UNIT 1 MODELS AND PROCESSES OF

COMMUNICATION
Structure
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Communication
1.2.1 Detinitions
1.2.2 Functions of Communication
1.3 Types of Communication
1.3.1 Intrapersonal Communication
1.3.2 Interpersonal Communication
1.3.3 Group Commun;cation
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1.3.4 Mass Communication
1.4 Models of Colnmunication ~
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1.5 Con~municationProcess I

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1.6 Barriers in Communication

1.7 Strategies for Effective Communication
1.8 Summary
1.9 Unit End Activities
1.10 References and Suggested Reading
1.11 Clues to Check Your Progress I
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Have you ever noticed how we express ourselves or interact with each other? Have
you ever wondered what communication is and what role it plays in our lives?
Communication generally means the exchange of qessages with others but it can
also be with one's own self where the self is the sendpr and receiver of messages. It
is an integral part of our lives and is intertwined with all the activities undertaken by
us. Human beings communicate right from the momefit they are born till death and it
will not be an exaggeration to say that communicatio~is indicative of life itself. Thus
communication can be equated with other basic needs bf life such as food, clothes and
shelter as any person, group or community cannot sdrvive without communication.
We may communicate with ourselves while thinking, dreaming, reading, watching
something or listening to something. We communicate face-to-face with another
person or speak with people in group situations. We cah also communicate with people
located in widespread places, who may be from a heterogeneous group and be
anonymous to each other, with the help of technologyt.
You may ask, if communication is so omnipresent andintegral to our lives, why study
communication at all? We need to study communicatiod because it is a complex process
which consists of many elements and is also beset wikh a number of barriers. There
' is a need to take these elements into consideration ankl try to remove the barriers so
that communication becomes complete and attains its desired goal, which in our case,
is to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
In this Unit we shall look at the concept, types, models, process of commu_nicationand
also deliberate upon the barriers in communication dnd finally on the itrategies for
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Communication Process effective communication. We shall also explore the specific areas of education, training .
and classroom teaching and the role of communication therein. In the last unit of this
block, we shall examine the element of interactivity in making the process of .
communication effective.
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1.1 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
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explain the concept of communication; 1
describe different types of communication;
- 1
examine the various models of communication;
1
delineate the process and elements of communication;
1
identify various barriers which exist in the process of communication;
suggest strategies for effective communication.
I
1.2 COMMUNICATION
The word communication has it origin in the Latin word 'cornrn~tnis'that means 'to
make common'. Communicationfacilitates sharing of common experiences with others.
It involves sharing of an idea, thought, feeling or informatinrl with others, which includes
thinking, dreaming, speaking, arguing and so on. Thus the scope of communication is
very wide. Communication is part skill, part art and part science. It is a skill as it
involves certain fundamental techniques, it is an art as it involves creative challenges,
and it is science because certain verifiable principles are involved in making
communication more effective. All this makes communication a complex process.
To understand the concept of communication, let us examine the various definitions of H
communication as given by different scholars.

1.2.1 Definitions
Different scholars have defined communication in various ways. Some of them describe
it as 'the transfer of meaning', 'transmission of stimuli', 'one mind affecting other' or
'sharing of experiences on the basis of commonness'. Communication has also been
defined as a scientific study which involves the art of communication so that skilled
communication can be produced.
Communication is not a static act but a dynamic process, which is continuous in nature
and vital for teaching and learning. It involves the usage of a channel. This channel
could be signs, symbols or verballwritten language. For communication to be complete
and effective it has to achieve the desired objectives as intended by the communicator.
For example, in a classroom situation, the teacher has to make special efforts to
convey the message to the leamers. S h e has to clearly define the objectives of the
lesson and the message has to be conveyed with the help of appropriate oral and
written signs, symbols and body language. Only when the meaning has been understood
by the leamers and in the same idiom as intended by the teacher, we can say that the
communication has been successful. Thus, communication can be defined as a process
of sharing or exchange of idea& information, knowledge, attitudes or feelings among
two or more persons through certain signs and symbols leading to a desired
response as intended by the communicator. Even our behaviour can communicate
messages. For instance warmth towards some one or indifference can be conveyed
even without speech or written messages just through gestures, facial expressions
and body language.
1.2.2 Functions of Communication hlodels and Processes of
Communication
Communication performs many functions, such as inforqng and generating awareness,
educating, persuading, motivating, entertaining, k c . Let us examine some of these
functions:
Sharing of Information: Information is key to progress in any society. Communication
plays
- . an important role in information dissemination related to any form of human
activity, such as social, political, economic, educational and developmental. Regular
exposure to information over a period of time generates awareness on a given issue,
problem or matter of concern. To illustrate, if you were not informed about global
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warming or Pluto losing the status of a planet or the latest technology used in
governance, your awareness on these issues would not have been there.
Communication provides us with information about the environment we are placed in.
It helps in moulding our opinions, formulating decisions and in turn making 'informed
choices' to safeguard our interests as well those of the society.
Education and Training: Communication results in sharing of information, which in
turn makes people knowledgeable and thus productive members of the society. Right
from our childhootl we are taught by our teachers in the sahool and elders at home and
we thus g$n v:>l.iousnew concepts and skills as we grow up. However, we do not
cease to learn when we grow up as we continue to learn throughout our lives. In the
modern educational scenario, training of personnel is an ongoing process and
co~nmunicationplays an important role in orientation and training of teachers and
learners. The degree of learning depends to a great extentlnot only on the contents of
training but also how effectively the information and skilflsare shared. As we know,
knowledge can be constructed through interaction betweeb learners and hisher peers
and also with hisfher teacherslsources of information. i en&, effective communication
results in effective teaching and training. We will discuss this function in greater detail
in Unit 3 of this Block.
Socialization :For the well being of the society, nation m d culture it is crucial that
we are exposed to different view points so that we unddrstand and appreciate the
need for plurality of ideas and diversity of views. Commuoication fosters the feeling
of oneness in a society by exposing the various social gwups to different views. It
develops the need to share and understand the feelings. emotions, hopes, aspirations
and.expectations of varied groups in a social system.
Entertainment : To break the monotony of human life, we need to be exposed to art,
literature, music, films, dance, drama, sports and other modes of entertainment.
Communication provides us with this necessary diversion.;Thus entertainment is an
equally important function of communication. However, of late, this element has
overtaken other functions especially in various mass communication media. Some
television news channels are found to be biased towards entertainment value rather
than informational content of a news item. Similarly, cable and Satellite television channels
are dishing out inane programmes in the name of entertain'hlent. There is a need to
strike a judicious balance between the different needs of the audience enabling them
to take advantage of the wealth of information on various issuds rather than succumbing
to the dictates of cheap entertainment.
Motivation: A motivated individual plays a useful and Active role in a society.
Communication motivates and persuades individuals to meet che rnutually agreed upon
goals. Sharing success stories of those who have overcome the odds in life and have

Persuasion: Yet another important functiorl of communication is to persuade. This

may be to influence us towards a new idea, technique or a prodPct and also to persuade
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Communication Process us to buy these.products. The industrial and corporate houses and advertising agencies,
while taking messages of new products to potential consumers far and wide have
amply exploited this function. Different mass communication media are used for this
purpose. However, many a time unscrupulous advertisers tend to exploit the receiver
of communication for ulterior motives. In the wake of globalization and liberalization
and the growing competitive environment and consumerist culture, we need to take
great care to understand the motives of the source.
Preservation of culture: Communication helps to preserve the culture and heritage
of a nation and society. Through communication, stories from the epics, such as I

Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bible, Koran, etc. are shared with the younger generation.
The transmission of values from one generation to another has been taking place
orally as well as through written texts, over the ages. Tn the modern world different
mass communication media have taken up this function.

Check Your Progress 1

Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Define communication in the context of teaching -learning process.

...............................................................................................................
2. What is the role of entertainment in mass communication?

1.3 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication has been broadly categori~edinto the following four types:
Intrapersonal cot~~munication
Interpersonal communication
Group communication
Mass communication.
Let us discus each of these types in brief.

1.3.1 Intrapersonal Communication

The word 'intra' dendtes 'within'. When we communicate within ourselves, it is
intrapersonal communication. This can take the form of thinking, analyzing, dreaming
or introspecting. Day dreaming, self-talk and memories are all facets of intrapersonal
communication.
Intrapersonal communication is a kind of internal dialogue that takes place within an
individual while contemplating, conceptualizing and formulating our thoughts or ideas
before we actually express them. Due to individual differences. the levels of
intrapersonal communication may vary from one person to another. Writers, thinkers
and philosophers generally devote more time to intrapersonal communication.

1.3.2 Interpersonal Communication

When two persons communicate with each other. the communication is interpersonal.
10 Our everyday exchanges, fomlal or informal, which may take place anywhere come
under this type of communication. There is certain amount of proximity between the Models and Processes of
Communication
sender and the receiver who may be able to see each other closely, watch the facial
expressions, postures, gestures, body language, etc. or may make them out from the
tone and expressions when they communicate without seeing each other, for instance
over telephone. In interpersonal communication, the roles of the sender and receiver
become interchangeable. There are many sensory channels used and feedback is
immediate. It allows you to clarify your views, persuade or motivate another person
more effectively than any other mode of communication.
Interpersonal communication has been analysed from two perspectives: contextual
and developmental. The contextual view does not take into account the relationship
between those who interact whereas the developmental one defines it as
communication that occurs between persons who have known each other for some
time. It argues that our interaction with a salesperson is different from our interaction
with friends and family members.

1.3.3 Group Communication

As the name suggests, when people communicate in group situations, this is known as
group communication. This is an extension of interpersonal communication where
more than two individuals are involved in the process of communication. The groups
can be both formal as well as informal depending on the type and objectives of
communication but generally they have common interests and goals. The group
dynamics can be different as well as complex. For example, the composition, nature,
role and objectives of a group that assembles to exercise every morning in a park
would be different from the one that gathers to participate in a national seminar of
social/educational/political nature or the one which assembles to discuss the problems
of shareholders. Sometimes the group can turn into a mob. For example, a peaceful
demonstration of students may turn unruly due to break down of the communication
process with the management of the school.
The communication process in a group depends on its size, nature, objectives and
dynamics. For example, communication in a small group with members at the same
place will be close to interpersonal communication as the receiver can see the sender
of the message closely and follow hisker facial expressions, body language etc. Slhe
can pose questions and get the doubts clarified and thus obtain feedback. However,
when the size of the group increases, there is less scope for understanding and
deciphering the movements, body language and other such things about the speaker.
The sender may not follow the response of the individual receiver and thus the
feedback is reduced.
Group communication is useful in taking collective decision on a problem, an issue or
a matter of common interest. Depending on the quality of group members and leaders,
effective decisions can be made incorporating divergent point of views. However, this
is not free from limitations. All members of a group may not be able to freely participate
in deliberations, as some may be dominant speakers while others too shy or reluctant
to express themselves thus affecting a free flow of communication. All these factors
have greater implications in group communication. Classroom communication also
falls under group communication in which these factors play an important role. We
will discuss these in greater detail in Unit 3 of this block.

1.3.4 Mass Communication

This type of communication is different from all the three types discussed so far. In
mass communication, the communicator is separated from the audience in terms of
time and place. Communication takes place simultaneouslywith the help of an electronic
device, in which an institution is involved. These electronic devices are known as
mass media such as print, radio, television, the Internet, etc. The audience is 'mass'
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Communication Process i.e. it has a heterogeneous profile, are unknown to each other and located in widespread
locations. Feedback in mass communication is considered to be weak and delayed as
compared to group and interpersonal communication. Today with developments in the
field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), communication through
electronic media may be interactive and feedback may not be delayed. Even now
print medium for instance, newspapers, journals, news'broadcast, etc., engaged in
mass communication do not generate as much feedback as the other types of
communication.
Due to advancements in the field of ICT and widening accessibility to it, interpersonal
and group communication today do not necessitate the physical presence of the
communicators. We spend long durations while communicating through telephone,
sending and checking e- mails . conferencing, etc.

Check Your Progress 2

Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Explain the importance of intrapersonal communication in our life.

...............................................................................................................
2. List out some differences between interpersonal and group communication.
...............................................................................................................

