The Three-Minute Slide as an Effective Tool for Developing Oral Communication Skills

Abstract

It is essential that chemists develop strong oral communication skills. At the undergraduate level, this requires students to build confidence in their ability to speak without a script and to utilize graphics effectively. We have developed a short activity that helps address common presentation issues such as overuse of text and reading verbatim off slides. The three-minute slide activity is an engaging exercise for the students and is easy for instructors to implement.

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

“… 27 , 193 , 194 The short time has numerous advantages; it requires the student presenters to address the topic for that week directly (such as their hypothesis for Phase 2), and do so in a way that is understandable to an audience with a wide range of education levels and prior knowledge. 27 Following the presentation, the student receives feedback from faculty members in the audience, aimed at showing the students where they need greater clarity and how to present their information better. Akin to the written document, the students use this experience to improve their presentations iteratively for the following phases.…”

“… 8 − 17 Despite recent discourse emphasizing the importance of scientific communication, especially in a scholarly sense, it is a perennial problem originating at the undergraduate level. 18 , 19 It is well documented that undergraduate science students frequently struggle with written 20 − 26 and oral 27 − 33 communication skills. 3 , 34 − 42 This persists into graduate school, 8 − 17 , 43 − 47 the medical fields, 48 − 50 and the workforce.…”

“…The literature surrounding chemical communication pedagogy is diverse. However, efforts to improve written and oral communication skills have followed four general and broad approaches, which are sometimes presented in a hybrid form: (1) the incorporation of technical writing with chemical literacy, 66 − 77 in first-year courses, 39 , 66 , 67 , 78 − 83 stand-alone classes, 27 , 43 , 69 , 79 , 84 − 96 and/or discipline specific courses; 70 , 97 − 115 (2) laboratory experiments; 21 , 26 , 32 , 59 , 69 , 107 , 116 − 127 (3) critical thinking exercises; 3 , 13 , 26 , 117 , 128 − 143 and (4) research experiences. 134 , 144 − 155 Despite the community’s best efforts, a host of factors, which were identified early on, continue to present significant barriers for engaging and enhancing the communication skills of undergraduate students.…”

“…At the end, students splice the knowledge generated from each phase into a single cohesive and meaningful scientific story, which is communicated both orally and in writing. In this report, we specify how we have leveraged the scientific method along with the community’s reports on technical writing for chemical literacy, 27 , 39 , 43 , 66 − 115 , 119 laboratory experiments, 21 , 26 , 32 , 59 , 107 , 116 − 127 , 173 − 175 critical thinking exercises, 3 , 13 , 26 , 117 , 128 − 143 and research experiences 146 − 155 to create a unique protocol to enhance the communication skills of undergraduates via individual one-on-one mentoring. This has been applied to our regional summer research program of roughly 35 students per year.…”

Improving Students’ Oral Scientific Communication Skills through Targeted Instruction in Organic Chemistry Lab

“…Strong communication skills are necessary for many careers in chemistry. Likewise, undergraduate chemistry programs frequently identify the ability to effectively communicate scientific knowledge as an important student learning outcome. − Although written and oral communication are desired activities listed in the American Chemical Society Guidelines for undergraduate chemistry laboratories, most of the assessment in undergraduate chemistry lab courses is based on written reports and tests rather than on oral reports or presentations. , Thus, while students participate in recurring written assignments such as lab reports, they rarely practice communicating their knowledge orally, despite the fact that the ACS Committee on Professional Training underscores the importance of practicing oral as well as written communication skills…”