ILA 2024: International Listening Assn. 45th Annual Convention

A brief presentation of the exercise “A Walk in The Park: Civil Dialogue in Motion” will be followed by the exercise itself followed by 15-20 minutes of debriefing.

Sustaining listening practice requires commitment to daily micro-practices and belief that through listening the listener is changed. In this workshop, participants will play games that build familiarity with the common impediments to listening and micro-practices for countering them in a fun and engaging environment. We will use micro-practices to highlight the impact of stories and how our ability to listen can be transformational (or not).

The presentation aims to address the nuances of early listening development and identifying milestone stages. It covers developmental stages from prenatal to toddlerhood, advocates for recognizing and understanding developmental listening milestones, proposing a normalized categories teaching system, and explores empathetic listening milestones, tracing its development from infancy to early school years. Two effective learning strategies for acquiring listening skills are introduced: teaching effective listening and engaging with audiobooks. The presentation serves as a comprehensive guide for educators, parents, and policymakers to better support children's language acquisition and cognitive growth through understanding and fostering early listening development.

Effective listening skills are essential in both educational and professional settings. However, American universities often place little emphasis on developing these skills. To address this gap, a study was conducted to explore the availability of standalone courses dedicated to the art and science of listening in higher education institutions across the United States. The study conducted a comprehensive survey of American universities by examining their course catalogs, websites, and departmental offerings. The aim was to identify institutions that offer standalone courses in listening as part of their curriculum, exploring the nature and content of these courses. Additionally, the study examined factors that influence the inclusion of such courses, such as institutional size, type, and location. Preliminary findings suggest that while universities recognize the importance of listening as a communication skill, standalone courses specifically devoted to listening are rare. This study provides insights into the potential benefits of expanding the availability of dedicated listening courses and sheds light on the current state of listening education in American higher education. These research findings have significant implications for educators, students, and employers, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to communication skill development that includes a greater emphasis on listening.

This project targets medical students and interns seeking to enhance their clinical communication skills and deepen their understanding of the pivotal role of listening in healthcare practice.

Through a series of ten posts, I plan to share my journey on LinkedIn, with additional dissemination through platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to engage a broader audience and facilitate discussions on the importance of listening in healthcare. Monitoring audience engagement and feedback will allow for evaluation of the project's effectiveness in promoting awareness and interest in listening-centered clinical communication skills.

My questions for the audience are:
1. How can the project be enhanced to maximize its impact in promoting awareness about listening-centered clinical communication skills?
2. What strategies can be implemented to engage and involve medical students and junior doctors in meaningful discussions regarding the importance of listening in healthcare practice?
3. How can the reach and influence of the project on medical students and interns be effectively measured?
4. In what ways can the International Listening Association (ILA) assist in promoting awareness about listening-centered clinical communication skills among medical students and junior doctors?
5. How can ILA collaborate with healthcare institutions and organizations to advocate for the integration of listening-centered communication in medical education and practice?