Mindtools: Improving Active Listening Skills

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The internet has many websites available for improving active listening skills. There are a few sites in particular, in my opinion, which would complement a course for health care providers in this area. One such site is called MindTools (https://www.mindtools.com/AboutMindTools.htm). MindTools is the United Kingdom-based website that was created to help individuals acquire skills and tools to improve his or her career. One of the tools included is in the area of communication, particularly, active listening. The section on active listening is presented via a 2 minute and 40-second video with a transcript. The speaker in the video speaks clearly and slowly and the information provided is appropriate for the subject. Overall, the site is …show more content…
This website was picked to assist in a course teaching active listening skills because it includes a vodcast on the subject. https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better#t-39391. The video incorporated closed caption for the hearing impaired. The speaker in this vodcast is named Julian Treasure. Mr. Treasure is a sound consultant and this 7-minute lecture details 5 ways to re-tune one’s ears for conscious listening. Not having any expertise on the subject of sound, I did not detect any errors in the provided information. My learners would benefit from watching this video to by learning to be more purposeful when listening to their patients. Mr. Treasure is very effective in explaining methods to change the way we listen. Mr. Treasure also demonstrates how noisy environments affect our ability to listen. The demonstration benefits the learners in this course because they are often communicating with patients in a noisy hospital environment. The tools displayed in the vodcast will give the students the ability to focus on the patient and not be distracted by outside noises. The navigation of this website is simple. The provided links work without error. There is a community to share information worldwide. There are other websites that may provide similar information on the subject of active listening, however, Mr. Treasure has an engaging personality and in my …show more content…
Susan Doctoroff Landay authors the blog and locates all the material from expert researchers, journals, websites, books, and tradeshows. (“Communication exercises & listening activities - WorkSMART,” n.d.). The website details her education and area of expertise. The section on listening skills provides information about various fun games that can be utilized to improve listening skills. The learners in the course of active listening would benefit from using a fun exercise to improve listening skills because not only are games fun, they also require active participation, which leads to engagement in the provided information. A game of Simon Says would engage the learners, but also teach the learners how to differentiate between “listening” and