficulty; let the person complete his or her thoughts. ¾ Give students with communication disabilities the opportunity to participate in class discussions as much as possible, even if extra time is necessary. ¾ If the course requires oral communication and the student is unable to communicate orally, arrange for alternative methods, such as written communication that might be shared with the class; some students will, on occasion, use laptop speech synthesizers for communication in class. ¾ Encourage participation, but do not require a student with a communication difficulty to speak in front of the class. ¾ Allow students who are unable to communicate orally to use a word processor, sign board, or sign interpreter in class. ¾ If you do not understand what is being said, do not pretend to know; tell the student you do not understand and allow him or her to repeat the communication. Suggested Classroom Accommodations Students with speech impairments seldom require the test accommodations that students with other disabilities need; however, the following considerations are important: ¾ Written assignments or responses to specific questions that can be shared with the class by someone else reading them aloud are an alternative to oral presentations. ¾ For students who choose to participate orally, faculty and class members should be patient, offering encouragement and an opportunity to develop self-confidence in a challenging situation. [source: Ball State University http://www.bsu.edu/dsd/fac-speech/] Peer Group Learning It can be effective to give students opportunity for peer group learning in the area of oral communication skills. Students could receive feedback from their fellow learners on short presentations in informal sessions which take place without the presence of a tutor. Constructive criticism (and encouragement!) could be relayed to the presenter through the use of a feedback sheet. Students could be encouraged to organize these sessions independently; the level of concern relating to oral communication skills suggests that they would be sufficiently motivated to do so. Motivation Our qualitative research findings demonstrate that there is a high level of motivation among students to improve their oral communication skills, which is unique to this skill area. Students value their own ideas and creativity and, despite their reluctance to speak in group situations, are driven to express them:

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I had a seminar group and I sat there in silence although I didn’t agree with what someone had said. Afterwards I felt frustrated that I hadn’t got my point across, so next time, I got over the fear of feeling stupid and spoke out, and felt that I got my argument over pretty well… [1st Year Student] This instinct for self expression can be usefully harnessed: a controversial discussion topic can elicit contributions from the most reluctant contributor: Our tutor stopped asking us to do formal presentations all the time, instead producing a handout to stimulate class discussion. More people are able to voice opinions and often discussion can be quite lively… [2nd Year Student] Feedback and Assessment In the absence of a permanent record of a verbal performance, it is important that students are given detailed, structured feedback in relation to their oral presentations. Some students reported that feedback via a tick sheet, completed by the lecturer during the presentation was extremely helpful. It is important that students are familiar with the criteria on which their presentation is assessed and that they are given this information when the assignment is allocated. It is also advisable that these criteria are not too extensive, as they will need to be assessed during the relatively short duration of the presentation Unsurprisingly, a number of respondents stated that the ‘friendly’ audience which they encountered in the University environment was helpful for relieving pressure and increasing confidence when making presentations: The staff can be friendly to people presenting information, which helps because it eases tension and builds up confidence, however when the environment is hostile this does not happen... [2nd Year Student] For students who choose to participate orally, lecturers and class members should be patient, offering encouragement and an opportunity to develop self-confidence in a challenging situation.

Examples of Practice University of Washington: DO-IT Effective Communication: Faculty and Students with Disabilities http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/effective.html DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology... Mooting http://www.mootingnet.org.uk/ Mooting is an extremely popular, and largely voluntary, activity which provides students with considerable opportunity to develop and apply their oral communication skills. Although mooting has its origins and practice in Law courses, it could be extended to other disciplines…

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