Prompting listening responses

“It would be hard to name a more valuable pedagogical accomplishment than the mastery of questioning, listening, and response: three teaching skills as linked, though distinct, as the panels of a triptych.”

C. Roland Christensen

Education for Judgment, 1991

The three essential skills of questioning, listening and responding are the backbone of discussion-based teaching. While each is important in its own right, the skills are intricately interrelated: the potential effect of a good question is only fully realized if accompanied by active listening, which in turn is an essential prerequisite for the appropriate response, whether in the form of an acknowledgment or further questioning.

Questioning

Experienced case instructors employ different types of questions at various points in the class to shape the arc of the discussion toward student discovery and learning. Questions for Class Discussions provides examples of questions found to be particularly effective in each of four major categories: starting a discussion segment, following-up during a discussion-in-progress, transitioning from one segment of the class to another, and handling challenging moments when the discussion is at risk of becoming bogged down or thrown substantially off-course. 

Instructors can prepare certain questions in advance of the class session-particularly questions designed to start each discussion segment and to probe for analysis specific to the assigned case. Other questions are formulated in the flow of discussion as instructors draw on a more standardized repertoire of questions in response to student contributions in real time.

Listening

The organic nature of a case method discussion requires instructors to listen carefully throughout the class session and encourage students to listen closely to each other. Effective listening goes beyond attention to the content of student contributions: it also includes:

1. What is said and how it tracks with the class discussion and agenda
2. How things are said [emotional under-currents: tentative, strong, or unenthusiastic]
3. Contradictions [what is being unsaid, e.g. ethical issues]
4. Disconnects [comment doesn’t align with the previous comment or general class understanding]

Listening at this deep level requires preparation and flexibility, which enables the instructor to adapt to student comments and advance the discussion.

Instructors should signal that they are listening by maintaining eye contact with each student who speaks and nodding as appropriate. Although the instructor may move to the board to record aspects of the comment during the contribution, avoid looking at notes or the clock, or scanning the room for new hands while the student is speaking.

Responding

Case discussions can be profoundly affected by the instructor's verbal and nonverbal responses to student contributions. Instructor responses can provide feedback and direction to student contributors in real time, shape the content and flow of the discussion, and influence the energy level of the class. Case instructors find it helpful to acknowledge each contribution in some way, whether through a simple nod or verbal affirmation, a restating ["echoing"] of the essence of the contribution, and/or the recording of the comment on the board. Yet experienced instructors are typically reluctant to give direct feedback after a comment, such as "brilliant analysis!" or "you're wrong." Instead, they prefer an indirect approach, soliciting reactions from other students and using follow-up questions to probe for greater depth or clarity. In general, instructors should view responses as micro-level opportunities to guide the participant-centered learning process-typically through minimal means, but occasionally through more significant interventions designed to refocus, reenergize or otherwise redirect a meandering or confused discussion

Discussion Forum

Activity: Recognizing Listening Misconceptions

You can see how listening misconceptions affect your life by identifying important situations when you have fallen for each of the following assumptions. In each case, describe the consequences of believing these erroneous assumptions.

• Thinking that because you were hearing a message you were listening to it.
• Believing that listening effectively is natural and effortless.
• Assuming that other listeners were understanding a message in the same way as you.

Activity: Supportive Response Styles

This exercise will help improve your ability to listen empathically in the most successful manner. For each of the following statements:

1. Write separate responses, using each of the following styles:
   • Advising
   • Judging
   • Analyzing
   • Questioning
   • Comforting
   • Prompting
   • Reflecting
2. Discuss the pros and cons of using each response style.
3. Identify which response seems most effective, explaining your decision.
   1. At a party, a guest you have just met for the first time says, "Everybody seems like they've been friends for years. I don't know anybody here. How about you?"
   2. Your best friend has been quiet lately. When you ask if anything is wrong, she snaps, "No!" in an irritated tone of voice.
   3. A fellow worker says, "The boss keeps making sexual remarks to me. I think it's a come-on, and I don't know what to do."
   4. It's registration time at college. One of your friends asks if you think he should enroll in the communication class you've taken.
   5. Someone with whom you live remarks, "It seems like this place is always a mess. We get it cleaned up, and then an hour later it's trashed."

Activity: Paraphrasing in Written Communication

1. Practice paraphrasing in written communication. One person will complete a statement and expand on it. Another person will respond in writing and paraphrase. Use your own different words to paraphrase what you think the other person is saying. Paraphrase both thoughts and feelings. The other person must either verify that he or she has been correctly paraphrased or clarify what the listener paraphrased so the "listener" can correctly paraphrase. The "listener" must correctly paraphrase to the satisfaction of the "speaker." [Note to instructor: Maybe separate class, last names beginning with A—L as those who will make the statements and M—Z as those who will paraphrase.]
   1. "I love my job, but can't stand my boss and I find this very …"
   2. "School is really hard for me right now. I am taking these classes that are so …"
   3. "My relationship with my best friend is at a standstill and I'm worried that …"
   4. "My birthday is coming up and I'm hoping that …"
   5. "My child is struggling in school and I'm concerned about …"
   6. "I want to meet some new people since I'm new to town. I feel very …"
   7. "My brother doesn't get along with my mother and we're getting together for a big barbecue this weekend. I am thinking about …"
   8. "I am training for a 5k and I haven't ever done one before. I'm wondering if …"
   9. "I can't make my car payment this month. I am not sure what to do, which is making me feel …"
   10. "I found out that my friend told another friend something I said in confidence. I am feeling …"

Activity: Identify Listening Styles

1. Read each of the following scenarios.
2. Construct a response that represents each of the styles of listening.
3. Consider the consequences of each style by responding to the questions.
   1. Your best friend is telling you about his or her concerns about the person he or she has been seeing for two years. They had always planned to marry after college, but now your friend says, "I'm just feeling like we never really dated anyone else seriously. I love Pat, but I wonder if we should see other people while we're still in college. I don't think we'll know if we're right for each other if we don't really know anyone else."
      • Advising response
      • Judging response
      • Analyzing response
      • Questioning response
      • Supportive response
      • Prompting response
      • Paraphrasing response

      As a listener, which types of responses do you think would harm your relationship with the person you are listening to? Why? Which response do you think would be best? Why?