1.4 MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

So far we have discussed the concept and different types of communication. Now let
us examine some popular models of communication which help us in understanding
the process of communication. Like the nature and concept of communication, models
of communication have also been the subject of a vast amount of research. No single
theory or model has found a general acceptance.
Before discussing the models of communication, let us first understand what the term
'model' means. A model is a graphic representation designed to explain the way a
variable works. It is a pattern, plan, representation, or description designed to show
the structure or workings of an object, system, or concept. A model of communication
offers a convenient way to think about it by providing a graphical checklist of its
various elements. Some of the important models discussed in this section highlight the
complexities of the process of communication.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle looked at communication from the rhetorical perspective
i.e. speaking to the masses to influence them and thus persuade them. Aristotle
constructed a model with three elements: Speaker-Speech-Audience in which the
basic function of coinmunication was to persuade the other party. This is accepted by
many as the erst model of commun.ication. Thereafter in the twentieth century many
more models came up. In the latter part of the century, the concept of communication
changed due to the advent of various mass comm~lnicationmedia such as newspapers,
radio, and television. During the First and Second World Wars, communication was
also used for propaganda and it was perceived as a magic bullet that transferred ideas
and knowledge automatically from one mind to another. However, this was later
found to be a very simplistic model which showed communication as a linear one-way
tlow of communication. Sociologists, political scientists and psychologists who joined
 ,e debate around this time argued that communication was a complex process which Models and Processes of
Communication
{as dynamic and two-way in nature.
;ome important models of communication are Lasswell Model, Shanon and Weaver
.Model, Osgoods Model and Schramm Model. Let US now discuss these models.
Lasswell Model (1948) : One of the early models OF communication was developed
by the political scientist Harold D. Lasswell who looked at communication in the form
of a question:
Who
Says What
In Which Channel
To Whom
With What Effect
This verbal model focussed attention on the essential elements of communication and
identified the areas of c-o~~imunication research. 'Who' raises the question of
identification of the source of the message. 'Says what ' is the subject of analysis of
the message. Communication channel is the medium through which the message has
traveled. 'To whorn' deals with the characteristics of the receivers and audience and
'what effect' can be seen as evaluation of the effect of the message. These essentially
comprise the basic components of communication. This model implied that more than
one channel could cany a message. It was considered an oversimplified model which
implied the presence of a communicator and a purposive message.
Shannon and Weaver Model (1949): This model (Figure 1) of Claude Shannon
and Warren Weaver has been considered as one of the most important models of
communication and it has led to the development of many other models. It is referred
to as the transmission model of communication as i t involves signal transmission for
communication.

Infor- Receiver
Signal Message
Source Signal
Noise
Source

Fig. 1: Shannon and weaver Model

In this model, the information source produces a message to be communicated out of
a set of possible messages. The message may consist of spoken or written word. The
transmitter converts the message into a signal suitable for the channel to be used. The
channel is the medium that transmits the signal from the transmitter to the receiver.
The receiver performs the inverse operation of the transmitter by reconstructing the
message from the signal. The destination is the person or thing for whom/which the
message is intended.
This model introduced the concepts like 'noise' i.e. disturbances or errors in
transmission, problems in accepting the signal (qessage), etc. and the need for
maintaining necessary balance between 'entropyb, which means the degree of
uncertainty and 'redundancy', which refers to the uniqueness of the information.
This implied that for effective communication the greater the noise in communication,
the greater is the need for building redundancy i.e. rkpetition of the message which
reduces the relative entropy or in other words, the bncertainty about the message.
This model was criticised for being based on the hardware aspect developed for
engineering problems and not for human communication. Another criticism was that it
did not take the element of feedback into account.
Communication Process Charles Osgood's Model (1954)
Osgood in his model (Figure 2) showed communication, as a dynamic process in
which there is an interactive relationship between the source and the receiver of the
message (M). An individual engaged in the communication process sends as well as
receives messages and as such encodes, decodes and interprets messages through a
number of feedback mechanisms.

Fig. 2: Charles Osgooil's Model

Osgood stressed the social nature of communication. This model was found more
applicable in interpersonal communication in which the source and receiver were
physically present. For example when a teacher teaches, the learners interact by
raising queries, answering questions, etc. The role of interpretation of the message
has also been highlighted in this model for decoding a message .
Schramm Model (1954): Wilbur Schramm, a well-known communication expert
did not make a sharp distinction between technical and non-technical communication.
But drawing upon the ideas of Shannon and O s z n n d ~ Ychramm proceeded from a
simple human communication model to a more complicated one (Figure 3). His first
model has a lot of similarity with Shannon and Weaver Model.

Figure 3: Schramm Model

In the second model (Figure, 4, Schramm visualized the process of communication as
a process of sharing of experience and commonality of experience of those
communicating. It introduced the concept of shared orientation between sender and
receiver.
The circles in this model indicate the accumulated experience of two individuals
engaged in communication. The source can encode and the destination can decode in
terms of the experience

Field of experience

Encoder Decoder

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Fig. 4: Schramm Model
In this model the accumulated experience of two individuals engaged .in communication
is emphasized unlike in the linear models discussed earlier in which interaction, feedback
and sharing of experiences find no place. The source can encode and the destination
can decode in terms of the experiencels each has had. Communication becomes easy
as both the participants have a common field of experience. If the circles do not meet
there is an absence of such common experience which makes the process of Models and Processes of
Communication
communication difficult.
Schramm further elaborated his model by highlightidg the frames of reference of the
persons engaged in communication. He took into account the wider social situations
and the relationships of both source and destination. He maintained that when both
have the same kind of situations, the message is selected, received, and interpreted
according to the frames of references in which noise and feedback play important
roles. He also included the idea of feedback by expressing that communication is
reciprocal, two-way, even though the feedback may be delayed. The weakness of this
model is that it is a less linear model, but it still holds good for bilateral communication.
The complex, multiple levels of communication among several sources that may take
place simultaneously, say in a group discussion, is nTt accounted for.
The linear models of communication held that a message flows only from the sources
to the recipient as for instance from a radio to a listener. Later on the interactive
model was developed which takes into account bilateral communication. Then the
transactional model of communication was developed. It includes the components of
linear model as well as the interactive ones. It emphasizes both the content, i.e. what
is being communicated and also includes the component of relationship of the source
and the recipient.
Example: A teacher and learners will interact more if the content taught is based
upon the experience of the learners and also if the teacher is friendly and has a good
relationship with the learners, there will be more interactions.

Check Your Progress 3

Fill in the blanks.
1. A model is a ...............................................................................
2. The verbal model of Lasswell identified theareas of ........................
3. ......................................... model introduced the concept of 'Noise'.
4. Osgoods model was found more applicable in.. ..................................
5. The second model of Wilbur Schramm introduced the concept of.. ..........

1.5 COMMUNICATION PROCESS

From the preceding discussion, you would have observed that the process of
communication is dynamic, ongoing and ever changing. We also used some terms
such as sender, message, channel, receiver, noise and feedback. These are known as
Elements of Communicationthat makes it a continuous process. Now let us examine
these elements in some detail and understand the type of interrelationship that exists
among them.
Source: The source of communication is the sender who has a message to impart.
The sender has to decide how to communicate a message, which channel is to be
selected for the message and what type of strategies should be planned so that the
message makes the desired response. The sender provides verbal or non-verbal cues
that can be received, interpreted and responded to by the receiver.
Message: Message is a set of signs and symbols which are given by the source to
create meanings for the receiver. Simply put, message is the content which is shared
between the participants in the communication process, To make the message effective,
the sender has to understand the nature and profile of the receiver of the message,
hislher needs and expectations and possible response to the message. This is important
in both face-to-face as well as mediated situations. 15
Communication Process Channel: Channel is the medium used to communicate a message from the sender
to receiver. The channel could be spoken word, printed word, electronic media, or
even non-verbal cues such as signs, gestures, body language, facial expressions, etc.
In modern communication parlance, the word 'channel' mostly refers to mass
communication media such as newspapers, radio', television, telephone, computers,
internet etc. The selection of an appropriate channel is crucial for the success of
communication.
Receiver: Communication cannot take place without a receiver for whom the
message is meant. We receive a message, interpret it and derive meaning from it. You
have already studied that for successful communication, the receiver should receive
the message in the same way it was meant by the sender. In interpersonal
communication. the receiver shares a close relationship with the sender which gradually
gets diluted in group and mass communication.
Noise: Noise is distortion in a message which affects the flow of communication.
Noise could be due to internal as well as external sources. Noise creates barriers in
communication and it could be of many types. There are various types of noises
which have implication in the process of communication and how these can be
overcome for facilitating effective communication are discussed in the next section.
Feedback: The response given by the receiver to the message of the sender is known
as feedback. Communication being a two-way process, without the element of
feedback any discussion on the process of communication is incomplete. You have
read in sub-section 1.3.2 that interpersonal comn-. - ' JII allows greater scope for 1

feedback as both sender and receiver can decipher the facial expressions, body
movements and cross question each other to remove their doubtslqueries. In fact,
their roles are intertwined and cannot be distinguished. The element of feedback gets
gradually diluted when the number of participants in communication activity increases.

1.6 BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

We have referred to the term 'Noise' while discussing the models and elements of
communication in the previous sections. Barrier or Noise is a term used to express
any interference in communication between source and receiver. A successful
communication is the one in which the message is conveyed undiminished with kart
distortion. However, it is not always possible as a number of barriers make the process
of communication complex. Some of these barriers could be physical, psychological,
cultural, linguistic (semantic), technical or due to information overload. Let us try to
understand these barriers and how these can be minimized for effective communication.
Physical Barriers: If the source is not visible to the receiver and slhe is not comfortable
in the environment, it may create barriers in communication. Geographical distance
may also create barriers, as people may like to communicate with one another but due
to physical distances may not be able to do so. For example, people may be interested
to communicate with an expert in a particular area who is not available in other areas1
regions as there is physical barrier.
Psychological Barriers: Due to individual differences, attitudes, interest and motivation
levels, we perceive things and situations differently. Apart from this, the varied levels
of anxiety, inherent prejudices and previous experiences also create barriers in
communication. Studies have revealed that due to the process of selective perception,
selective recall and selective retention, we perceive, retain as well as recall a message
selectively thus creating barriers in communication.
Socio-cultural Barriers: In communication process, socio-cultural barriers also
operate. To illustrate, in the Indian context, some women may not like to discuss their
health related problem with a male health worker. Similarly, some issues may be
perceived as personal and not fit for discussion outside the realm of family, thus creating
16
barriers. Some societies are less vocal which may affect their level of communication Models and Processes of
Communication
with those from other cultures who are more vocal or aggressive in behaviour.
Linguistic Barriers: During the process of communication, faulty expressions, poor
,translation, verbosity, ambiguous words and inappropriate vocabulary create barriers.
Moreover, words and symbols used to communicate facts and information may mean
different things to different persons. This is due to the fact that meanings are in the
minds of people who perceive and interpret meanings in different ways according to
their individual frame of mind.
Technical Barriers: While using technology, technical barriers also make the process
of communication complex. When audio quality is poor or video signals are weak, the
message may not clearly reach the target group. Entatic power supply also creates
barriers in communication.
Barriers Due to Information Load: At times too much information is imparted
which we may not able to comprehend and assimilate, thus creating a barrier in
communication. To illustrate. in a meeting when a speaker provides information at a
fast pace for considerable period of time many of the issues and concepts may get lost
at the end. While using media, this type of barrier can greatly affect the level of
comprehen5ion and utilisation of the message. H e n c ~ great
, care needs to be taken
while deciding the amount of information in a commulnication transaction.

Check Your Progress 4

1 Match the following situations with different types of barriers: I
1. Rural women may not like to discuss
their problems with males a) Linguistic
2. Failure of satellite link b) Socio-cultural

I1 4.3. Too many concepts in a lesson

Individual differences
C)
d)
Physical
Content load
1 5. Weak and faulty expressions e) Technical
I~
6. Poor seating arrangements f) Psychological

1.7 STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

We have discussed in detail the various types of barriers that affect the process of
communication and it may not always be possible to completely remove all these
barriers. However, with proper planning and special efforts these can be minimised to
a great extent. Some of the ways of facilitating effective communication could be:
clarity of message, reinforcement of ideas, selection of appropriate channel, motivation,
proper environment and feedback. Let us elaborate each of these ways.
Clarity of message: In any type of communication, it is important that the objective
of communication is well defined, the level of language is kept simple, brief and clear.
It has been found that most of the complex ideas can be presented simply. Short and
simple sentences can express an idea completely, coherently and cogently. Too many
conjunctions make a sentence complex and difficult to understand. Proper phrasing,
punctuation, emphasis, voice modulation facilitates alarity of message and increases
the impact of communication.
Reinforcement of ideas: For clarity of the message, an element of redundancy
needs to be introduced. Difficult or technical workis and expressions need to be
substituted with simpler expressions and words of everyday usage. However, care
needs to be taken to see that the message does not bacome repetitive and boring. The
level of audience needs to be constantly kept in mind.
 Communication Process Appropriate channel: Depending upon the type and objective of communication,
selection of appropriate channel is crucial for the success of communication. The use
I of technology also helps to overcome geographical barriers. However, for selecting a
pal-ticular channel, especially the more expensive one, some questions need to be
constantly asked such as why this channel? Ts there any specific need? Will it help to
meet the objective of communication'? Is it possible to avoid unnecessary investment?
and so on. Many a time, a simple channel may convey a message more effectively as
compared to the more glamorous ones.
Motivation: Motivation also helps to remove some of the barriers, especially
psychological and socio-cultural barriers. The receivers in the communication process
need to be encouraged to express their views, opinions and doubts. They need to be
drawn into the interactive process by persuading them to pose questions. Appreciation
of their (receivers) views increases their self-esteem and builds confidence.
,
Proper environment: Proper seating arrangements, visibility of the source and
relatively comfortable environment facilitate communication. This is especially
conducive in overcoming some of the physical barriers discussed above.
Feedback: Feedback is an integral component of any communication activity. Regular
feedback at appropriate levels facilitates understanding of the needs and views of the
receiverls. It helps to bridge the gaps, if any, in the communication approach and
improves the process of communication.

