How can we train our students to be better communicators?

Professional communication skills are frequently cited as being among the most desirable traits in college graduates. For the second year in a row, LinkedIn has identified communication skills as the most in-demand skillset for US employers. Additionally, Forbes notes that professional communication is increasingly impacted by developments in AI, remote work and diversity and inclusion trends. Yet, depending on their choice of major, students may receive little or no communication training during their time in an undergraduate programme.

The difficulty of teaching communication skills

While most faculty are comfortable differentiating good from bad student writing, many feel unequipped to provide the coaching and feedback students need to improve. The same can be said of presentation skills and creating effective visuals such as slides and graphs. 

Additionally, communication skills are just that: skills. Unlike technical content that students can study for in advance of a single exam, communication skills must be practised and developed more often than a one-semester course in rhetoric or business communication permits. Indeed, by the time many students graduate, it will have been years since they received any feedback on their writing and communication skills.

So, how can institutions help students improve their communication skills without overburdening faculty or advocating for massive curriculum changes?

The benefits of a small departmental communications programme

At the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, we have established communication programmes within the different major courses of study. These programmes enable students to critically examine technical content while exercising their communication skills and receiving critical feedback from experts. Most importantly, the programmes are suited to the needs of each particular field. 

Here’s how it works: faculty and departmental leadership identify a course that is well suited for a communication assignment. A part-time communication specialist (more on that later) works with the faculty member from the selected course to identify the communication goals and create the assignment and rubric. The specialist then assesses student work and leaves feedback for improvement. 

The key is pairing communication skills with course content, which could come in the form of a lab report, an elevator pitch, a slide deck or an email assignment. The assignment carries points for technical accuracy (scored by the faculty member) and effectiveness of communication (scored by the specialist). This system allows students to be held accountable for the organisation of content, tone and audience analysis. 

While this approach may sound daunting, a few basic steps, regardless of discipline, can have a meaningful impact on student communication skill development:

Identify what success looks like

Understanding the specific skills your graduates need in the workplace is key. Every student should be able to write an effective email but what other types of documents should they have experience with? Reach out to recent grads from your programme and ask what kinds of presentations they’re giving. Departmental advisory boards are extremely helpful for learning about the employer perspective and eventually securing funding.

Start small and call your shots

Pick a class or two that is most promising for integrating communication skill development. This could be a compulsory course within a major or an elective taught by an instructor who values communication skills. At Tippie, we’ve had good luck with junior-level classes that are required for a specific major. Success requires a certain level of faculty buy-in, but once a faculty member has a good experience and starts receiving positive attention for curriculum innovation, more will likely follow.

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Use local experts

This is where the magic happens. It’s generally possible to find suitable specialists by reaching out to department chairs and programme directors or even posting an ad on university job sites. At Tippie, we’ve been able to capitalise on local resources, from faculty members in communication-centred fields to local business managers and even skilled graduate students, to provide feedback for business students. While this may sound expensive, based on the assignment and number of students enrolled, a given class might not cost much to assess. Depending on the level of financial support, the specialist could also provide in-class tutorials or individual sessions with students before the submission.

Determine effectiveness

To establish proof of concept, it’s important to use student work to assess their ability. Ideally, there would be an assessment before and after students engage with the communication resources. This data is essential to securing private funding and demonstrating student learning outcomes for departmental reports and accreditation. Our data indicate a gradual increase in student communication skill proficiency with each semester of feedback and support from a specialist.

Integrating communication skills into existing curricula through department-specific programmes, particularly at a small scale, is both feasible and imperative. This approach not only enhances the employability of graduates but elevates the education students receive.

Carl Follmer is associate professor of instruction and director of Frank Business Communication Center at Tippie College of Business, the University of Iowa.

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