Differences That Make a Difference in Assessing Student Communication Competence

Abstract

Using a prototype competence approach, this study examines communicative differences between ideal students and less than ideal students. Also, this study reports how these differences predict teachers’ assessments of student communication competence. To obtain a representative set of classroom communication, focus groups generated descriptions of college students’ classroom behaviors. Communication behaviors that emerged through analysis of focus group transcripts were translated into the Student Communication Inventory. A survey of college instructors was conducted to compare teacher perceptions of ideal (alpha) students and the less than ideal (beta) students. Factor analysis revealed five sets of behaviors: Intellectually Stimulated; Participative; Absent; Confrontational; and Silent. Alpha and beta students differed in 22 of 24 behavioral items and all five factors. Also, regression analyses indicated which factors predicted competence assessments of alpha and beta students.

Keywords:

• Student Communication
• Communication Competence
• Ideal Prototypes
• Student Excellence
• Classroom Communication

Acknowledgements

Author names are in alphabetical order. Portions of an earlier draft were presented at the annual convention of the Western States Communication Association, March 2002. We wish to thank Heather Canary, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael Hecht, and Tom Benson for valuable comments made on an earlier draft. We also appreciate the helpful insights of Pat Kearney, Editor, and two anonymous reviewers.

Notes

1. We use the term “predictive” here in the technical, MR sense of the term and not in the traditional, causal sense of the term. Because these data are cross-sectional, we cannot make causal inferences. Although, theoretically, we do view communicative behaviors as predictive of competence outcomes, we refrain from making causal inferences here and do not mean to imply causality with the term “predictive.”

2. Transcripts, instruction booklets, and other materials may be obtained by contacting the second author.

3. The other correlations between alpha and beta students on the SCI items can be obtained by contacting the lead author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel J. Canary

Dan Canary (Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1983) is a Professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University

Istley Melody MacGregor

Melody MacGregor (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 2001) is a Lecturer at the University of Phoenix