AWT4CL 02 Listen Effectively

Author: Jama S. Coartney   --
Boosting Workforce Readiness: Integrating the “Listen Effectively” Badge into Your Curriculum

Why Listening Matters Now More Than Ever
In the evolving workforce, communication is more than just speaking clearly—it’s about truly listening. Listening effectively is a foundational skill for career readiness that too often gets overlooked. According to the APLU report on Critical Growth Areas for Students Today, “Listen Effectively” is a competency where students frequently overestimate their preparedness compared to assessments from faculty and employers.

The takeaway? Listening needs a more intentional place in our curricula. As educators and workforce readiness professionals, we can bridge this gap with a simple but impactful tool: digital learning badges.

Introducing the Listen Effectively Digital Learning Badge
The Listen Effectively Badge is one of three digital learning badges in a professional communication series, alongside Communicate Accurately and Concisely and Ask Good Questions. This badge acknowledges practices related to listening effectively:
  • Show genuine interest in a subject or person
  • Absorb and apply relevant information
  • Offer thoughtful, timely feedback to sustain communication
When students earn this badge, they’re not just completing a task—they’re developing a marketable skill that resonates across industries, especially in fields like agriculture, where people often come from diverse backgrounds.

Integrating the Badge into Your Curriculum
The Listen Effectively badge can be easily embedded into your current course structure. The below two-step process outlines an example learning module. This two-part format supports both active engagement and critical reflection—pillars of effective skill development.  A more detailed description of the module is available in the implementation guide. 

Interactive Activity
  • Learners are paired (virtually or in-person) with someone they don’t know. 
  • Using a set of prompts (e.g., “What are your career goals?” or “What’s one skill you bring to group projects?”), each student has two minutes to introduce themselves. Afterward, they introduce their partner to the group.
Critical Reflection Submission
  • Learners submit a written or video introduction of their partner. 
  • They share two takeaways about effective listening—either from their own experience or based on group discussion.
Digital learning badges provide a verified, portable credential that reinforces real-world communication expectations. When students showcase these on their profiles or during interviews, they’re signaling to employers: “I understand how to listen—and here’s proof.”

Call to Action: Embed the Badge Today


Listening is a skill, not a given. By embedding the Listen Effectively digital learning badge into your curriculum, you're doing more than ticking a box—you're preparing students to thrive in collaborative, communication-heavy environments.

Here’s the next step:
Pilot the Listen Effectively badge in your course this semester.

Try the paired activity and reflection format. You can use the example, modify it, or create your own assignment.  Use the badge as both a motivator and a marker of professional growth. You’ll be surprised by the depth of insights—and students will walk away with improved skills they can confidently carry into any career path.

For full badge details, earning criteria, and a more detailed description of the assignment, check out the implementation guide.

Let’s help learners listen like professionals—because workforce readiness starts with understanding, and understanding starts with listening.

Image Credit: 
Dean, S. (2018). 01269-Virginia-Tech-CALS [Photograph].
Microsoft stock image (n.d.). Learners around beacon [Photograph].

Project Resources:
Instructor Welcome Module
AWT4CL Project Website
AWT4CL Implementation Guide - instructions and example assignments for each badge
APLU - Association of Public & Land-grant Universities Employability Skills
Badging System - AWT4CL Badgr/Canvas Credential badges, maintained by Virginia Tech 


Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA

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