Blogging is a waste of time and resources in Com 320

Blogging is ineffective at teaching any skills regarding small group communication. Primarily this is true because there is no benchmark to measure success, no instruction, no correction, nothing of any kind to make noticeable changes in ones communication style. Students learn by instruction and then correction. Osmosis can be effective in chemistry but in communication it requires lecture. How can a person objectively grade their own communication skills. They cannot because any reflections that can be hoped to be made are hopelessly distorted. Just as one cannot accurately see the world beyond a mirage so to is personal critique in this subject hopeless. Perhaps a student has some notion of their skills based on successes or failures, but to learn solely from mistakes is unacceptable. Certainly no one tolerates a war being fought, a business being run, or other endeavors by simply blundering around in manors as these. This is precisely why humans have communication in the first place and what separates us from animals. Powerpoint presentations are ok but they lack energy and effectiveness. Dont instruct on the five (insert topic here). College students allready know they exist because they experence them all the time, rather give advice of how to become effective at communicating in small groups. Where are the examples, how to sway skeptics, disarm opposition, prevent failure deal with intimidation when communicating with peers. Where are the suggestions of vocabulary tone and mood. Where is the advice and critiques in posture tamber and etiquette. I have seen only a small fraction of what I expected to receive from a 300 level Com class from Purdue.