Geschreven door Liza Meuldijk | December 21, 2016
On average, there is little space for training communication skills within academic education. This makes sense, as a role play with 150 students can be difficult to realize. Tools that simulate situations in the form of e-training can be the solution. Each student can practice as often as they would like in the time and place of their choosing. However, just a tool does not guarantee success. The next 5 tips will help you to deploy such tools effectively.
1. Learned skills should be applicable in practice right away
Practicing without a link with reality is usually not very useful. It won’t stimulate the motivation to practice either. Why should I practice something that I will never use? So make sure that it’s clear why it’s necessary to develop the skill. Practice interviewing skills when students have to conduct interviews in that course. Let them tackle presenting skills when they have to present and let them improve conversational skills when they can actually apply those skills in an internship, for example.
2. Acknowledge e-training as a necessary component of the course
No matter how fun the tool is, not every student will be bouncing with enthusiasm to put time and effort into it, next to all their other obligations. So it’s important to give the training program a certain status and to acknowledge it as a necessary component of the course. When it is presented as non-mandatory, the participation will decrease immediately. If it’s not realistic to include the result in grading, participation could be a requirement to receive a final grade, without it having too much influence on how high that grade is.
3. Show and increase enthusiasm
The tool’s success depends on the teacher’s enthusiasm. When the teacher introduces the tool in an enthusiastic way and helps the students with logging in together or by doing an exercise in class, the student will easily take over the enthusiasm and be stimulated to start. Also, after the kick-off, it’s important to monitor progress and to keep the learning activities top of mind. For example by discussing difficulties in class.
4. Outsource coaching
Giving personal feedback to students becomes less essential when they can assess themselves with self-appraisal. In addition, it works well to make students share their reactions with others, in order to receive peer feedback. The learning effect works in two ways. They learn from the feedback that they receive, but seeing the reaction of another participant can be inspiring as well. Stimulating peer feedback is very advisable. When it is desirable to give all students personal feedback, this expert task could also be performed by student assistants, for example.
5. Freedom
Students are different. One has a lot of experience and is very skilled in communication, the other has no idea. In that case, it can be nice that you can finish an exercise after one successful try, or – if necessary – try it twenty times before you share your reaction. No one is watching and as a student you are in charge of your own learning process. Also, there are students that excel early in the morning and students that only get started at night. With e-training, every student can choose their own moment to get started.
Dr. Ilse van Liempt at Utrecht university has years of experience with the topic. Watch her presentation here. You'll find more ideas in our free e-book below!