   2. Two friends have been advised by their physician that they fit the profile of someone at higher than average risk for Hepatitis B. Their health plan won't pay for the vaccines [about $250]. They are considering getting the vaccine, but are concerned about the cost. One says to you, "I know I'm in a high-risk group, but I'm not sure there's much chance of getting it. I haven't really known anyone who has. What would you do?"
      • Advising response
      • Judging response
      • Analyzing response
      • Questioning response
      • Supportive response
      • Prompting response
      • Paraphrasing response

      As a listener, which types of responses do you think would harm your relationship with the person you are listening to? Why? Which response do you think would be best? Why?

Activity: Identifying National Standards for Listening

The National Communication Association established a series of competencies for speaking and listening. Use the following link and search in the document for the term listening. Write down two competencies and make recommendations on how a person can work toward becoming more skilled as a listener, based on those competencies as goals.

Journal

Activity: Your Listening Style Preferences

You can analyze your effectiveness as a listener by answering the following questions.

1. Which of the listening styles described in Chapter 5 do you use?
2. Does your listening style change in various situations, or do you use the same style most or all of the time?
3. What are the consequences [beneficial and harmful] of the listening styles you use?
4. How could you adapt your listening styles to improve your communication effectiveness?

Activity: Informational Listening Practice

Effective informational listening isn't easy. It takes hard work and concentration. You can improve your skill in this important area and convince yourself of the difference good informational listening makes by following these steps.

1. Find a partner with whom you have an important relationship. This might be a family member, lover, friend, fellow worker, or even an "enemy" with whom you interact frequently.
2. Invite your partner to explain his or her side of an issue that the two of you have difficulty discussing. Your job during this conversation is to understand your partner. You should not even attempt to explain your position. [If you find the prospect of trying to understand the other person distressing, consider how this attitude might interfere with your ability to listen carefully.]
3. As your partner explains his or her point of view, use the skills outlined on pages 143—148 of the text to help you understand. You can discover how well you are grasping your partner's position by occasionally paraphrasing what you think he or she is saying. If your partner verifies your paraphrase as correct, go on with the conversation. If not, try to listen again and play back the message until the partner confirms your understanding.
4. After the conversation is over, ask yourself the following questions:
   • As you listened, how accurate was your first understanding of the speaker's statements?
   • How did your understanding of the speaker's position change after you used paraphrasing?
   • Did you find that the gap between your position and that of your partner narrowed as a result of your both using paraphrasing?
   • How did you feel at the end of your conversation? How does this feeling compare to your usual emotional state after discussing controversial issues with others?
   • How might your life change if you used paraphrasing at home? At work? With friends?

Activity: An Analysis of Poor Listening

1. Choose one situation in which you listened poorly. Think of a class where you "zoned out" while the instructor or someone else was talking or a conversation where you jumped ahead of what the speaker was saying.
2. Briefly describe where you were, who else was there, what was happening, and why it was important to listen well, even though you didn't.
3. Identify the barrier [or barriers] to effectively listening in this situation. You might address your needs, your wants, and your attitudes. You might also discuss if you were engaged in any faulty listening behaviors.
4. Looking back, what could you do to overcome those barriers? Be specific. How could you motivate yourself to listen more effectively in the same situation?

Activity: Paraphrasing

The goal of this assignment is not self-disclosure, assistance, or friendship, but rather a clearer understanding of the process and requirements of listening actively.

1. Have a conversation with someone about a topic you know you disagree on. It could be something minor like Pepsi is better than Coke or it could be a big issue like giving foreign aid during a budget crisis.
2. For the first part of the conversation use your regular communication pattern, whatever it is. The other person will not know that you are doing a communication activity unless you tell him or her!
3. After a number of exchanges, change your communication pattern. Before you say anything, paraphrase what the other person just said. For example, "So, you are saying that if we completely cut off foreign aid, we will regret it in the future?" Only give your side after you have paraphrased the other person's side.
4. How did changing your communication pattern to paraphrasing change the dynamics of the conversation? How did you feel compared to no paraphrasing? How did the other person react? What did you both discover about your thoughts on the issue being discussed?

Activity: Distracted Listening

Top 3 barriers to effective listening. People Communicating. [n.d.]. //www.people-communicating.com/barriers-to-effective-listening.html

This catch-all communication website identifies three common barriers to effective listening. The first barrier identified is distractions, and it includes exercises to help you hone your listening skills. The second is attachment to personal beliefs and values and the third is misinterpretation.

• Do one of the six exercises listed under distractions and report your findings.
• What topics do you have most difficulty reducing your attachments to and really listening to the other person? Why these topics? What practical ways can you overcome this barrier?
• The perception check from Chapter 3 can help you overcome the misinterpretation barrier in listening. Recall a recent miscommunication or conflict and apply the perception check to that issue.