1.8 SUMMARY
In this Unit, you were introduced to the concept of communication and its importance
in our lives. You were also exposed to different types of communication which included
intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and mass communication. The various models, such
as Lasswell model, Shannon and Weaver model, Osgoods model and Wilbur Schramm
and the transactional models highlighted the complexities of the communication process.
The dynamics of communication were discussed by delineating the various elements
such as the source, message, channel, noise. receiver and feedback. The element of
noise was further elaborated upon and various barriers which affect the communication
process were thoroughly analysed. How effective communication strategies can be
planned with clear unambiguous message, selection of appropriate channel,
reinforcement of ideas, motivation and feedback were examined in sgrne detail. We
hope that this analysis will help you to apply the principles of communication in your
day-to-day interaction in general and for education and training in particular, which
will come up for detailed discussion in the next unit.

1.9 UNIT END ACTIVITIES

1. Watch closely two persons communicating with each other. Note the various
signs and symbols used for interaction. Analyze how their roles as sender and
receiver interchange while interacting. Examine if there is any noise or barrier
existing in their communication. If yes, observe the effect of the noise on the
communication process.
Chose another situation where noiseharrier is affecting communication. Analyze
the causes leading to noiseharriers and the steps that can be taken to remove them.
2. Plan an effective communication strategy to communicate your views on any
topic to a group of 20 adults.
3. Interview a teacher and find out about the barriers in communication in hisher
classroom that restrict proper communication with some of the students. Discuss
with himlher the steps that could be taken to lessen them.
18
 Models and Processes of
1.10 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING Communication

You may visit websites on topics discussed in this Unit, like the following:
<http://www.answers.com/to~ic/communication>Retrieved on 18.4.06
<http://en.wikipedia.or~lwikiNodel> Retrieved on 18.4.06
1.html>
<htt~://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/introductorv/schro
Retrieved on 18.4.06
Retrieved
<http://www.nvcc.edu/home/aeldrid~e/communication/mature/models.htm>
on 19.4.06

1.11 CLUES TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check Your Progress 1
1. Communication can be defined as a process of sharing or exchange of ideas,
information, knowledge, attitudes or feelings among two or more persons through
certain s i ~ ~and
~ i ssymbols leading to a desired response as intended by the
communicator.
2. Although communication is being used for information dissemination, training
and education, entertainment has become predominant lately. One of the reasons
for this is the emphasis placed on entertainment by satellite and cable TV which
in turn has affected other mass communication media.

Check Your Progress 2

1. Intrapersonal communication helps us in thinking, analyzing and introspecting. It
is a kind of internal dialogue that takes place within an individual while
conceptualizing and formulating our thoughts or ideas before we actually express

2. Interpersonal Group
The proximity between sender and receiver is high It is reduced
The roles of sender and receiver become May not
interchangeable always happen
Feedback is high Reduced feedback
Easier to clarify views, persuade or motivate It may not be so easy.
another person

Check Your Progress 3

1. Graphical representation designed to explain the way the variable(s) works
2. Communication research
3. Shannon and Weaver
4. Interpersonal communication I

5. Shared orientation between sender and receiver,

Check Your Progress 4

1 b) 2- e), 3- d), 4- f), 5- a), 6- c).

19
UNIT 2 COMMUNICATION FOR
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Structure
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Objectives
2.2 Nature of Educational Communication
2.3 Approaches to Educational Communication
2.3.1 Contiguous and Non-contiguous Com~nunication
2.3.2 Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication
2.3.3 Direct and Mediated Communication
2.4 Electronic Communication
2.5 Comnlunication for Training
2.6 Planning Communication for Education and Training
2.7 Communication Skills
2.8 Summary
2.9 Unit End Activities
2.10 References and Suggested Reading
2.11 Clues to Check Your Progress

2.0 INTRODUCTION
In the previous unit, you read about the concept of communication, various types,
models, process and elements of communication. You were exposed to the various
barriers, which affect the process of communication. You were also introduced to the
various steps of planning an effective communication strategy. These principles,
elements and processes are equally relevant in communication for education and training.
Communication facilitates sharing of information, which makes people productive
members of society. In modern teaching-learning environment, training i q an ongoing
process and communication is an integral part of it. The degree of learning depends to
a great extent not only on the content of training but also on how effectively knowledge
and skills are shared through the process of communication. In this Unit, we shall
examine the specific requirements for educational communication and how these can
be met with systematic planning. We shall also discuss the nature of and the approaches
to educational cormnunication. Direct and mediated communication and its implication
for education and training shall also be discussed. In the last section of the Unit we
shall deliberate upon the communication skills.

2.1 OBJECTNES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
explain the nature of communication for education;
analyze the process of communication for education; and
i distinguish between various types of communication, describe the role and
importance of communication for education and training.
 Communication for
NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION Education and Training

An educational communicator is confronted with questions such as, what do I want to

communicate? Whom do I communicate to? What are the specific objectives of my
communication? How will the message be received? Will the communication evoke
the desired results? Although these questions are intrinsic part of any communication
process, in educational communication, they acquire greater significance.
You may say that many a time, television serials, commercial advertising and news
based programmes also have powerful social messages and as such these can be
termed as educational communication A quiz programme may provide bits and pieces
of information on a variety of issues. Some films also depict content, which have
educational value. However, despite being informative and educational in content these
are distinct from educational communication. This type of communication is limited in
scope as it is aimed at sensitization on various issues. It can be placed in the category
of 'infotainment' or 'edutainmenf- a hybrid version of information and entertainment.
To qualify a communication transaction, as being educational, it should meet the
following two broad criteria:
It should explore the subject or develop a treatment of it in a systematic and
organized manAer.
It should aim to improve the learning of the recipients in some kind of permanent
way.
Thus we can say that communication for education and training is a systematic and
planned activity. It has certain specific objectives directly related with acquiring
knowledge or development of new skills. Now let us examine the nature of educational
comniunication.
Communication for education and training is purposive in nature as it has certain
objectives to achieve. It is also positive as it has certain desired goals to achieve which
are meant for the growth and improvement of the society. Educational communication
is also pragmatic as it has a utilitarian purpose. We have used three terms purposive,
positive and pragmatic. Let us examine them in more detail.
The purposive nature df educational communicatioh allows the source, that could
be the teacher, to share information with learners fbr a variety of purposes. These
could be related to creation of knowledge, stretch m e ~ t ahorizons,
l and raise levels of
aspirations. Communication is also meant to focus attention 'on problems having a
bearing on the contemporary developmental and educational context; it can encourage
experimentation and knowledge relating to their success andlor failure can be widely
disseminated. It may be aimed at developing a certain attitude to build a set of values.
It may be related with building of tastes and appreciation of arts or literature. Thus
educational communication has a definite purpose to accomplish as per the needs of
the target group (learners).
The positive nature of educational communication allows the source to attach certain
~
positive value to what one communicates. It contributes to the harmonious integration
of the individuals in society. It can be effectively emplbyed to build consensus on new
goals, for promoting understanding of an issue or taking positive action.
Communication for education and training is also pmgrnatic. This implies that the
purpose of communication has a practical point of view. It may be related with certain
changes in the learners' behaviour, leading to development of specific skills and
techniques or showing them how to carry out a particular process. Debates,
argumentation and public speaking are examples of pragmatic nature of communication
as they influence or facilitate decision-making.

21
Communication Process Thus the field of communication for education is both broad and diverse. If we keep
the process of communication as delineated in the previous unit in mind, we find that
in communication for education and training, the sources are teachers /institutions and
the message is the content of curriculum, the learners are receivers and the various
media technologies used are the channels of communication. The source or
communicator takes special care of the language used, the style of communication,
the treatment of the message, the grammar of teaching and so on. The communicator
also has to be very clear about the objectives before planning the communication
activity, as different objectives require diverse approaches. While interacting and
expressing opinions, making suggestions and the like, the students can also become
the source in the process of communication,
Communication for education should reflect the needs of society, the nature of students,
and the content. In addition, it should reflect the teachers' own values and devotion to
the cause of education.

Check Your Progress 1

I Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Define educational communication in your own words.

2: Why does an educational communicator take special care of the language and
style of communication?

2.3 APPROACHES TO EDUCATIONAL

COMMUNICATION
In the previous unit (Unit I), we discussed four types of communication: intrapersonal,
interpersonal, group and mass communication. Now let us examine them in relation to
educational communication.
Intrapersonal communication: Intrapersonal communication involves communication
with oneself (Encyclopedia Britannica Online). It is especially useful for contemplating,
visualising and analysing in the context of education and training. It helps the
communicator i.e. the teacher to plan a message carefully. Some teachers take great
pains to plan their lectures/presentations by spending considerable time in organising
their ideas, thoughts and approaches to communicate them effectively. They visualise
their learners, refine their ideas and use appropriate vocabulary to express their views.
If we read a book, watch a film, use audio-visual aids and reflect over the content and
production aspects and analyse them, these can be placed under intra-personal
communication. The degree of intra-personal communication may, however, vary from
one person to another. It may trigger off great creativity in some while it may not be so
profound in others.
Interpersonal communication is between two persons, the sender and receiver,
who in an educational setting could be the teacher and the learner. The learner is not
necessarily the receiver and may also be the sender when slhe questions, opines,
responds, i.e. interacts. Various sensory channels (sense organs) are used for receiving
22
the infomlation. Visualizing includes watching the facial expressions, gestures, and Communication for
Education and Training
body language of each other. Similarly, hearing involves attaching meaning to the
wordslsounds communicated and also making out the tone. pitch, and other things
related to the delivery of messages. This helps in gauging the inner meaning of the
communication. It allows us to clarify our views, persuade or motivate learners more
effectively. In this type of communication the scope for misunderstanding and doubts
is minimised and clarity of views is facilitated.
Group communication has several strengths when used for education and training.
The simplest example of this is the classroom setting where there is sharing of the
message (lesson) with the receivers ( learners) using a channel of communication
(oraVwiitten/visualfonn). Informing, raising questions and providing answers (feedback)
are some of the activities involved in it. The size of the group has implications in the
communication process. The element of interactivity existing in interpersonal
communication is also present in small group communication which, however, diminishes
in large group situations. We will discuss group communication in greater detail in the
next unit (Unit 3) on classroom communication.
Mass communication med~aare being increasingly used for the purpose of education
and training. It is a means of public communicatian reaching large audiences.
Newspapers, motion pictures, radio, television, and magazines can deliver information
to millions of people. To the list of the media we can also add the networking facilities,
especially the lnternet that reaches huge number of users. Mass media are used
when the learner population is widespread, scattered a d it is difficult to reach out to
them through the face-to-face situations. In distance education a variety of media
components are used for communicating with distantly placed learners. Some of these
media are: radio broadcasts, telecasts, interactive radio, teleconferencing, etc.
Apart from these four broad categories, there are some other approaches to
cominunication for education and training. Some of these are:
Contiguous and non-contiguous communication
Synchronous and asynchronous communication
Direct and mediated communication
Let us discuss each approach to communication for education and training.

2.3.1 Contiguous and Non-Contiguous Communication

In contiguous communication, the communicator, who in educational communication
happens to be the teacher is in touch with receivers, i.e. learners and the communication
process takes place in an unbroken sequence. Contiguous communication allows
proximity between sender and receiverls. Classroom mmmunication, and individual
instructions in the formal education system can be placed under contiguous
communication. However, for reaching out to a large number of learners, it can
prove to be time consuming and expensive as they have to be physically present. That
in turn requires adequate infrastructure. This can be done not only in the face-to-face
mode but also through chat sessions, use of conferencing facilities over electronic
media, etc.
In non-contiguous communication, the sequence of comunication is broken and the
communicator (teacher) is not in direct touch with the receivers (learners). When
large number of dispersed learners are being reached with the help of different media
such as radio, television, computers, Internet etc. and there is no direct touch between
the teacher and the learners, and the sequence in comnlunication is broken, it can be
categorized as non-contiguous communication. This is being increasingly used for
teaching core curriculum based subjects. For instance, learning from the print material
Communication Process 2.3.2 Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication
In synchronous communication, the participants in the communication activity are
present in real time at same and /or different locations. Classroom teaching, face-to-
face tutorials, workshops, radio and television broadcasts, audio conferencitlg, video
conferencing, telephonic calls, etc. can be placed in this category. Synchronous
communication may also include text based chat i.e. chat over the Internet
with communication in real time through text between two or more people and
audio chat.
Asynchronous communication does not require the simultaneous presence of
participants to provide two-way communication at a distance. In asynchronous
communication, the teacher and the learner do not meet face-to-face in real time but
can be in touch through technology at the user's convenience. Participants can contribute
at their own pace and convenient times by carefully reflecting over the information
given. In asynchronous communication, information can be edited, stored and retrieved.
This type of communication allows a greater degree of freedom and flexibility to the
learners. Letters, electronic mail, mailing lists, bulletin boards, discussion groups in
which participants can exchange and respond to open messages, fall under this category.
Asynchronous communication may be difficult and time consuming, yet it has been
found to be pedagogically effective.

2.3.3 Direct and Mediated Communication

In a traditional teaching situation, the teacher is In direct contact with hisker students.
S k e presents the topic, explains the content, guides and encourages the students. The
students in turn also know how to interpret the messages, expressions, body language
and variations of tone, etc. of the teacher. Since there is no medium to carry the
messages between the teacher and the learner, this type of communication is said to
be direct. Sometimes face-to-face pedagogic communication is associated with non-
mediated communication. However, some scholars have argued that no knowledge
can exist nor be expressed without some kind of symbolic representation such as the
use of lahguage.
When we teach indirectly and get in touch with learners through varied communication
means, it is known as mediated communication. In this type of communication, when
the teacher teaches offline, the students need not be present at the same time or at the
same place. The contents can be shared with the learner through various media such
as printed course materials, audio-visual programmes and other information and
communication technologies like the networked computers. Distance education system
makes extensive use of mediated communication, which is at the core of teaching-
learning process.

