The Milestone for Active Listening, shown below, was previously associated with a learning outcome and was principally developed by national working groups --teams of faculty and staff from different law schools. A few were developed internally at the Center. A PDF version of the milestone can be found to the right, alongside a bibliography of sources that contains scholarship on Active Listening and ideas for classroom implementation.
Active Listening Milestone
| Sub-Competencies | Novice Learner | Intermediate Learner | Competent Learner | Exceptional Learner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Active listeners assess the purpose and context of the conversation and allocate the resources and attention appropriate and necessary to absorb, interpret, and decode the information given to them by a speaker. |
RARELY assesses the purpose and context of the conversation and allocates the necessary resources and attention. | SOMETIMES assesses the purpose and context of the conversation and allocates the necessary resources and attention. | OFTEN assesses the purpose and context of the conversation and allocates the necessary resources and attention. | CONSISTENTLY assesses the purpose and context of the conversation and allocates the necessary resources and attention. |
| 2. In working to create a shared understanding with the speaker, active listeners consider the lens through which the speaker speaks and the lens through which the listener listens. Those lenses may have many components, including the history of the parties, the context in which the conversation takes place, the relative power dynamic of the parties, their gender, race, culture, or other aspects of their identity, and any personal experiences that may affect how they communicate. Taking into consideration these lenses is critical to accurately decoding the meaning of the speakers’ words and emotion. | RARELY considers the speaker’s lens and his or her own lens to work towards creating a shared understanding. |
SOMETIMES considers the speaker’s lens and his or her own lens to work towards creating a shared understanding. | OFTEN considers the speaker’s lens and his or her own lens to work towards creating a shared understanding. | CONSISTENTLY considers the speaker’s lens and his or her own lens to work towards creating a shared understanding. |
| 3. Active listeners continually assess the shared understanding between the speaker and the listener and, where necessary, work to increase that shared understanding. Work to increase shared understanding may involve the use of both verbal and nonverbal cues. | RARELY assesses the shared understanding or works to increase it. | SOMETIMES assesses the shared understanding or works to increase it. | OFTEN assesses the shared understanding or works to increase it. | CONSISTENTLY assesses the shared understanding or works to increase it. |
| 3a. Active listeners may provide nonverbal cues to demonstrate attention, understanding, responsiveness, and empathy. To engage the speaker in the ongoing conversation and follow respectful conversation pacing and collaboration, active listeners may use open, natural body language, reflect the speaker’s emotions, employ silence, and maintain or break eye contact. | RARELY makes effective use of nonverbal cues to demonstrate active listening. | SOMETIMES makes effective use of nonverbal cues to demonstrate active listening. | OFTEN makes effective use of nonverbal cues to demonstrate active listening. | CONSISTENTLY makes effective use of nonverbal cues to demonstrate active listening. |
| 3b. Active listeners may provide verbal feedback to demonstrate attention, understanding, responsiveness, and empathy. Active listeners may reflect back to the speaker, paraphrasing and restating the speaker’s words, meaning, and feelings. Active listeners may ask for additional information, using elaboration, clarification, and repetition when necessary. | RARELY makes effective use of verbal feedback, as appropriate, to demonstrate active listening. | SOMETIMES makes effective use of verbal feedback, as appropriate, to demonstrate active listening. | OFTEN makes effective use of verbal feedback, as appropriate, to demonstrate active listening. | CONSISTENTLY makes effective use of verbal feedback, as appropriate, to demonstrate active listening. |
| 4. Active listeners only move to respond or problem-solve where appropriate to the conversation, and only after fully exploring, and ultimately understanding, the speaker’s meaning. | RARELY waits to respond or problem-solve until fully understanding the speaker’s meaning. | SOMETIMES waits to respond or problem-solve until fully understanding the speaker’s meaning. | OFTEN waits to respond or problem-solve until fully understanding the speaker’s meaning. | CONSISTENTLY waits to respond or problem-solve until fully understanding the speaker’s meaning. |