Keeping it Real: Valuing oral communication training and learning in the discipline of environmental science

The paper examines the value of oral communication as it is taught, practised and assessed across two environmental degrees and determines whether a competent level of oral communication training, assessment and practice in oral genres and oral skill development has been achieved. To undertake this investigation the authors applied defined levels of attainment for oral communication and mapped the levels of attainment in core units and location over a program of study; audited oral assessment strategies; examined lecturer and student reflections of oral communication learning activities, and examined graduates’ reflections through the course experience questionnaire. We found that both degrees currently use several genres of oral communication as a learning activity and a learning outcome, but there is limited training in oral communication and few units are using higher level authentic learning activities. Hence students are not experiencing varied oral genres, purposes, and audiences within a disciplinary context until late in their program of study. Also in terms of learning outcomes for oral communication there is a greater emphasis on developing proficiency in message construction (content quality and audience relevance) and delivery (quality of presentation, timing, confidence and voice) rather than skills in interaction (teamwork, negotiation and response to questions), or providing feedback, active listening, delegating, motivating and group problem solving.