Annotated Bibliography and Article Comparison on Developing Communication Skills of Undergraduate Students

This annotated bibliography and article comparison focuses on the importance of developing communication skills for undergraduate students and how that can be achieved through innovative teaching approach. It also highlights the existing relationship between students’ perception of successful interpersonal communication and their involvement in the communication process with teachers.

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ARTICLE COMPARISON
Annotated Bibliography and Article Comparison
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ARTICLE COMPARISON
Annotated Bibliography
Stephenson, T., Mayes, L., Combs, E., & Webber, K. (2015). Developing Communication Skills
of Undergraduate Students through Innovative Teaching Approaches. NACTA
Journal, 59(4), 313-318. Retrieved from
https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/stable/nactajournal.59.4.313
This research draws the importance of the development of communication skills for
undergraduate students and how that can be achieved through innovative teaching
approach (Stephenson, Mayes, Combs & Webber, 2015).
They are of the opinion that one basic criteria put forth by employers while hiring
graduate students is the requirement of strong communication skills. The article refers to
a survey that reports, 75% of employers want colleges to focus on developing written and
oral communication skills of students. The paper also outlines different courses taken up
by various universities to develop communication skills in students. It highlights a recent
method undertaken by colleges of using improvisational actors to provide communication
skills to students. It aims to identify student attitudes towards the method and to examine
confidence in communication skills gained from the counselling course.
Focus groups were conducted with dietetic students who underwent the
“Counselling and Communication” course in University of Kentucky. Students mostly
reported difficulty in implementing theoretical classroom based knowledge to practical
fieldwork. Students from other disciplines reported the same to the researchers. Students

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ARTICLE COMPARISON
were also asked to rate overall value of the course provided. Few students from the
course went for internships and an evaluation from the preceptors were also considered.
They highlighted on the lack of experience in students.
Based on results and recommendations, the University continued to implement
changes in the study according to the requirement. The article helped in highlighting the
needs of the students regarding communication skill training. However, the importance of
developing the skills required more focus in the study.
Palos, R., & Petrovici, M. (2014). PERCEIVED IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
SKILLS AND THEIR PREDICTIVE VALUE FOR ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE. Revista De Cercetare Si Interventie Sociala, 46, 85-98.
Retrieved from
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1665217415?
OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primo&accountid=10344
According to Palos and Petrovici (2014), communication as an integral part of academic
life in their study. Their aim is to establish that students consider communication skills as an
essential part of the teaching process. They also aim to underline the existing relationship
between students’ perception of successful interpersonal communication and their involvement
in the communication process with teachers. The study also tries to examine if the variables are
of any importance in academic performance.
The researchers used the sampling method to analyse their purpose by using 90 first year
students from the University of Timioara. The students were asked to fill up questionnaires about

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ARTICLE COMPARISON
communication skills of the teachers who taught them for their last semesters. The results of the
research established that students gave utmost importance to referential and conversational
communication skills of their teachers.
A study on the winter final results of the students showcased only 49 students have
passed in all their subjects. These are the same students who engaged in interpersonal
communication with their teachers. A linear regression examination showed 20.7% of
communication influence on academic performance.
This study rightly establishes the importance of interpersonal communication with
teachers to achieve academic success. However, it does not suggest any method that should be
undertaken by colleges to establish the same.
Article Comparison
It can established by studying the two articles that both highlights the importance of
communication skills in the life of students. However, the major point of difference lies in the
central idea of the articles.
While Stephenson et al (2015)., talks about the importance of communication in the life
of students’ for meeting the requirement of future employers, Palos and Petrovici in their study
highlights the importance of communication for academic excellence.
Though the latter performs a study on first year students, which is more relevant to the
essay, the former study provides a complete idea about methods that can be used by colleges to
develop better communication skills and how it can be beneficial in conclusion.
However, it can be concluded from the evaluation that Article 1 is more relevant to the
topic of the essay as it considers communication skills to be the most important factor for

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ARTICLE COMPARISON
students and their future. They also suggest methods that can be undertaken by colleges to help
students develop necessary communication skills.