Check Your Progress 2

Fill in the blanks.
a) Mass communication helps to ......................................................
b) .....................communication teaches the students offline and students need
not be present at the same time and place.
C) .................... allows the sender to clarify views, persuade or motivate
another person more effectivdy.
d) In synchronous communication.. ..................................................
e) In non- contiguous communication, the sequence of communication .........
 Communication for
2.4 ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION Education and Training

Internet is a network of networks that allows worldwide computer? to get connected

and communicate with each other. The Internet constitutes the backbone of online
communication which is being used extensively for educational purposes. The Internet
facilitates educational communication by connecting communities of learners and
teachers as well as other knowledge seekers and facilitates communication through
emails, chats, and other services on the World Wide Web (WWW). Real time interaction
is possible using audio video communication, texts, graphics, images, animation, etc. In
sharp contrast to the direct teaching approach, the instructional approach of online
learning lets the students 'act' rather than 'listen'. It facilitates collaborative learning,
mentoring via apprenticeships and learning by doing. It also fosters learner autonomy
and thus facilitates individualized learning.
With the help of the World Wide Web or WWW one can reach anywhere, anyplace
anytime. The Web involves 'hypertext' that supports the linking of graphics, sound,
and video elements in addition to text elements. When you select an element, you can
view all the other elements that are linked to it and we cgn navigate from one element
to another even t l ugh they might have very different korms. There is no necessary
link with the tc her and learners can determine their own path and navigate to seek
information. The computer stores information in many 'screenfuls' each linked to
another by means of hyper links. By clicking on the hyperlinks, the user can browse
through the information by choosing a route. To produce a web database the author
has to organise the knowledge being taught into 'chunks' or screenfuls. S h e has to
decide how to link the chunks keeping in mind that the user may or may not 'visit'
them all but navigate among them. Internet is being increasingly used as primary as
well as secondary sources of information.
Communication through e-mail: E-mail is an eledronic message sent from one
computer to another over the Internet. This can be done either in the form of message
or with attachments, pictures and other documents. In the context of education, it is an
excellent means of communication with dispersed senderlreceiver. You might have
used e-mails and noticed that like postal letters, e-mails ailsocontain two parts: header
and body. Header contains the name, address of the sender, the subject of the message,
etc. and the body contains the message itself.
For using e-mails effectively for educational communication, some etiquette needs to
be followed. This is known as Netiquettes. First of all e-mail needs to be sent to the
person who really needs to be contacted, otherwise it is known as SPAM or unsolicited
mail. The subject line should clearly indicate what the e-mail is about. The message
should be short and focused. Since e-mails can be interc+pted and read by others or
forwarded accidentally, one should avoid writing information, which is very personal
and sensitive in nature. One should take time to think and frame the proper e-mail,
check the spellings before sending the mails as mis-spelt mdils create a poor impression
on the recipient. One should avoid using all capital letters as it makes reading more
difficult, this is known as SHOUTING. For optimal utilisation, user should check e-
mails regularly and the unwanted ones should be deleted periodically.

2.5 COMMUNICATIONFOR TRAINING

1

Training is an ongoing process aimed at acquiring competencies and skills for doing a
particular job. The main purpose of training is to bridge the gap between job
requirements and the competence of a trainee. In the modern competitive environment,
and rapid rate of obsolescence, training acquires great importance. At this point, it is
important to distinguish between education and training. The nature of both is purposive,
positive and pragmatic. However, the scope of education is wider and general whereas
Communication Process the objectives of training are specific and utilitarian. Training is generally for short
duration as compared to education, which is for longer duration. In spite of their
differences, both education as well as training require communication.
Training can be provided through various methods, such as lectures, discussions,
workshops, brainstorming, buzz sessions, brientation programmes, apprenticeships,
internships, study visits, etc. In all these methods effective communication between
the trainer and the trainee is a necessary requirement.

I
Lecture method is the simplest and the oldest method of instruction. The knowledge
in a particular area on a topic, not readily available to group members is to be imparted
by an expert. It is useful for teaching conceptual knowledge to a large group in a short
span of time. It is primarily a one-way mode of communication. However, a good
lecture involves effective interaction between the instructor and the trainees through
the use of good questions followed by explanations. Thus there is two way
communication.
Discussion is a planned activity in which a small number of trainees get together and
discuss a topic. At times a moderator who keeps the discussion focused on the issue
guides them. For using discussion as a training method, the topic selected generally
has adequate scope of generating divergent views.
Workshop is a practical session in which trainees learn by doing various exercises.
During workshop, a group of people get together to work on a creative project and the
emphasis is on 'doing' rather than on theory. It is designed to illustrate the application
of theoretical principles. In a workshop the trainees undertake certain activities
individually or in groups.
Brainstorming focuses on a specific problem or an issue and a group of participants
pull out ideas in an informal manner. This method does not place emphasis on right or
wrong answers but on a free flow of ideas that may be novel, original and may even
initially appear unusual. All the possible aspects are recorded, evaluated and selected
at the end of the brainstorming.
Induction/orientation programmes are organized for new employees or students.
These are generally for short duration to orient them into a specific area earmarked
for training. It makes the person familiar with the nature of the job or an educational
programme in which f i e has enrolled and hisher role in it.
Apprenticeship provides a person opportunity to learn a trade by working for an
agreed period and get both theoretical as well as practical training. An apprentice is
a person who works under a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or
programme for a recognised period. It teaches correct job methods and develops
confidence in job performance.
Internship also entails learning by doing at a workplace for a specific period. This is
generally organised for advance students for undergoing supervised practical training.
Candidates go through their regular studies and also work to acquire practical knowledge
and ckills.
Debate fosters collaborative learning. In this method, trainees are divided into two
groups. One person from each group is asked to speak for and against the problem.
The group members have to defend their arguments and convince the other group.
In addition to these methods, other training methods are also used in specific training
situations. Study visits to professional organisations expose the participants to the
working in a particular organisation. Buzz sessions allow each member of the group
to express hislher opinion during a specific time allotted. Demonstration reveals a
particular process in a step-by-step systematic manner. Role-play method allows the
learners to enact different roles in an imaginary situation on a problem or issue
conceining thern. Case study method focuses on a problem or situation and the
26 -------- 1
1
trainees analyze the problem in depth and suggest remadial measures. Communication Communication for
Education and Training
is at the heart of each of these training methods. We will discuss them in detail later in
this unit. I

' --
Check Your Progress 3
I Match the following: I
1. Lecture a) Learning by doing
2. Workshop b) Large Group ,
3. Role Play C ) FOCUSon a probletn in totality
4. Case study d) Act out the roles
Induction e) emphasises free a$d frank opinion on an issue
Brainstorming f) Organised for new employees
Internship g) Expose the workidg of an organisation
8. Study visits h) Supervised practicbl training
-
I

2.6 PLANNING COMMUNICATIONFOR

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Communication for education and training entails a great deal of planned activity. The
source of information, who could be teacherltrainer besides having a thorough
knowledge of the subject matter, should be a good communicator to get across the
message effectively. Slhe should be genuinely interested in both the subject as well as
in imparting training. There can be various approaches to educational communication
and one cannot claim that this is the only approach. However, some general principles
have been discussed below:

Selection of Appropriate Topic

The topic on which communication has to be made should be important and relevant
for the target group. It should be interesting enough for the rkceiver (learner) to motivate
himher and sustain hislher attention. Conscious efforts need to be made to provide
adequate scope for eliciting different viewpoints so that the process of communication
does not become a one-way monologue and is able to inv~lveothers.

Setting Realistic Goals

Since educational communication is purposive and pragmatic in nature, there are certain
learning outcomes (goals), which have to be achieved at ahe end of communication
transaction. These objectives should be well defined and reahtic enough to be achieved.
The source (teacher) should be very clear about the aim of communication. The
objectives should be specific, setting out what learners should be able to do after
completing the act of educational communication. Ideally, there should not be too
many learning objectives in one educational transaction, as the content flows from the
objectives and too many objectives lead to content overldad. Putting too much of
information in one communication transaction will lead to botedom, fatigue and lack of
attention. The fact that our attention span is limited also placeb a great deal of constraint
on the source while planning and designing objectives. At the same time, less

I
information will leave room for doubts and require clarification. Well defined objectives
can provide a basis for assessment later on.

Know Your Learners

It is important to know the level and needs of the learners. [The socio-demographic
profile, educational background and dynamics of the karner6 also need to be kept in 27
Communication Process mind. Despite the overt homogeneity, they may be a heterogeneous lot due to different
socio-economic levels, different ideologies, abilities and sensitivities. This makes the
process of communication complex and challenging. While planning the content, a
balanced and holistic view combining different facets of an issue will help to develop
critical thinking among the varied learners.
In addition, the existing level of knowledge of the students, their learning needs and
leami~lgstyles provide information about the strategies for communication. Knowledge
about their values, attitudes and cultural background helps the teacher in placing them
in proper context. An assessment of their motivation and desire to learn helps to plan
the message accordingly. Information about learners facilitates the processes of defining
the objectives and determining the mode of communication.

Proper Organisation of Content

Once topic or subject of communication has been identified, utmost care needs to be
taken while structuring the content. It needs to be broken into segments and each
segment should be sequenced properly in a logical manner. The entire effort should be
geared so that learner is able to understand the message and add to hidher knowledge.
While selecting the content, care needs to be taken to ensure that it is factual as any
mistake can lead to a series of misinformation. In addition, it should be updated regularly
in view of the rapid pace of obsolescence in some areas of knowledge. It should be
focused and specific and should not lead to generalities. It should be adequately
supplemented with illustrations, examples and case studies for explaining a phenomenon.
While organising and structuring the content, care a!- -- ;s to be taken about density
of information as many a time, in our effort to develop expertise, the content load may
become very high. The content should also have ample scope for reinforcement.
Recapitulation of salient points should be made from time to time. Placing emphasis
on key words and expressions facilitates in learning. A short and simple restatement
of the essential message helps the listener to remember and respond.

Selection of Technology
i
Media is being increasingly used for direct teaching as well as for enrichment. Direct
teaching involves teaching school or university curriculum using instructional media.
Enrichment implies, media is used for increasing awareness, generating interest and
thus involves indirect teaching. It can be in both formal and non-formal educational
situations. Selection of technology for education should be made with utmost care. In
our search for new inventions and their applications for education, we have to be
extremely careful about their implications in learning. We need to constantly ask,
questions such as: Do learners have access to this media? Is the use of a particular
medium justified? Can it be done in a simpler way? Will a particular medium actually
facilitate learning'? An honest appraisal of the answers to such questions should govern
the selection of a particular media. The tendency to use technology as a fashionable
trend has to be eschewed. The famous poet, T.S.Eliot has once said. "Where is the
wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in
information" In our scramble for using technology for education and training. we might
end up giving information without either the knowledge or the wisdom that could be I
derived out of it. One also needs to consider the fact that technology cannot entirely
replace the human element and the qualitative role of the teacher. As content generators
and creators, teachers can play a crucial role in producing content in which pedagogy
1
I

remains pre-eminent.

Appropriate Duration
The duration of educational transaction also affects communication. When a teacher
imparts a lengthy discourse or a long presentation is made which is not interactive or
does not give breaks in terms of the use of teaching /visual aids, this may create a
28
barrier. Studies have revealed that human mind cqn effectively receive information Communication for
Education and Training
for a span of 55 minutes to one hour at a stretch and after that the level of attention
starts waning. Information overload leads to satuiation and fatigue. The longer the
message the concentration starts decreasing and inability to concentrate. You would
have noticed an increased tendency of channel surfing among television watchers.
The availability of wide array of information at the flick of fingers triggers off certain
restlessness among the viewers who are on a conhtant lookout for entertainment or
new information. Duration of audio-video programpes also have important bearing in
sustaining interest of the learners. A creative use of audio excerpts, film clips, charts,
diagrams or appropriate visuals breaks the monotlony of a 'talking head' approach.
Apart from providing a break, the use of audio visual aids trigger off discussion points,
raise issues and demonstrate processes and makes the communication process
interesting. If the duration has to be kept long due to certain exigencies, then some
participatory exercises need to be built to involve the receivers and break the monotony
of one-way monologue.

2.7 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

We had earlier stated that messages of communication are generally of three types:
verbal, written and through signs and symbols. For educational communication, some
specific communication skills are required for each of these messages. The purpose
of communication is to convey the message across to the recipient(s) clearly and
unambiguously. Otherwise the message may be misinterpreted resulting in confusions.
Communication is successful when both the sender and the receiver interpret the
information in the same manner during communication.
Writing and verbal skills are integral components of educational communication. For
verbal communication, one needs to have the skills of communicating in a simple,
conversational manner with proper inflexions, intonations, etc. For written
communication one should be able to write clearly and legibly. Our gestures, expressions
and body language communicate more than the vecbal symbols. Hence, one should be
observant enough to study the postures, facial expressions, voice intonation, etc. Apart
from these there are some other skills involved in educational communication. These
can be placed under listening skills and questioning skills. Let us examine all these
skills in detail.

