Evans, James (author), Lindsay, Robert (author), and University of Illinois; University of Minnesota
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
1970-09
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 29 Document Number: B02870
Notes:
Project file maintained in the Agricultural Communications Program office, University of Illinois > "International" section > "MUCIA/ICDC Latin America Trip - Evans", Mimeographed, 1970. 22 p. Report to the MUCIA International Communication Development Council based on an exploratory trip to Latin America, June-July, 1970.
18 pages., via online journal., Meeting the demands of a proficient scientific workforce depends on students’ communication skill preparation. To describe students’ self-perceptions of their communication skills, we surveyed 315 students in Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Participants noted they were most proficient in their ability to listen effectively and least proficient in asking effective questions. Each communication skill characteristic showed a statistically significant difference before and after college engagement, but we found no statistically significant difference in the overall communication scores of students. Therefore, we recommend: 1) interviewing employers to understand their perceptions of entry-level employees; 2) investigating when students transition from false sense of confidence to actual confidence; 3) conducting a longitudinal study to investigate students’ perceptions of communication skills throughout their college experience; 4) evaluating faculty’s communication
teaching methods across disciplines; and 5) investigating the influence of self-reflection on students’ attained communication skills. Conducting such studies could lead to stronger connections between the academy and the industry, especially as faculty strive to align their teaching with needs of the industry.
