The Importance of Oral Communication Skills and a Graduate Course to Help Improve These Skills

Authors

  • Garth L. Wilkes Virginia Tech

Abstract

This article addresses the importance of oral communication and many of its fundamental underlying principles. Emphasis is placed on oral presentations, particularly those used in science and engineering. Following this, the author provides a brief outline of an elective graduate level oral communications course that was developed and utilized to improve the presentation skills of the participants.

Author Biography

Garth L. Wilkes, Virginia Tech

is presently a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Virginia. He earned his Ph.D degree in physical chemistry from the University of Massachusetts in 1969. In 1978, he was recruited by Virginia Tech to help initiate the interdisciplinary Macromolecular MS/PhD program at Virginia Tech and served as a co-director of that program for more than 20 years.

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Published

2012-09-01

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