Enhancing Communication Skills and Ability to Engage in Life-Long Learning through Effective Assignment

Abstract

Communication is a purposeful activity of exchanging information and meaning across space and time using various technical or natural means. Communication requires a sender, a message, a medium and a recipient. Lifelong learning (LLL) is the "ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated" pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Lifelong learning is being recognized by traditional colleges and universities as valid in addition to degree attainment. Proficiency in communication behaviors can make any engineer more versatile and thus more competitive in today's job market. Communication skills of engineers play a very important role in the era of globalization and competitiveness. Lifelong learning offers engineers the opportunity to bring up to date their knowledge of and enjoyment in the work they do which is very crucial for an organizational growth. Research paper and Case study analysis is a good opportunity to enhance Communication skills. Quiz and open book exam helps students in Lifelong Learning. One of the pedagogical ways to overcome this obscurity is effective assignment. An attempt made to enhance communication skills and lifelong learning in the course titled management theory and practice. The course mainly emphasis on Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling functions of management and Social Responsibility, Ethical guidelines for an organization. The students in a group took a case study and research paper pertaining to management concepts and their branch of study. This led to better learning process in the form of self directed learning and development of professional skills.