Part of an education, certainly in a democracy, is to learn how to express your own opinions and analysis; to make sense of the world around you, in order to fully act and participate. But the other critical aspect—the one in danger of disappearing—is listening.  —  (Dolby, 2012)

There seems to be several articles (and article responses) coming out right now, as well as ones published previously, that are discussing the listening skills of our undergraduate students.  If you haven’t seen these five articles, they make for an interesting read and great discussion with colleagues!

Lecture Me, Really. by Molly Worthen, The New York Times Sunday Review (October 17, 2015)

Active Learning Is Not Our Enemy: A Response to Molly Worthen, by Josh Eyler, A Lifetime’s Training – Thoughts on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education [blog] (October 20, 2015)

Why Students Should Listen, by Laura Guertin, Journal of College Science Teaching (Vol. 44, No. 2, 2014)

Active Listening: Seven Ways to Help Students Listen, Not Just Hear, by Isis Artze-Vega, Faculty Focus (October 1, 2012)

Active Listening in Peer Interviews: The Influence of Message Paraphrasing on Perceptions of Listening Skill, by Harry Weger Jr., Gina R. Castle & Melissa C. Emmett, International Journal of Listening (January 6, 2010)

For a deeper investigation, you may want to explore articles published in the International Journal of Listening, from the International Listening Association (ILA).

And I couldn’t resist including a TED talk by Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better.