Verbal Skills
In educational communication, the teacher as the source has access to information
which needs to be shared with learners. This has to be done effectively so that the
recipient i.e. the learner understands as the source intends. Apart from subject specific
expertise, the verbal skills of the source greatly affect the process of communication.
Verbal skills include felicity with the spoken language, whatever the language may be.
The pitch of voice should be neither very high nor low. Well-modulated voice, which is
able to convey the varied expressions with appropriate intonation and inflexions add to
the ability to convey. In addition, correct pronunciation and proper diction add to the
verbal skills of the source. The pace of delivery is also an important factor in verbal
skills because if the pace of delivery is too fast, it will be difficult for the learner to
assimilate the information.
To address the above issues the sender needs to ask whether the language used is
pitched at the right level. Is it appropriate for the level of receivers or is too highbrow
which puts them in a daze? Does it move at a fast pace which the receiver is unable
to assimilate? All these factors greatly impinge on the success of educational
communication.

29
Communication Process Writing Skills
Writing skills acquire great significance in educational communication. This is especially
relevant while preparing lessons for students, writing chapters for books or contributing
research papers for academic journals. Each publication has its own stylebook and
the contributors are generally expected to follow the respective stylebooks. In this
section our focus is more on the common writing skills for education and training.
While writing, the sender needs to ask if it conveys the message with clarity or creates
linguistic or semantic barriers. Is it verbose or is there economy of words? Does it
offer scope for clarification and substitution'? Are there jumps or breaks which need
to be bridged? Has one concept been explained in totality before moving on to another
concept?
Needless to add, the objective of educational communication is to share particular
information between the sender and receiver and in turn to reach a common field of
experience. Towards that end, writing skills should entail clarity and conciseness.

Listening Skills
It may sound paradoxical, but attentive listening is a prerequisiteof good communication.
A successful communication also involves good listeners, critics, followers and
respondents. Skilled listeners are valued, as during a communication process, usually
all the participants are eager to have their say or find it difficult to concentrate on the
source. For effective communication, it is extremely important that the sender and
receivers listen to each other attentively. In our daily conversations you would have
noticed that most of us like to express our views and can talk at length on any issue,
but very few people turn out to be good listeners. A good communicator puts the
listeners at ease, s h e stops talking once in a while and invites views and opinions of
others and concentrates on what is being said. S h e encourages plurality of views,
appreciates and accords respects to even those which are contrary to hisher views.
Listening can be at different levels. At the first level, we make sense out of sounds to
distinguish speaker's words and try to understand what is being said. Then we analyse
the point of view of the speaker. At times, our own personal biases may creep in and
make the communication process difficult. On other occasions, the tone of the speaker,
gestures, postures and facial expressions may contradict what is being said and they
could act as barriers to listening. However, mere listening is not enough, it has to be
active and emphatic implying that while listening, your mind should be alert and your
face and posture should reflect interest in what is being said. Sometimes jotting down
of points may be done as it indicates attention towards the views presented.
You will find that listening being an active process also involves the mind and hence
can be tiring. Body postures indicate whether one is listening or drifting away. The
recipient should be an active participant to understand the source. Hence the speaker
or the source should involve the recipient.
Questioning Skills
We have been reiterating that any communication effort is incomplete, if it is a one-
way monologue and does not offer scope for interactivity and feedback. The sender
has to be very sure of the fact that the message has been received properly as intended.
This can be cross checked by putting questions and assessing the responses. Questions
serve as important tools of learning. Teaching by questioning is commonly referred to
as the "Socratic Method". It is often the basis of our educational approach. A good
question can accomplish this result better than just telling the answer. Think of a
situation in which a speaker rambles on and on putting the participants to sleep. All of
a sudden an interesting question from the participants captures the interest of the
group and brings them back from their reverie. Questions help to attract attention,
involve the learners, test their level of comprehension and involve them in the
communication process.
30
For effective educational communication, the skill of asking questions needs to be Communication for
Education and Training
developed. Questions need to be framed carefully. Ideally questions should be brief,
~pecificand polite. These questions can be direct, leading or rhetorical. After asking a
question adequate time needs to be given to studentsto respond to the question. During
prolonged training sessions, conscious efforts are &ade to build interactive sessions
which apart from giving scope for interaction proyide a much needed break Lo the
participants. However, it may not be always possible,to get full and complete feedback
but a conscious effort in this direction needs to be inqorporated in any communication
strategy. Education and training being on going coqtinuous processes, there is strong
need for follow up of the communication activity. This can be done by organising more
such occasions in which the senderls and receiverjs continue the dialogue through
various means.

2.8 SUMMARY %

In this unit, we discussed the nature of educational oommunication which we said is

purposive, positive and pragmatic. We then described various approaches to educational
communication. These were contiguous and non-contiguous communication,
synchronous and asynchronous communication and direct as well as mediated
communication.The different methods of providing training were briefly touched upon
and how communication is the backbone of each of fhese methods was highlighted.
I
It was explained that content remains at the heart 04 educational communication. If
the content is poor, superficial, lacks depth and is unhble to enthuse the audience, no
matter how well we may try. our efforts will go in vain. Each one of us may not be
gifted with excellent communication skills nonetheless these can be developed through
planning and practice. One has to make serious and sqstained efforts to draw attention
and hold the interest of the audience.
The discussion also highlighted that communication for education and training is a
planned and systematic activity which requires a thorlough preparation on the part of
the source or communicator. You may argue that if allcommunication is planned in a
rigorous manner, it may not be a spontaneous act. It may not be necessarily so. If the
communicator is clear about the objectives, enthused about hisher subject, adequately
trained, and has the interest of the receiver (in this case the learner) supreme in his/
her mind, communication would in fact be greatly felicitated from such advanced and
systematic planning.

2.9 UNIT END ACTIVITIES

1. Who is your favourite columnist in the newspapef you read ? Why does the style
of communication appeal to you?
2.. List the techniques through which your favourite anchor on the radio/TV makes
the communication expressive.

2.10 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING

You may visit websites on the topics discussed in this bit, like the following:
Retrieved on 3.5.07
~http://www.answers.com/topic/ma~s-media>
Retrieved on 3.5.07>
<htt~:/lwww.webopedia.com/TEF#4/H/hypermedia.htl
Retrieved on 14.5.07
<htt~://www.min~ools.com/Comn1SklVCommunication1~tro.htm>
<http://www.casaaleadership.ca/mainpages/resources/sourcebook/listening
skills.html> Retrieved on 14.5.07 31
Communication Process
2.11 CLUES TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Check Your Progress 1
1. Educational communication can be defined as a planned and systematic activity,
which is directly related with acquiring knowledge or development of new skills
in some kind of permanent way. It is purposive, positive and pragmatic in nature
as it has certain objectives to achieve which are meant for the betterment of an
individual as well as the society in which s h e is placed.
2. An educational communicator takes special care of the language and style of ,
communication in view of the impact of communication on the receiver as well
as society. There should be clarity for the purpose of communication and it should
make the desired response as intended by the sender.

Check Your Progress 2

a) Reach out to widespread and scattered student population
b) Asynchronous communication
c) Interpersonal Communication
d) The participants in communication activity are present in real time at same and /
b
or different locations.
e) is broken and communicator is not in direct touch with the receivers. 1
Check Your Progress 3
1. Lecture b) Large Group
2. Workshop a) Learning by doing
3. Role Play d) Act out the roles
4. Case study c) Focus on a problem in totality
5. Induction f) Organised for new employees
6. Brainstorming e) Emphasises free and frank opinion on an issue
7. Internship h) Supervised practical training
 UNIT 3 CLASSROOM COMMUNICATION
Structure
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Objectives
3.2 Nature of Classroom Communication
3.2.1 Two-way Comnlunication
3.2.2 Class Size and Communication
3.3 Using Technology in Classroom Communication
3.3.1 OHP
3.3.2 Audio-Visual Resources
3.3.3 Computer Technology
3.4 Planning Classroom Communication
3.4.1 The Role of Teacher
3.4.2 Design and Presentation
3.4.3 Developing Classroom Culture
3.4.4 Developing Communication Skills in Learners
3.5 Creating Learning Environment
3.5.1 Participatory Approach
3.5.2 Empathy
3.5.3 Appreciation and Patience
3.6 Summary
3.7 Unit End Activities
3.8 References and Suggested Reading
3.9 Clues to Check Your Progress

3.0 INTRODUCTION
You have read in the previous units that communication is omnipresent in our lives.
Communication is an individual's most distinctive and significant behaviour and it sets
us apart from other species on this earth. It helps us define and link ourselves with
our environment. Through communication, new knowledge is created. Ideas come
into being through the speech process, which are shared interpersonally. Public speaking
has always been one of the important communication activities, which is put to great
use in educational communication. We also make informal communication with our
r friends, peers, seniors and teachers among others in our day-to-day lives. In the wake
of globalization, we also come across people from different cultures who may hold
different attitudes, beliefs and values. Besides, in our work environment, we have to
engage ourselves in group work or collaborative activities. Thus it has become
increasingly important to know how to interact with individuals from different cultures '
and backgrounds. All these require effective communication skills to minimize barriers
and facilitate sharing of thoughts, ideas and experience$.
Classroom is an excellent example of a place of comm~nicationin group situations
where teachers spend hours communicating with studehts to share information and
knowledge. In the previous unit (Unit 2), we discussed in details the nature of
educational communication and its approaches. We also discussed electronic
communication and how communication can be planned for education and training.
Verbal, written, listening and questioning skills were also discussed which have a bearing
Communication Process on classroom communication as well. In this Unit. we shall deliberate upon various
issues involved in classroom communication. The nature and planning of classroom
communication and also the various measures adopted for creating a conducive learning
environment will be discussed.

3.1 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
I1
explain the nature of classroom communication;
discuss various steps for planning classroom communication;
1
1
describe the importance of using technology in classroom communication;
I
suggest measures to create a good learning environment.
i
3.2 NATURE OF CLASS ROOM COMMUNICATION
Communication is an integral part of the teaching-learning process. Teaching is a
social activity that involves both the teacher and the learners. It is therefore important ,
that two way communication exists between them in order to trigger learning ( Sitihendon
and Khalijah, 2007). Moreover direct communication between a teacher and learners
allows the teacher to get immediate feedback that can help himher gauge learners' ,
understanding of what has been taught. Based on such feedback the teacher can
improve hislher communication.
Due to rapid changes taking place in our social system; teaching-leanling environment
is also changing at a fast pace. The information explosion due to increased access to
different mass communication media has increased the awareness level of learners.
As a result they have higher expectations from their teachers than ever before. The
role and profile of a teacher is also changing and s h e has to undertake varied roles.
While on the one hand the teacher has to fulfill the task of being the source of
information on the other hand, s h e has to act as a counselor, mentor and guide. The
teacher has to coordinate assignments and fulfill many managerial functions and also
use technology for educational purposes. Thus pedagogy, social interaction, management
and technology comprise crucial activities of a teacher and the role of communication
is paramount in all these activities.
Classroom communication, as discussed in the previc;us unit is purposive, positive and
pragmatic in nature. It takes place between teacher and learners and among learners
both in formal as well as informal situations. It involves speaking, lecturing, describing,
explaining, illustrating on the part of the teacher and engaging the students in debate,
dialogue and discussion. Learners raise questions, doubts and queries to make their
difficulties explicit which need to be effectively responded to and addressed by the
teacher.
The strength of this approach lies in facilitating maximum feedback, warmth and
interaction. However, the limitation is that it is a teacher-centered approach based on
the principle of 'teaching by telling' and 'learning by listening' in which the onus of '

teaching lies on the teacher. It 'may be noted that despite the presence of a teacher, i
learners may remain passive recipients of information. If they express their disinterest
or passivity, an alert teacher can still control it by using various interactive techniques
in arousing and sustaining the interest of the students. However, the problem may
become acute when despite a student's apparent interest in the lecture/lcss'on through
appropriate facial expressions and body language, hislher mind may wander elsewhere
without following what is being discussed in the class.
Speaking and listening start in the early stages of our lives and continue even when
basic speech and language skills have been developed. We are constantly updating
34
our vocabulary, in~provisingour expressions and refining our thinking processes. Classroom Communication
Speaking as well as listening are two very important skills required in the classroom.
A teacher has to be a good speaker and at the same time has to be a patient and
attentive listener for his/ her learners. Active listening is different from just hearing
and requires activities such as hearing, understanding i.e. attaching meaning to what
is heard and judging and thinking about it . It is necessary to concentrate on what is

3.2.1 Two-way Communication

In Unit 1 of this block, the role and importance of two-way communication was
highlighted. While discussing the elements of communication, we have stated that
communi~ationbeing a two-way process, the element of feedback is crucial. Teaching-
leaning happens to be a process in which two way communication is important for
transferring information from the teacher to the learners. It was also stated that
interpersonal communication allows greater scope for feedback as both sender and
receiver can decipher the facial expressions, body movements and cross question
each other to resolve their doubts/queries. However, feedback gets diminished when
the number of participants in the communication activity increases posing a challenge
for the teacher.

