Re: Working Problems or playtime?

[Tom Russ <tomruss@mindspring.com>]

Donald said:

> They don't read or listen for meaning. And they often draw unwarranted and
incorrect  > extrapolations from things because they lack the skills of
logical inference. We need to help > them more to overcome these deficiencies.

Listening for meaning is the key.  I was 25 years old when I attended a
one-week leadership workshop which included listening skills as one of its
essential threads.  It changed my life.  I had never been taught _how_ to
listen.  Some years, I have included three days of listening skills training
in the early part of the year, then modeled active/reflective listening and
helped train the students in listening in the course of the year.  Good
listening skills is an essential difference between the most successful
students and their peers.

Here are some things (I do) to help students overcome some deficiencies
Donald mentioned:

During lab activities,  help them develop more effective communication
strategies by catching them using good (and bad) communication techniques.
Demonstrate to them that sometimes they must say, "so your saying. . . "
before refuting or accepting an argument.  They will strengthen their
logical skills with strengthened communication skills.  In addition to
making content-related comments  relating to measurement and technique, make
comments about communication skills.

With the emphasis on teams in most work environments, communication skills
are more important than ever.  I had one student who returned to thank me
for teaching teamwork after a successful  interview with a major chemical
corporation .  When the interviewers asked him about his role as a team
member, he responded with anecdotes from his experience in lab and group
problem-solving in my course.  In four years of college, he said everything
he learned about working with people was through applying communication
skills he learned from me.   (I balanced that against the students who
complain that I don't prepare them for the tests I give.)