Meeting Abstract

P2.58  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Developing Effective Communication Skills in Undergraduate Science Classes SPAIN, D.D.*; RAMIREZ III, D.R.; ANIAG, J.P.; Dominican University of California; Dominican University of California; Dominican University of California dspain@dominican.edu

The ability to communicate effectively through the written and spoken word is highly valued in our society. Although these skills are useful to everyone, in our scientific and technologically driven society it is even more important. Therefore it is essential that college graduates have solid communication skills. This has an additional implication for college graduates with a degree in science because they need to master these skills and develop a high level of scientific literacy. Unfortunately, it is rare to see the scientific writing process emphasized in a science curriculum. In our department we have a series of four research methodology courses for undergraduates primarily focused on conducting research with a faculty mentor. We modified the format to include both oral and written presentations. The goal set for the students is to progress from presentations in these classes to presentations at national/international conferences. We developed a survey focusing on writing/oral communication experiences (previous and current), and exposure/comprehension of scientific literature to monitor student progress. The survey was administered to students at the beginning and end of the semester for the first class in the series. Also, we created grading rubrics for written and oral assignments for the second and third class in the series. Preliminary results show positive increases in student communications skills in several areas. Our approach seemed relevant to the students because they were actively using these skills and were able to observe their progress in both an academic and real-world environment.