3.2.2 Class Size and Communication

Interpersonal communication between two persons offers maximum interactivity. This
is also present to a great extent in group communication particularly in small groups.
However, as the number of participants in a group increases, the level of communication
gets affected.
Individual instruction: The word 'class' itself take8 into account a number of students.
Nonetheless, some students require individual attention to address their specific
educational needs. Individual instruction is generally between two persons and thus
can be placed under interpersonal communication. It allows the sender and receiver
to use various sensory channels and watch facial expressions, gestures, body language
of each other, etc. It facilitates clarifying one's views, persuading or motivating another
person more effectively in which there is less scope for misunderstanding. When
technology is used to deliver instructions, as for instance, computer based learning, the
instruction gets individualized as a learner works and learns on hisher compqter.
Small group instruction: Small groups consisting of 15-20 learners are more
conducive for teaching and skill development. In small group instruction, teachers can
identify the learners, remember as well as use their names for developing a rapport
with them. It becomes relatively easier to address individual learning needs of learners.
Small group instruction may follow the direct teaching format or it may use different
modes of teaching -learning. In addition to lecture fonnat, various other methods of
teaching such as seminars, discussions, debates, tutorials, brain storming, problem
solving, etc. can be effectively adapted and utilized in small groups.
Large group instruction: If the number comprisihg a group is large, it may place
certain constraints in the process of communication and reduce the level of interactivity
between the source and the receivers. The physical setting may also provide less
scope for the source to be visible or audible. Lectqre method is generally used for
providing instructions to large groups. Information and Communication Technology is
being increasingly used to meet the needs of large and dispersed classes in same or
different locations.
The element of noise may place barriers in the process of communication. Various
types of barriers in communication have been detailed in Unit 1 of this Block and
/ Communication Process some of these barriers may be present in small and large groups which need to be
minimized for facilitating communication. Noise in this respect could be due to
indiscipline, failure to grasp the content, content overload, difficulty level, language,
physical conditions of the classroom, etc.

Activity
Discuss with a few teachers and identify the problenls faced in communication
while teaching a large group of students.

Check Your Progress 1

Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Describe the nature of classroom communication.
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
2. What measures would you like to adopt for communicating with learners placed
at a distance?
-
..............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................

3.3 USING TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOM

COMMUNICATION
Technology is the latest mantra in educational communication and is used for achieving
different learning objectives. "Chalk and talk" along with simple teaching aids viz.,
maps, diagrams, charts, posters, etc. still continue to be the backbone of conventional
classroom teaching. In addition to these, a wide array of technologies is increasingly
used for teaching, clarifying points, supplementing and enhancing the quality of learning.
Studies have revealed that if used effectively, technology applications can help students
in using higher order thinking skills such as thinking critically, analyzing, making
inferknces and solving problems. It can involve students in innovative and creative
activities in collaborative way. Technology provides access to information and helps in
establishing contacts with teachers and students located at different locations. However,
if technology is used only for presentation, such as OHP, then it may lead to passive
assimilation rather than active construction of knowledge. In this section we shall limit
our discussion to the use of OHP, audio and video aids and computer technologies.

3.3.1 OHP
OHP or the overhead projector is one of the most commonly used teaching aids in
classroom teaching. For using an OHP, slides or transparencies need to be prepared.
The first step in this regard would be to select the topic on which you want to develop
slides. After proper research, sifting and sieving, content needs to be identified. Then
it should be broken into smaller segments maintaining a logical sequencing of the
ideas. Each slide should be linked with the next slide to follow. The font size should
ideally be 24 or 28 depending upon the size of the class. These slides should be neatly
written or word-processed and should not contain many details. You should provide
the detailed information during the course of presentation.
 You may require technical help for placing the OHP and sharpening the focus on assro room Communication
white- board or wall. If handouts of slides have to be distributed, these need to be
photocopied and sets prepared in advance. In this case, students can be asked not to
take notes, as handouts will be distributed. Some common problems being faced while
using OHP are: information overload making the slides cluttered and unreadable, poor
focus and power failure among others. Use of OHP slides can complement or
supplement the information being communicated by the teacher. However the students
remain passive viewers &I listeners while this techndlogy is used.

3.3.2 Audio-Video Resources

i Audio-video aidslcassettes can be effectively used in the classroom situation to make
learning interesting as well as engaging. Audio cassettes require power supply1batteries,
audio tapes and tape recorder while the use of video cassettes in the classroom will
require television monitor, VCR and power supply. For using audio-visual resources in
I
a class, the first step would be to identify the material on the subject. The audio
r resources available both within and outside the school1institution need to be selected.
. At times, permission to use them also has to be undertaken. After a thorough listening
or preview, you have to decide whether the whole programme has to be used in the
class or selectively. If selectively, then those portions need to be identified and cued.
1
During teleconferencing sessions audio-video excerpts can be integrated in the design
of sessions to highlight some teaching points and also to make the sessions interesting.
After listeninglviewing of the programme discussionlcan be built on the issues raised.
Many institutions are investing in simple audio-video gadgets in view of the benefits
accrued. For example, if an institution has access to video camera, students can
practise'speaking in front of an audience. They can develop their video portfolio to
demonstrate gradual progress in leaning a language or a subject over a period of
time.
Many a time, relevant material on a subject may not be readily available and has to be
produced. In that case, factors such as willingness of the institution for programme
production,resources availablein terms of finances, tifie and personnel at the institutional
level, etc. need to be taken into consideration. For using audio-visual resources in the
classroom, some basic care is required. First of all, the equipment should be in place
and ideally, it should be checked to ensure whether everything is working properly.
The functionality of equipment before starting the class should be ensured.

3.3.3 Computer Technology

The access to computers is growing at a steady pace. Computers are largely being
used in educational institutions for academic and administrativkpurposes. The Internet
has already captured the imagination of the educational community. It has been found
that computer technology can support meaningful, engaged learning for students instead
of rote learning. Students can visit the relevant websites and update their knowledge
on a given subject. Grades can be upgraded regularly on the school website which can
be easily accessed by parents and students alike. Students can get more involved in
their studies by monitoring their progress through regular checking of their assignments
and grades. Like other forms of technological inputs, the use of computers is generally
determined on the basis of its application, i.e. how it is used for learning. The uses of
computers in classrooms could be for teaching, expl~ring,creating, composing, storing,
and analyzing data or for communicating with others.
The use of computer requires some basic ~kills,such as operating the computer, word
processing through it, preparing slides with power point, etc. Teachers need to be
equipped with these skills so that they can access, search, interpret and synthesize
information. Unless they are well versed with the various intricacies and applications
of technology, they are not likely to draw major benefits in their teaching-learning
Communication Process strategy. Apart from the need for training teachers, the use of computer technology
requires significant investments in terms of software, hardware and infrastructure,
arrangements for delivery as well as operation of the equipment.

Check Your Progress 2

I Answer the following questions briefly. I
1. What according to you should be the important criteria for the selektion of
technology for classroom teaching?

2. Which teaching aid would you like to choose in your teaching strategy and
why?

3.4 PLANNING CLASS ROOM COMMUNICATION

You have read that educational communication is purposive, positive and pragmatic
and it is a systematic and planned activity. It has certain specific objectives that are
directly related with acquiring knowledge or development of new skills in some kind of
permanent way. In the previous unit, the various steps such as selection of appropriate
topic, setting realistic goals, knowing the learners, proper organization of content, etc.
that were discussed, hold true for planning classroom communication as well. In this
section, we shall expand the discussion further.

3.4.1 The Role of Teacher

The role of teacher is paramount in planning classroom communication. Since the
prime objective of teaching is to develop academic and intellectual skills among students,
the teacher has to be well equipped with facts and should analyze the subject to be
taught. In addition to meeting the needs of average learners s h e has also to satisfy the
intellectual needs of bright students and for that s h e has to be well prepared. S h e
has to encourage creativity and innovative approaches so that students bring forth
their arguments with appropriate reasoning in contrast with rote learning. S h e also
needs to inculcate proper values among the students to enable them to face the economic,
social and cultural challenges lying ahead and all these call upon the skills of
communication of the teacher.
Abilities to communicateclearly and specifically,explain well, highlight important points,
being a good listener, skills for interaction, are some of the behaviours for effective
communication.

3.4.2 Design and Presentation

The first and foremost step in classroom communication is to define the objectives of
communication clearly and realistically so that these can be met within the specified
timeframe. Based on these objectives, message or content needs to be designed
which could be verbal, written, pictorial andor symbolic. The verbal message involves
direct communication in the form of lectures, presentations, speeches, etc. Written
message includes published information in the form of books, research papers, slides,
3X
handouts, etc. Pictorial message includes drawings, graphs, etc. while symbolic
messages are used in subjects like Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, etc. At times Classroom Communication
rhetorical messages are also used in classroom corrimunication. Rhetoric means the
art of oration which includes skills in speaking at length with wit, humour, force and
strength.
Whatever be the chosen form, the message should be simple, lucid, and clear and
delivered in an interesting manner. It should be relevant, updated and pitched at the
right level. It is often seen that in our effort to share our knowledge and expertise, we
pitch our message at a very high level which may confuse the learner. At times, we
may express our biases and prejudices which need to be strongly eschewed. Apart
from being free from any type of bias, the message should be credible and persuasive
enough to facilitate learner participation. Many a time during the course of a rambling
monotonous lecture, you would have to make efforts to keep yourself alert. Appropriate
voice modulation, facial expressions, body language have to be used in facilitating
communication.

3.4.3 Developing Classroom Culture

Although each class is distinct in its own way, yet there are certain norms and patterns
which teachers and students of a particular class formulate. They work out how
students would address the teacher, how much degree of familiarity is acceptable in
communication, what will be the accepted level of noise in the class, and so on. This
may vary from one institution to another-whether it is a private school or public and
also governed by the society in which we are place$ as classrooms are a part of the
larger societal system. For effective functioning of a class, a harmonious culture needs
to be developed and the importance of according respect to the viewpoint of the other
should be encouraged. The class set-up should b~ kept democratic in which the
teacher is accorded due respect. It will be difficult to teach if students talk constantly
as no one will be able to hear each other. Similayly, communication may not be
democratic if a section of vocal learners dominate the interaction whereas shy and
timid students do not open up unless specifically drawn. At times, assertive male
students may dominate the class at the expense of female students or those from less
vocal cultures. Interjecting frequently, talking loudly and shouting, etc. should be
discouraged and curbed at all costs.

3.4.4 Developing Communication Skills in Learners

We have detailed at length various communication skills such as verbal, writing, listening
and questioning skills in the previous unit which need to be inculcated among teachers
and learners alike. Students need to be encouraged to express their opinions and
views or share doubts to develop their reasoning skills and faculties. They should be
able to argue, challenge, analyze, and defend ideas. For seeking clarification they can
ask: 'could you please repeat the point you just made?', 'I am still not sure if I got it
right', 'could you guide me pnce again please?' Rephrasing has been found to be an
effective method of questioning and they can restate or rephrase what they have
heard to clarify certain points.
Communication may also involve trying to look beyond what is said and ascertain
what is not said andlor what the missing links in the communication transaction were.
Non-verbal cues also convey meanings. For example, if the teacher shuffles the
papers or looks away, this may give the impression that student's comments are not
taken seriously. Maintaining eye contact, smiling, nodding, etc. help to connect with
students. At times, conscious efforts need to be mdide to maintain eye contact with
those who are shy and timid and do not participate kreely. For effective learning it is
necessary that learners be able to communicate what they know. The {eachers need
'
to encourage communication through discussions in the classroom and ensure that
every student has understood the communication. Activities followed by presentations
Communication Process made by the learners can also nurture communication skills. Also students need a safe
environment where they would not feel scared or inhibited to comrnunicatc with the
teachers.

Check Your Progress 3

Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What are the various roles a teacher has to perform apart from teaching?
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
2. Why is it important to develop questiofiing skills among learners?
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................

3.5 CREATING LEARNING ENVIRONNIENT

An effective teacher requires more than the knowledge of content. S h e has to be a
good motivator, create positive environment in the classroom, society and nation at
large. For that s h e needs to have a sound understanding of human psychology. S h e
needs to undertake participatory approaches to facilitate empathy and gender sensitivity
in the classroom using appropriate communication skills.

3.5.1 Participatory Approach

A teacher can create an environment in which students are made to feel comfortable-
both physically as well as mentally. They feel free to communicate their ideas and get
the opportunity to participate in the class equally. There is a growing realization that
information flow should be horizontal in nature. In sharp contrast to the vertical or
'top-down' approach which 'talks at' people rather 'talks with' them, this approach
draws students into the communication activity in a participatory mode. It involves all
the students in the communication process. Proper seating arrangements in a classroom
also create conducive learning environment. Studies reveal that students seated in the
first few rows across the front of the classroom and those seated at the centre of the
room are the ones who are most likely to participate in communication with the teacher.
However, in circular seating arrangement there tends to be an increased eye contact
and participation among students.
.
3.5.2 ~ r n ~ a t h ~
'Empathy' is associated with the 'feeling of oneness'. It is an unconditional positive
regard for the receiver (in this case the learners), and a sincere approach towards
promoting a favourable climate to facilitate communication. It considers receivers as
alert, sensitive and active participants in the process of communication rather than as
passive recipients of information. Similarly, it treats learners as intelligent and
empowered individuals who are partners in learning. The source or teacher is genuinely
interested in their concerns and makes efforts to address thcm. The use of inclusive
language such as 'our' class and what 'we' must do instead of 'you' and 'your' class
also helps in inculcating empathy.

