Course
Communicating Building Science and Sustainability
Number: BCT 220
Credits: 3
Format: In person, Amherst
Semester: Fall, Spring
Meeting Times: Mondays, Wednesdays 9:30–11:00am
Room: ODB 162
Course Description
(formerly BCT 397X)
Effective communication is not always easy or natural, but it can be learned. This course provides a platform to learn and practice principles of professional communication (through presentations, writing, and audio/visual media) in the field of construction and sustainable building. Through various class exercises and assignments, students attain the skills that are required to succinctly get a message across and connect with an audience.
Learning Goals
- Enable students to dynamically express ideas
- Apply proven techniques to presentations, interviews, and communicating in general
- Present ideas in a visual, audio, and kinesthetic format
- Create images, tables, and graphs to express ideas
- Enhance knowledge of how to interview and communicate with stakeholders or potential clients
- Establish general rules of conduct when communicating with large audiences and stakeholders alike
- Interpret complex data such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
Textbook/Materials
Duarte, N. (2012). HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations. Inspire action. Engage the Audience. Sell your ideas. Harvard Business Review Press, Boston.