Communication

Communication I am currently a student at SERC studying towards my CTTLS qualification. My background knowledge and experience is in Computing. I started researching the area of communication at the end of February 2011 and the beginning of March 2011. A list of resources that I used to research this area will be included in the references. “Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of interchange of experience.” (Teaching & Learning in Further and Adult Education :164) Communication can be verbal, non-verbal and written. This is an ongoing process throughout all the five stages of the Teaching / Training Cycle. Stage 1 Stage 1 Stage 4 Stage 4 Stage 3 Stage 3 Stage 2 Stage 2 Stage 5 Stage 5 Verbal communication; Simply the communication that is expressed through words. How something is said is as important as what is said. “Verbal communication is vital to relationships, businesses and groups. Verbal communication plays an essential role in daily life.” (eHow :1) For example talking on the telephone, having a 1:1 conversation with a stranger or someone you know, group discussions, ordering a meal or drinks, organising an event etc. These are but a few of the day to day uses of verbal communication. Non-verbal communication; “Every conscious or subconscious behaviour in presence of another is suffused with meaning without which all verbal communication would be ambiguous. Non-verbal communication includes pitch, speed, tone and volume of voice, gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, and proximity to the listener, eye movements and contact, and dress and appearance.” (BusinessDirectory.com :1) Written communication: Written communication is the use of letters and symbols. How something is written down needs to be effective enough to get across the message that is trying to be delivered. The use of the vocabulary and knowledge is also important in written communication. The knowledge needs to be accurate, up to date, logically presented, legible. Any aids used should be well prepared and relevant. There are three stages to the communication process; Stage 1 – Thought Stage 2 – Encoding Stage 3 – Decoding “Thought – information that already exists within the mind of the sender. Encoding – the message is sent to the receiver in a verbal, non-verbal, written or a combination of all of these methods. Decoding – the receiver translates what has been received into concepts, ideas or information that he / she has understood.” (Suzanne Galvin Hand-out, :2) With these three stages constantly being used throughout the course, it is essential that information being communicated to the learners is done so in a manner that everyone understands and that ensures everyone is included. Communication also falls under the area of inclusive learning, as all as learners need to be considered and included no matter what their culture, religion, disability etc. However possible barriers do exist that can affect how effective communication can be. “Listening | Perception | Oral Communication | Cultural | Written Communication | Environment | Body Language | Assuming similar interpretation (same message, different interpretation) | Lack of clarity | Gender | Inappropriate Language | Seating Arrangements | Classroom Behaviour | Stereotyping | Pace of lesson | Predisposed ideas about behaviour due to culture | Spelling and Grammar | Heating | Language | Focus on Negatives | Jumping to Conclusions | | Quality of Handwriting | Lighting | Lack of Respect | | Ambiguous Words | | Information Overload | Noise | Class Duration | | Lack of Confidence | | Learning outcomes not SMART | Access | | | | | | Class Size” | (Unit 2: Planning and Enabling Learning lecture notes, :2) I need to be aware of all of these barriers to ensure that my teaching is effective – that learners understand what I am saying, that I understand them and their needs. In my specialist area of computing, computers themselves are an effective tool in aiding communicating. I can use IT to help to communicate information through the use of a PowerPoint presentation and the use of pictures in the presentation. For example, if I were only to use verbal communication and non-verbal, not all of the learners are going to receive the information and understand it, such as learners whose second language is English, those who are hearing impaired etc. Whereas through the use of a PowerPoint presentation and the use of pictures, verbal communication and non-verbal communication, all learners should then receive the same information communicated and no-one is excluded. This also ensures I am catering for my VARK learners through use of a range of communication strategies. Also to improve communication in the class between myself and the learners, I have to remember that communication is a two-way street. This allows both myself and the learners’ to give feedback upon delivery of the information received and understood, performance of non-verbal communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, body orientation, and vocal intonation (pitch and tone). This process will allow me, as the tutor to adapt my style of communication. The barriers that I face in IT with communication are: * Limited knowledge with software i.e. Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word * Limited computer experience in general * Listening barriers: - Interrupting the tutor / learner speaking - Not maintaining eye contact with the tutor / learners’ - Making the tutor feel as though he/she is wasting the listener's time - Being distracted by something that is not part of the on-going communication e.g. loud posters in the room etc. - Ignoring the tutor's requests e.g. getting into groups for discussions, separating from others for an exam etc. * Barriers while speaking: - Unclear messages - Lack of consistency in the communication process - Not understanding the tutor * The other barriers include: - A learners’ viewpoint towards issues/people. - Words can have different meanings to different people, thus blocking communication. - Use of negative words The way in which I can overcome these barriers is to ensure that I speak clearly and at a steady pace, make the topic information that I am delivering as interesting as possible to keep the learners’ engaged, maintain eye contact with the learners’ as much as possible to make them involved with the information being discussed. Keep negative words out of the class as this will cause tension between the tutor and the learner. More specifically with the limited computer and software experience, it is more appropriate for short, clear and precise instructions to be given as well as aids being used to convey the information. This will enforce the information that is being delivered. If this does not work then 1:1 time with the tutor will be required to discuss what else the tutor can do to aid the learner with the learning process. “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves, ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” ~ (Anthony Robbins) (No year given :1) [1,092 words] References School of Business, Hospitality and Tourism, (2011), Communication notes, Bangor: Suzanne Galvin School of Business, Hospitality and Tourism, (2011), Unit 2: Planning and Enabling Learning lecture notes, Bangor: Author Walking, L (1994), Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education, Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd 9th March 2011, Finest Quotes – Communication Quotes, http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Communication-page-0.htm, Online [Available] 14th March 2011, eHow – Define Verbal Communication, http://www.ehow.com/about_5402267_define-verbal-communication.html , Online [Available] 14th March 2011, Business Directory – Non-Verbal Communication, http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/non-verbal-communication.html, Online, [Available] Bibliography 1. Communication 11th March 2011 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication 2. Conversation As Communication 11th March 2011 http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art7.html 3. Communication Skills - making oral presentations 11th March 2011 http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm 4. Gravells, A. (2010), Planning and Enabling in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Wiltshire: Cromwell Press Group. 5. Gravells, A. (2009), Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Glasgow: Bell & Bain Ltd 6. Gravells, A. (2010), Principles and Practice of Assessment in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Glasgow: Bell & Bain Ltd 7. School of Business, Hospitality and Tourism, (2011), Unit 2: Planning and Enabling Learning lecture notes, Bangor: Author [1,263 words including references and bibliography]