Abstract
This study updates the existing literature on listening education in two ways: 1) by providing an assessment of an effective listening education intervention and 2) by identifying what college students' self-assessment and reflection revealed as their most common barriers to listening and the actions that helped mitigate those challenges. Through content analysis, five graduate student coders analyzed six consecutive pre-Covid-19 semesters of student submissions to a Listening Log Self-Assessment assignment in an online interpersonal communication course (n = 186). This experiential activity was designed to motivate students' metacognitions to elicit accurate self-appraisals based on reflections of students' current listening encounters (meta-listening) and deepen their expressed need and desire for purposeful listening habits. The activity succeeded in stimulating critical reflections recognizing at least one listening challenge and/or committing to at least one evidence-based action to enhance listening (a listening solution) from 98.2% of sampled students. Their most commonly-reported problems included “Distractions/Multi-tasking” (86.60%) and “Lack of [giving] Positive Feedback” (33.33%), while commitment to “Attentive Listening” (90.8%) and “Knowing Conversation Goals” (30.11%) were the most commonly-reported solutions. Student reflections also broadly supported the activity’s success in prompting metacommunication by demonstrating critical reflection, appreciation for the importance of listening skills, and intent to continue growing in their listening competence.
Recommended Citation
Hunter, Karla; Lionberger, Erin; Phillips, Ashley; Luebbert, Kaitlyn; and Briggs, Andrea N.
(2022)
"Listen Up!: Measuring and Mitigating College Students’ Most Commonly-Reported Listening Challenges,"
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD: Vol. 7, Article 2.
Available at:
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/discoursejournal/vol7/iss1/2
Included in
Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons