Defining Communication Skills

What do we talk about when we talk about

communication? Students and staff had a well-defined

concept of communication skills that included a keen

sense of audience awareness, the presence of personal

attributes such as confidence, an appreciation of the

differences in modes of presentation and an identifiable

set of desired outcomes such as concise report writing.

Specifically, they saw effective communication skills as

the ability to:

1. Convey ideas to people who don't necessarily

understand a particular concept.

2. Be concise, confident and adaptable in presenting

yourself and your ideas.

3. Take criticism and listen to conflicting

views/ideas.

4. Conduct a productive meeting; be diplomatic in

small group situations.

5. Effectively utilise a variety of modes of

presentation, such as face-to-face/remote,

written/spoken, public/private, group/individual.

6. Construct reasonable, rational, logical arguments

and to arrange evidence appropriately to support

an argument.

7. Ascertain what information needs to be conveyed

and thus provide what is requested.

8. Listen or read others' communications and

comprehend and understand.

9. Have a keen sense of audience awareness,

including giving technical presentations to both

fellow students and non-technical friends and

family.

10. Write clearly and concisely.

11. Use language that is appropriate for both the topic

and the audience at hand.

When asked to identify the three most important skills

needed to communicate effectively, respondents singled

out audience awareness, critical thinking and presentation skills