The tone of a written message can be very different than using the same words in a conversation. Two of his students were kept from graduating because they would not make an oral presentation. In the case courses Ron teaches intragroup communications. He said that we put students in groups but don't teach them how to communicate in groups. He wants everyone to participate but doesn't enforce it totally now.
Peers evaluate the content and the presentations.
Ron tries to help students most with their oral communication skills. Bill Krantz told the story of being in college and wanting to be a journalist. He had to take a required speech course, and he didn't speak loudly enough. He went out into a cornfield to practice, and the farmer who owned the field came up and said that he had had considerably less problems with crows since Bill had been practicing. For every single class that Bill teaches, he offers an optional one hour independent study to help students with the class and their communications skills.