Short video available through Dunn Library (requires Simpson login).

Go to material

Strengths

This resource is easy for faculty and students to access, both on-campus and off, because it is available through the library’s Films on Demand.

Concerns

Parts of the film are directed at general listening skills that may not relate to the classroom. However, this could open up important discussion on how listening, like communication, factors into all parts of our daily lives. Professors could ask students to think of times when their listening is not hindered (i.e. conversations with friends) and compare this with times where they find they’re having a hard time listening (i.e. in a class). This could also be paired with activities that highlight how much concentration listening really takes and how detrimental it is to “zone out”.

Recommendations for use

This film would be a good resource for students to review on their own time, as it is a little over 20 min long and would take up a substantial amount of class time. Students could then come to class prepared to discuss and do the supplementary listening exercises. One such exercise is explained in the short video below and may make for a great icebreaker prior to discussion of different barriers to listening.

http://bigthink.com/videos/tom-yorton-lessons-on-listening