IPEC Domain/Competency

Communication: Communicate in a responsive, responsible, respectful, and compassionate manner with team members.

Goals and objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Identify communication behaviors that demonstrate responsiveness, responsibility, respect, and compassion in team interactions.
2. Practice active listening skills, including attending, paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and acknowledging others' perspectives.
3. Reflect on personal communication preferences and factors that influence psychological safety within teams.
4. Explain the role of effective communication in building trust and supporting collaboration in interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams.
5. Develop team communication norms that promote respectful dialogue, active participation, and constructive feedback.

Materials

• None

Activity Description

Pre-Discussion Activity: Communicating in Pairs

Step 1: Prompt “Describe a time you felt heard in a group setting.” Partner A speaks. Partner B listens without interrupting (no response, no reactions). Switch roles.

Step 2: Stay in same pairs. Prompt “What helps you feel comfortable speaking up in a group?” Partner A speaks. Partner B listens without interrupting and engages in responsive communication (e.g., paraphrasing “What I’m hearing is...”, asking clarifying questions, acknowledging feelings). Switch roles.

Large group share-out:

• What communication behaviors helped you feel respected or understood?
• What behaviors made communication harder?

Main Activity: Small Group Discussion Questions:

Use the following questions after students have completed Lesson 7 of the IPE and IDE Introductory Module.

1. What behaviors or practices demonstrate responsive, responsible, respectful, and compassionate communication within a team?
2. How do you feel about communicating your ideas, questions, or concerns in a team setting, especially when perspectives or communication styles differ from your own?
3. Why is responsive, respectful, and compassionate communication essential for building trust and effectively working toward shared goals on an interdisciplinary or interprofessional team?
4. What communication habits or agreements can we commit to as a team to ensure we listen actively, respond thoughtfully, and communicate respectfully throughout our work together?

Debrief as groups are reporting out about learning points addressing the objectives of the activity.

Closing Activity

Ask each group to agree on:

• 1 listening norm (e.g., no interruptions, clarifying before responding)
• 1 feedback practice (e.g., respectful disagreement, using “I” statements)

Use

Designed for use following completion of the Lesson 7 of the IPE and IDE Introductory Module, this activity is best completed in small groups—ideally interprofessional or interdisciplinary teams—as participants begin forming their project teams.

Variation for IPE or IDE Learning Experience

Designed for flexibility, this activity can be implemented in either interprofessional or interdisciplinary learning experiences.

Source

IPE and IDE at JMU’s College of Health and Behavioral Studies (CHBS): An Introduction ©2023 by Linda Plitt Donaldson, Shiree Harbick, Jill Lassiter, Chris Fasching-Maphis, Anne Stewart, Alyssa Decker, & Anna Maria Johnson. James Madison University. Retrieved July 2026 from https://www.jmu.edu/chbs/ipe-ide/module.shtml.

Created by: Vesna Hart
Suggested Citation: CHBS IPE and IDE Council. (2026). IPE and IDE Introductory Module – Lesson 7: Communication Activity. CHBS IPE & IDE Instructional Toolkit. James Madison University.