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Communication
Communication will play a significant role in your professional development.
The message that you deliver to others will be a reflection of your professional behaviour and attitude. As a graduate student, you have many roles: leader, teacher, researcher, mentor, colleague, and student. People who will hire you in the future will demand a high level of expertise, knowledge, professionalism and leadership.
Learn to accept your new roles and by doing so, you will need to learn to communicate effectively. In today's job market, there is little difference in the ability to get a job between someone who has a high school diploma and someone having a graduate degree (80 % vs 86%, Statistics Canada 2006). However, the difference in your average yearly earnings increases dramatically. Today's graduate students can expect to earn more than 60% yearly than their high school counter parts. This difference is largely based on the expectations placed upon you by your employers.
Communication is key to any successful relationship or position, and a graduate degree is an excellent opportunity to hone your skills. Every type of communication has a protocol, from giving a lecture in your department, to hosting a meeting, submitting an article for publication, to sending an email. Use the proper protocol for each of these to increase your chances for a successful outcome. Look for opportunities and people you encounter as sources for inspiration to communicate effectively.
The tip sheets below contain activities and advice that can improve your communication in all settings.
| Grant Writing |
- Writing Grant Applications
![[PDF Document]](~/media/Faculty of Graduate Studies/Images/Shared/smpdf.gif)
- Parts of a Research Grant
- Tips for Writing the Research Plan
- The Review Process
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| How to Prepare Your Presentation |
- The Attention Curve
- Getting to Know Your Audience
- Making the Most of Your Room
- How to Organize Your Presentation
- Visual Aids
- Using Powerpoint for your Research Presentation
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| How to Deliver Your Presentation |
- Are You Nervous?
- Building a Rapport
- Let Your Voice be Heard
- Maximizing Impact
- Image and Body Language
- Engaging Your Audience
- Question Period
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| In the Workplace |
- Criticism and Feedback
- Giving an Elevator or Hallway Pitch
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| Teaching |
- Effective Lab Teaching
- Assessment of Learning*
- Leading Discussions*
- Your First Class: How to Make it First Class*
- Teaching Resource Manual*
- How to Prepare a Teaching Dossier*
- Teaching With An Accent*
- Code of Student Behaviour*
- Giving Effective Feedback*
- Plagiarism Primer for TAs*
- Effective Grading and Assessment Practices in Biology*
- Learning Objectives: Writing Them and Using Them to Stay Out of Trouble
- Preparing and Delivering Presentations
- Teaching Assistant Experience
- Basic Warm-Up Exercises for Your Voice
- Developing Your Teaching Philosophy
- Effective Laboratory Teaching
- Learning Objectives Hand-Out
- Teaching Tips for International Students
- Strategies for Teaching Different Types of Students
- Leading Discussions 2011
- Teaching with English as a Second Language given by Cathy Shi during the FGSR 2011 Fall Teaching Development week
- Bringing the Library into Your Classroom presented at FGSR Teaching Development Week, September 2010
- Guidelines for Electronic Communication with Students
- Leaving Your Mark: Grading the Essay
- What sets a 3M teaching winner apart?
- Planning Formative Assessment
- Background for Planning Formative Assessment
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U of A Resources
Check for workshops/sessions offered by following units:
Additional Resources