40
3.5.3 Appreciation and Patience Classroom Communication

You would have noticed that whenever we are angry we express ourselves quite
openly and give vent to our anger, however, we are not as effusive in our praise.
Motivational factors such as offering praise. showing a willingness and interest in
talking with students and addressing them by first flames help to draw and involve the
htudents. Appreciating the good work, ideas and suggestions infuses encouragement
:und motivates the learner whereas a minor indictrbent or reprimand pushes himher
into a shell. A reference also needs to be made about the level of patience of the
~eacherespecially while facing learners questions and queries as display of irritation
or impatience may affect the learner's future partikipation. This, however, does not
imply that the mistakes committed by the students bhould not be pointed out. Unless,
they are informed about these, they may not impove upon these areas. A mature
liandling of the learners' queries and sensitivity to\l/ards their learning needs, adds to
the success of communication transaction.
A word however, needs to be mentioned about placing overemphasis on communication
and hoping communication will serve as a panacea for all problems. For example,
many a time, making conflicts and grouses apparerit in a classroom through frequent
communication may aggravate rather than solve an issue. Yet another fallacy is that a
good idea will be adopted as well as disseminated once communicated through open
channels. At times, good ideas may get lost due to factors such as information overload
or inertia on the part of the receiver. I

1 Cheek Your Progress 4 I

1 Answer the following questions briefly: 1

! I
1. What are the major differences between vedical and horizontal approaches
of communication?

2. Examine the importance of using 'inclusive language' in classroom

communication.
I

3.6 SUMMARY
In this Unit, we discussed various elements of classroom communication where teachers
spend hours communicating with students to share ilhformation and knowledge. You
learnt that classroom communication is purposive, positive and pragmatic in nature
and the size of the group has implications in communication process. We have looked
at issues such as selection of appropriate teaching style for communicating with small
or large groups and how learners can be involved :in a democratic manrier using
collaborative approaches. Many factors such as class size, infrastructure available in
the class/school, individual differences of the leameas, their different learning styles
and influence of home and community may not be eotirely within the control of the
teacher. However, with professionalism, devotion td teaching and sustained efforts
slhe can overcome some of these constraints.
We also looked at the role and importance of technoldgy in teaching-learning of large
and dispersed classes in same or different locations, The basic considerations for
 Communication Process having any technological input in teaching-learning comprise: specific educational goals,
professional training of teachers, technical support and evaluation. Some technologies
were briefly discussed and it was observed that whatever form of technology is used
in the classroom, the objective should be to facilitate learning and comprehension
among students.
The need for planning classroom communication has been discussed in which the role
of the teacher remained paramount. The importance of clearly defining the objectives,
appropriate designing and presentation of the message, developing classroom culture
as well as communication shlls among learners was highlighted. In addition, the factors
of participatory approach, empathy, appreciation, patience and gender sensitivity were
detailed for creating classroom culture. The success of classroom communication lies
in enabling the students to apply the knowledge gained and develop critical thinking so
that they are able to make informed choices for the common good of society and
humanity.

3.7 UNIT END ACTIVITIES

1. From your experience, recall and write about the learning environment created
by some of your teachers. Did you feel free enough to communicate openly in
the classroom? Justify your answer.
2. Take any text book of a noted publisher and read some of the chapters. Write
a critical note on the communication skills used in the text.
3. Watch a programme on Gyandarshan channel on television. Write a critical note
on the communication slulls of the presenter.
I
3.8 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING
Sitihendonand Khalijah, (2007). "Science teaching for entertainment: a holistic approach
in developing a teaching guide for best practices at secondary level". Asian
Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Tecrching, Vo1.8. Issue 1, Article
12, ~ u n 2007.
e
You may visit websites on the topics discussed in this Unit, like the following:

I httD://www.infoDlease.com/homework/liste.html( Retrieved on 24.5.07).

httD://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachlngResources/
I
Retrieved on 24.5.07
htt~://72.14.235.104/search?a=cache:wOXbeeDRzOJ:www.phc.bris.ac.uWphcdb/
pub~df/teachin~/EducationalResource.doc+creatin~+learning+environment&
hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&~l=in
- Retrieved on 24.5.07
h t t w : N 7 2 . f l /
p p
en&ct=clnk&cd=2&el=in Retrieved on 24.5.07

3.9 CLUES TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1

Check Your Progress 1
1. Classroom communication is positive, purposive and pragmatic in nature. It is a
1
systematic and planned activity. It has certain specific objectives to achieve that
are directly related with acquiring knowledge or development of new skills in
some kind of permanent way. It aims to develop positive values, ideas and thoughts
among learners.
42
2. For communicating with learners placed at a distance, I would like to make use Classroom Communication
of print as well as non-print media. The print media will provide instructional
material to the learners which they can study at their time and pace. The non-
print materials like audio-video cassettes, teleconferencing etc. will supplement
the information given in print material. Apart from making learning experience
more interesting, it will provide a human face to teaching.

Check Your Progress 2

1. The selection of technology would depend upon the technical support available in
my institution, its access to learners and specific teaching-learning objectives.
For example, if the facility of teleconferencing is available in my institution, and
students also have access to it at their learning-ends, I would plan video
presentations. In the place of lecture mode, I will try to incorporate video excerpts
and graphics to exploit the potential of the visual medium. The factor of teacher
training will be crucial in this regard.

Check Your Progress 3

1. Apart from teaching, a teacher has to perform darious roles. S h e has to perform
many academic and administrative tasks such as maintaining records, preparation
of timetable, etc. At times s h e has to resolve the conflicts of students and act as
a counsellor, mentor. philosopher and guide. S/he also has to undertake public
relations activities to project a positive image of the institution in which s h e is
placed. S h e has to be a good presenter, if using video andfor well versed with
computer technology and various software applications. All this places a great
deal of onus on the teacher who has to be adequately trained in these areas.
2. Questioning skills develop a sense of reasoning Bmong learners. Questions draw
attention, involve the learners and test their level of comprehension. An interactive
-
discussion facilitates two-way communication, removes doubts and provides
feedback.

Check Your Progress 4

1. The vertical or 'top-down' approach 'talks at' people rather than 'talk with'
them. The horizontal communication approach talks with students in a participatory
mode and involves all the students in the comm~nicationprocess.
2. The use of inclusive language makes use of such words/expressions which do
not reflect any bias or disparity in relation to the gender, class, caste, religion,
culture, heritage and nationality etc. The use of inclusive language accords equality
to all segments of the population which is highly desirable in view of the inherent
plurality and diversity in our country.
UNIT 4 INTERACTIVITY IN
COMMUNICATION
Structure
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Objectives
4.2 Nature of Interactivity
4.3 Interactivity in Educational Communication
4.3.1 Levels of Interactivity
4.3.2 Interactivity and Quality of Learning
4.4 Using /Interactive Media for Learning
4.4.1 Interactive Radio
4.4.2 Audio Conferencing and Audio Graphics
4.4.3 TeleconferencingNideoconferencing
4.4.4 Computer-based Interactive Media
4.4.5 Networked and Online Learning
4.5 Interactions and Learning
4.5.1 Access and Utilization
4.5.2 Instructional Design
4.5.3 Time Management
4.5.4 Developing Learning Strategies
4.5.5 Technical Factors
5.5.6 Organizational Factors
4.6 Summary
4.7 Unit End Activities
4.8 References and Suggested Reading
4.9 Clues to Check Your Progress

4.0 INTRODUCTION
In the previous units of this Block, you have read that communication is not mere
transmission of information from source to kceiver and that for communication to
take place, the information has to elicit desired response from the receiver as intended
by the source. Interaction is the backbone of any form of communication and more so
in educational communication. Interactivity between teacher and learner has always
been regarded as an important element in learning that enables learners to raise
questions, seek clarifications, provide instant feedback and come to a 'common field
of experience' as discussed in Unit 1. The learner needs to take active part in interaction.
to assimilate the information imparted for knowledge creation.
In this Unit, we shall focus upon various issues related with interactivity. Factors
having implications for interactivity and interactive media used in educational
communication will also be discussed along with their role in learning.

After studying this unit, you should be able to:

explain the concept and nature of interactivity;
discuss the role of interactivity in educational col.pmunication;
 describe various interactive media used in teaching and learning; and Interactivity in Communication

examine some strategies for facilitating interactivity in teaching-learning.

I
L
The term 'Interactivity' has been used in different contexts. The dictionary defines
1
interactivity as a reciprocally active process allowing two-way flow of information
between the source and the receiver. Interactivity is mainly due to the special attribute
of the channel through which communication takes place. According to some authors
interactivity is the index of the control and the level d participation of the participants
in a communication process. Interactivity may be a feature of face to face
communication or of mediated communication. Certain technologies permit more
interactivity than others as for instance, technologies facilitating conferencing allow
interaction among participants. During interactive coknmunication, messages sent and
received are related to each other. The participants thus exercise control over the
entire process of communication and especially the content being communicated.
Thus it is seen that interactivity is a condition of c~mmunicationin which there is
simultaneous exchange of message with continuous feedback. Studies have revealed
that interactive messages seem to be more humourous, contain more self-disclosure,
I
display a higher preference for agreement and contain many more first person plural
pronouns.
Interactivity is not something to be exclusively assocaated with technology. It is about
people and about experience. It has been found thaq passivity and interactivity in a
communication are qualities of individuals making uge of media rather than being the
qualities of the media per se. The experiences, perception, outlook and the skills of
the participants are some of the important aspects influencing interactivity. From the
above discussion, we can say that there are many interpretations of the term
'interactivity' as it is being used in different contexts. What can be inferred is that
interactivitygoes beyond two-way communication and rherges 'speaking' with 'listening'
in which simultaneous exchange occurs and feedback is taken into account. It may
involve higher level of engagement as compared to cpmmunication. It encompasses
both intimate person-to-person, face-to-face communication and mediated
communication. Interactivity should not be confused with mere technology or navigation
facility from one site to another site or from one page to another, as one cannot ensure
effective learning by quantity of interactions or by user control especially when that
control is limited to mere navigation.
There is a need to study interactivity in greater detdil to provide new insights and
develop a comprehensive picture as to how effective1interaction takes place.

I Check Your Progress 1 I

1 Answer the following questions briefly.
b

I
k
1. Define interactivity in your own words.
I
...............................................................................................................
2.. How is interactivity more related to the humanifactors than technology?
Communication Process
4.3 INTERACTIVITY IN EDUCATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Drawing upon the discussion in the previous section, we can say that interactivity is
the ability of the learner to respond in some way to the teaching material and obtain
comment or feedback on the response which will increase learning effectiveness.
Scholars find interactivity a major contributing factor to successful learning experience
and it is also believed that it contributes to higher cognitive gains and optimization of
human learning. Interactivity also provides the teacher with the opportunity to monitor
review and evaluate the progress of the learner. It thus also helps in bringing teaching
to the level and the pace of the learner and provides the learner control over learning
strategy, sequencing and organization of the content and even the nature of the content.
For instance, if the teacher comes to know that the learner has not understood well,
the level could be made simpler and the pace of presentation could be slowed down to
match the level of the learner. Instructional design, process of delivery of the instructions,
skills of communication, teaching methods adopted, management of the teaching learning
situation, etc. determine successful interaction.
Interaction is an integral part of interactivity. The functions of pedagogic interactions
can be outlined into certain major types such as, allowing the learner the facility of
navigation as for instance in a CD ROM, making queries, and allowing learning to be L

monitored and assessed. Interaction may be among learners. between learners and
teachers and there may also be interaction between learners and content. For
instance, in a self learning material, learners are asked questions and feedback is
given to them on their responses.

4.3.1 Levels of Interactivity

Interactivity may be at different levels that determine the degree of control of the
learners over the content and structure of a programme. These are reactive, proactive
and coactive:
Reactive: In reactive interaction, users react to a given subject matter in ways which
have been predetermined by the courseware designer. As for instance, the learner
could read a frame (small section of content), stop and read the questions , answer
them and then look for feedback. These interactions are usually limited and carried
out under directions, rather than being the outcome of reflection on the part of the
learner. Reactive designs are thus restrictive and closed as the interactions are forced
rather than need based and spontaneous.
Proactive: In proactive interaction, the learner takes the initiative to build up a
dialogu2. The learner reflects on the content and creatively comes out with responses
and queries. The interaction is thus not of closed or limited type. It empowers the
learner with greater control over the content and its delivery.
Coactive: This is in between the earlier two types and the users' interaction is based
the choices of the learner but only to a certain extent.
Interactivity can also be classified as low, medium and high level. In low level
I
interactivity as for instance in a lecture, interactivity could be low, unless there is a
conscious attempt to build it. However there can seldom be a teacher who totally
disallows interactivity. A lecture delivered through radio or TV without the facility for
interaction cpuld be an example of this. Teaching can also involve medium interactivity
as for instance in computer assisted learning where the computer can answer but only
through the messages included in the programme. There cannot be creative responses
or questions. In high level interactions the source and the recipients interact freely and
creatively. 1

46 i
i
Interactivity is present in both synchronous as well a$ asynchronous communication. Interactivity in C ~ n ~ m u n i c a t i o n
In synchronous (real-time) communication, the participants in communication should
be present but may be at different locations (as in two way interactive radio, audio
conferencing, teleconferencing), whereas asynchkonous communication (as in
computer-based communication) does not require the simultaneous presence of
participants as messages reach different participants at different points of time. This
allows greater flexibility.
The freedom to interact can enhance the level of alertness and facilitates active
participation among learners. Difficult terms, vagueness and ambiguity in presentations
can be identified and suitably corrected. Thus interactivity can stimulate and sustain
higher levels of attention and hence higher levels of learning. The benefits of interactive
approach in designing learning materials for distant learners can be summarized as :
It removes the isolation of the distant learner by personalizing the learning
material and bringing the teacher close to the learner.
It induces the learner to be active and also reflect on the content .
It can motivate the learner through the feedback.
An interactive approach can nurture creativity ifi learners through the activities
and questions inbuilt within the learning material.

