When should I be teaching communication within my C-I course?

The teaching component of C-I is what sets students on the right path to completing their demonstration assignments, resulting in higher-quality student work. With this in mind, look at your course plan and think about when it might be best to introduce and reinforce communication learning. 

To begin, take a moment and reflect on the things you tend to give frequent feedback on your courses. This feedback likely represents what you consider are the highest priorities. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there something I have to correct often? 

• What do I find myself saying over and over and over again? 

The answers to these questions may signal communication skills that can be taught in advance of the student assignments. Doing this can help improve the quality of the work you receive on the first pass. Ongoing supportive instruction helps, too, especially while students navigate their practice and process activities. Here are some ideas to help you think about when to teach communication concepts.

• Put in your syllabus some planned instructional time focused on communication skills. You might do this each class period. 

• Consider using the first five minutes of class to introduce a communication concept or skill that will be practiced during the class meeting, or using the last five minutes to preview what will happen in a subsequent class or homework

• When a sample or opportunity presents itself, take a “freeze-frame” moment to point out the communication elements

• Provide some materials about communication in your Moodle course and consider assigning them as pre-class work

• Begin the course by sharing the communication goals and expectations, and remind students of these throughout the semester. It can be helpful to have 3-5 concrete skills that the students know are a focus. Then whenever they appear, you can call them out (i.e., “that is a great example of effective color choice, and here’s why”).

Teaching effective communication sometimes happens even when we’re not aware of it. Check out some ways that your everyday course communications can help students foster their communication skills.