Imparting communication skills in technical courses: A paradigm shift

A course in communication skills in technical courses usually receives minimal attention from students and teachers alike. However its importance is realized only when students are required to compile practical research or experiments into a written assignment for submission, or a presentation, proposal for research, dissertation or a thesis. This may occur at both the under graduate as well as post-graduate courses of technical education. This inadequacy usually results in poor technical writing, plagiarized reports and ill organized essays in written communication as well as substandard performance in recruitment interviews, lack of confidence in presentations and ill-organized meetings in terms of oral communication. In order to avoid this, the students should be made aware of the skills that they are required to practice by acquainting them in advance about the possible repercussions of ignoring the components and the course requirements of technical communication skills. This paper explores some of the issues concerning the necessity of communication skills in technical education, which components should receive prime focus, how these components can be best imparted, the expectations from the students, the role of the instructor and reflections upon how the course can pronounce a positive impact upon the students in the long run.