Chapter of online textbook Boundless Communications (requires free registration).

In this format, the professor can use the chapter by assigning it all, editing it, or creating his or her own chapter by selecting pertinent sections (or even sections of sections). Boundless allows the professor to create a class (invite students) and assign readings through the website. The chapters include quizzes and PowerPoint slides for class presentation.

Topics covered in this chapter include understanding listening, stages of listening, barriers to listening, enhancing listening, and giving and receiving criticism.

Go to Material

First, go to www.boundless.com and click Sign Up. Sign up for a free Educator account.

To view this chapter, use the Subjects drop-down menu at the top of the page and select Communications. Then click on 5 Learning to Listen and Helping Others Do the Same. From this page you can view all the sections and subsections of the chapter, access the quizzes, and download the PowerPoint template.

To assign material to your students, click the Assign Reading button (depending on what you want to assign, the button might say Assign Chapter Reading or Assign Concept Reading). You will be asked to indicate which class the assignment is for. If you haven’t yet created a class, select New Class from the drop-down menu. Select the date the reading is due and then click Assign. If you have created a new class, you will be given a URL to share with your students so they can create their own student accounts and complete the assignment.

Strengths

This is a fully fleshed-out section of a chapter with background, research, and application of the material in public speaking settings. The addition of PowerPoint slides and quizzes is also nice. Given that this is part of a book, there are also other sections that faculty might find useful for their own purposes.

Concerns

There is some repeated material in the slides, which would need to be corrected; the slides also contain more text than is good for a PowerPoint presentation. The quizzes seemed to mostly be “prove you did the reading” rather than applications of the material.

Recommendations

This section could be used as a formal reading on Scholar, or through the Boundless website when students begin their topic selection and research process. Students would receive explicit instruction about engaging their audience. There is also explicit information about teaching how to listen that faculty members could use.