What are some ways to develop effective communication in the classroom?
Effective communication may be developed through group projects. When students work together in a team enviornment, it gives them the opportunity to develop professionalism skills. It also provides the opportunity to use critical thinking and communication. There are many aspects to effective communication including active listnening and problem solving. When students complete projects in a group setting it also gives them the opportunity to work on conflict resolution skills and time management.
I agree. Group projects or activities help to promote team building skills and professional skills. The feedback I get regarding my medical assisting students, is they just don't know how to talk to people in the workforce. I use scenarios and mock clinics to help them interact with each other, as if they were in those real life situations. The more practice they receive in the classroom, the better they will be in the workforce.
Groups working together on a project actually puts the students in the role of instructor in many ways, the individuals who have more experience/knowledge can help the ones who are a little less experienced and therefore everyone benefits. I've also noticed that having a student help another student often makes it less intimidating than if I as instructor were to provide feedback/guidance. I monitor the interactions so that incorrect info doesn't get out there, but for the most part - having groups work together is very beneficial for faciliating learning.
One method we like to use in cooking school is a "kickstarter"; it's basically a way to break the ice and get students to offer feedback on an event or topic that may be only loosely related to the curriculum. Every Wednesday, for example, I would read the New York Times restaurant review at the start of class. It became easier to elicit feedback and "prime the pumps", because we could all relate to a dining experience either as a customer, cook or server.
I like Paul's comment, the different perspectives to approach the assignment.