4.3.2 Interactivity and Quality of Learniag

I .
Imagine two situations, one in wh~chthe teacher delivers a lecture and the students
are the listeners. The teacher does not make any attempt to encourage the students to
communicate with her. In another situation the teacher encourages the learners to
express their doubts, queries, and opinions. They express what they perceive and in
turn get feedback from the teacher. In both the situations the teacher teaches but in
the second one learning is likely to be more effective,
Within a classroom situation, or in any teaching-learning scenario, learning requires
interactive communication. It is not enough for the teacher to be the source of messages
(content being taught) but s h e also has to ensure that the learners too participate in
the ongoing communication process. Whether teaching is in the classroom or through
distance mode, opportunities for interaction by the learners facilitates learning. A lecture
would be monotonous if the learners remain passivie. Similarly when the learners
express themselves, the teacher cannot remain passive but has to give feedback to
the learners. Interactivity helps to make learners active and also helps in gauging their
learning. Thus interactivity has a direct bearing on the quality of teaching and learning.
It can enhance collaborative learning and team work and also develops positive
attitude towards learning.
Check Your Progress 2
Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Enumerate some potential benefits of the interactive approach in learning.

2. List different levels of interaction. Which one do you consider most appropriate
for learning and why?
Communication Process
4.4 USING INTERACTIVE MEDIA FOR LEARNING
You have already read that in educational communication, interactivity takes place in
both face-to-face andlor mediated situations. Various information and communicatjon
technologies also facilitate interaction and can approximate face-to-face interactive
situations. Satellite-based communication mechanisms have brought new possibilities
for interaction directly with experts located at a distance. Jn mediated situations,
interactivity is possible depending on the communication technologies used by the
source and the receivers. It also refers to the ability of a medium to replicate face-to-
face interaction among its distant participants. The degree of interactivity however,
varies as it depends on the ability of the technology to provide feedback to the source
quickly and efficiently.
Face-to-face teaching continues to be the mainstay and is one of the most fully
interactive modes of teaching and learning. It is directly responsive to learners' needs
and personalizes the learning experience. In addition to teacher-learner interactivity, it
also provides learner-learner interactivity, which is crucial for motivation and
understanding.
Print is essentially a medium that allows only one-way communication. However, it
can be designed 1 transformed in an interactive manner by involving learner and
personalizing the material, i.e. designing it in a way that it appears that the teacher is
conversing with the learner. For this, style of writing for the print media is kept personal,
warm and friendly by using personal pronouns like 'you' and 'we' etc. Also, questions
may be integrated as is done in face to face situations by the teacher. Print medium
needs to be supplemented by face-to-face teaching, telephone, audio conferencing,
video conferencing, computer communication etc. to make it truly interactive and
responsive to learners' needs.
Now that we have discussed about interactivity in the print medium in the following
sub-section we shall examine the element of interactivity in some selected media
components.

4.4.1 Interactive Radio

Audio is a simple medium and in view of its reach and availability, it is especially useful
when used in an interactive mode. Radio is essentially a one-way medium. It has been
used in two-way mode by various educational institutions in developing countries of
Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The personal and intimate nature of the medium
facilitates interaction between teacherslexperts located in the studio and the learners
in their homes, workplaces etc. They can listen to the presentations of the experts
and pose questions with the help of telephones, faxes, etc. The Indira Gandhi National
Open University has initiated live radio counseling sessions through various stations of
. All India Radio and the response has been found to be quite encouraging.

4.4.2 Audio Conferencing and Audio Graphics

Audio conferencing links teachers and learners via a two-way speech channel over
telephone lines or sometimes by radio and reaches learners, usually in study centres
but also in homes. It is a fully interactive medium in which real time interaction requires
learners and teachers to coordinate their schedules. Since audio conferencing takes
place in an exclusively audio environment, verbal proficiency and questioning skills of
the teacher are crucial for successful teaching and learning. However the problems
with the telephone line and equipment breakdowns can limit interactivity.
In audio graphics, special equipments using telephone and graphics technologies during
audio conferences allow everyone in the conference to handwrite or type text and
48
draw graphics that are seen in all locations in the conference. It is also a fully interactive
medium which facilitates real-time interactivity; however, it requires a proper Interactivity in Communication
coordination of schedules.

4.4.3 Teleconferencing I ~ideoconferencin~

Broadcast television is essentially a one-way mediqm but well designed broadcasts
can involve learners and make them active. Teleconferencing or videoconferencing is
one of the most interactive media available to replicate the classroom situation at a
distance. Being an audio-visual medium, teleconfererpcing has the inherent advantages
of being able to carry both visual and aural message$ to the learners. Since television
is very useful in portraiing demonstrations of skill? and processes, it can facilitate
visual portrayal of real events, graphics, animation, ktc. The visual element of video
can engage the mind of the learner and enhance the lkarning experience by providing
rich visuals and cultural context. It can take learrbers to places/ situations which
cannot possibly be shown in a classroom. The main limitation of the medium, however,
is the cost, which continues to be high. Many a tiwe, there may be less than full
exploitation of capabilities and lack of interactivity in many applications because of
unfamiliarity with the equipment. If video transmislsion disappears the session can
carry on but if audio link breaks down, the session dust end.
The following steps may be taken for encodraging interactivity through
teleconferencing:
Prepare Participants for the Session in ~dvanck:Distributing pre-readings or
questions to the participants is a good practice. Notifying participants in advance
about the session and also about the topics to be taught is also desirable. These can be
some of the measures to be taken. I
Establish Rapport: The teacher has to get friendly kith the learners and help them
to overcome inhibitions in using the media for commiunication .The participants may
also be asked to introduce themselves as they speak.
Encourage Participation: It is necessary to preient the content but instead of
spending too much time on presentation, it is necessary to give the participants
opportunity to speak.
For using teleconferencing, its reach and accessibilityneed to be carefully considered.
Moreover, the mindset has to go beyond classroom tebching techniques to effectively
harness the visual element of the medium. Hence, pdwer point presentations may be
used along with oral communication.

4.4.4 Computer-Based Interactive Medial

Computers, CD ROM and networked online resources are highly interactive media.
CD ROM can contain a vast amount of information In text, audio, video, animation
and virtual reality format, which can be accessed through a complex navigation system.
It is very demanding to develop a fully interactive C a ROM, as it requires expensive
hardware and software equipment and highly skilled and experienced programmers.
Once created, the CD ROM cannot be revised or uddated easily. The students also
need to have access to appropriate technology to use ~heseeffectively. CD ROM has
been found very effective in certain learning situatioqs.

4.4.5 Networked and Online Learning ,

Online learning is an Internet based teaching-learning system designed for web-based
delivery without face-to-face contact between teachei- and learner. The basic unit of
the World Wide Web is a web page consisting of one or more of the media tipes. A
set of connected pages constitutes a web site. Clickin on links in each page accesses
T
other pages on a site. Websites are hosted in a computer called a server. Individual
I
Communication Process client computers interface with their server computer through a web browser. Online
resources make use of text, and basic graphics. These can be developed with the help
of technology and online developer and are relatively economic. It offers many useful
features such as email, bulletin board and chat facilities. Unlike CD ROM, online
information can be updated very quickly. Interactive exercises enable the students to
key in answers which are automatically checked and feedback is provided. Through
networking facilities students can interact with teachers, submit assignments though
email and contribute to bulletin board discussions. However, online educators not only
need expertise in traditional classroom pedagogy, but also need high levels of technical
skills. Some, of the interactive facilities available are:
Collaborative learning is facilitated with facility to connect with tutors, mentors
experts and peers at different locations in the world.
Synchronous ( in real time) and asynchronous (over a period of time ) dialogues
are enabled .
Learning can be monitored, tracked and recorded and communicated to the
learners.
Opportunities for working 'live' in collaboration with others frojn anywhere in
the world is available through these facilities. This can be through one to one
paradigm through E mails or chat sessions or to many with the use of the bulletin
boards, chat sessions, group conferencing, etc. for reaching out to many. Web
pages with Graphics, animations content in audio-video format, quizzes. records
of progress made by learners, assignments , feedback on assignments, etc. can
be exchanged through networked online facilities.
Using networked online media for interaction could pose a challenge for an organization.
First of all, it requires specialized software programmers and experienced online
developers and graphic designers to produce the web pages. You will also need a web
site to host the web pages and a number of site management techniques to enable the
students to use the communication facility effectively. It requires a different approach
for teachers who need to apply the principles of andragogy or adult learning. The
students need to be taught a whole new range of skills and knowledge. For example,
while using Web, the first condition is to identify and then filter the material from
many others, which then needs to be read and interpreted.

4.5 INTERACTIONS AND LEARNING

For facilitating learning through interactive media a number of teaching-learning as
well as operational factors have implications which need to be taken into account.

4.5.1 Access and Utilization

Access and utilization of the learning resources constitute the prime conditions to
learn from them. For participating in a teleconferencing session, the learner has to
reach at the centre where downlink facility is available. For this s h e may have to
travel long distances, make lodging and boarding arrangements.If the interactive session
is available through cable, it should be available on hisher cable network. If it is not
available, the local cable operator needs to be pursuaded to provide the channel and it
is likely that the cable operator may have his h e r own limitations. The learner may not
frequently listen to radio to take advantage of the interactive session. Even if it is
used, the will to use it for learning may be missing. Once these conditions are met, the
learner will have to switch on the radioltelevision set at the time of broadcast, listen1
watch the broadcast and participate in the session. However, s h e may not have access
to telephoneslfax at that point of time. S h e should reasonably well understand the
subject under discussion in order to raise any query. Despite these limitations, studies ,
5n
have revealed that even if a leatner does not raise any question /query, the mere Interactivity in Communication
exposure to a variety of questions and ahswers may assist in learning.

4.5.2 Instructional Design

Interactivity needs to be built in the design of the sessions. The topic selected for
interactive media should have ample scope for elaboration so that it is able to elicit
diverse views and in turn generate interaction. A mere repetition of what is already
available in the printed text would do little justice to the interactive media on one hand
and to the Ieamer on the other. Planning the content in a non-linear manner and placing
emphasis on certain key issues can also build interactivity. Case studies, illustrations
and examples add rigor and freshness to the content. Important concepts need to be
highlighted and hyperlinks at appropriate places provided for better navigation in online
media. A periodic recapitulation of the salient points and a proper summing up helps in
reinforcement of ideas. Audio/ video excerpts can supplement and enhance the quality
of presentation, if appropriately used. These inpdts besides helping in clarifying the
teaching points may generate interaction as well. Appropriate visuals which blend
harmoniously with the content help to break the monotony of the 'talking head'
approach.
Since interactive technology is meant for generating dialogues and discussion, efforts
should be made to go beyond the direct teaching methods and formats such as quiz,
problem solving, project works etc. need to be tapped. A question and answer approach
can be developed for exploring a subject through a series of questions which encourage
learners to carry out their own analysis. Learning materials can be made more
interactive by including activities that focus a learper's attention on the subject which
encourage learners to reflect on their existing kndwledge and suggest ways in which
learners can apply what they are learning.

4.5.3 Time Management

Time management, especially in two-way radio, audio-conferencing and
teleconferencing is a crucial factor which should be taken into account at the planning
stage itself. The time required for each presentation should be decided well in advance
and a chunk should be earmarked for interaction. The skill of attending to questions
effectively within the scheduled time frame also meeds to be inculcated. One way of
doing this could be by preparing in advance for the anticipated questions and queries.
The key areas/issues which are likely to draw varied views should be critically examined
from different angles and an approach to answer them may be outlined in advance for
enhancing effectiveness of the session and also to save time.

4.5.4 Developing Learning Strategies

To learn effectively from the interactive media, learner also need to plan some learning
strategies by making some advance preparations. 91he should read the course material
and note down the major points discussed during the interactive session. Since radio is
a less intrusive medium, it is easier to take notes while listening, as the visual images
do not interfere at the same time. A summary of the main points immediately after
attending the interactive session will help in assimilation .of the information. Similarly,
before starting an online course, the learner need4 to be oriented to the needs of the
medium and understand hislher role and responsibblity well in advance.

. 1
We have discussed the importance of listening an questioning skills in detail in the
previous units which hold true for interactive se sion through media as well. The
learners need to listen to the presentations made by experts to peg their questions
appropriately. Moreover, they need to be attentivd listeners so that do not repeat the
same question already asked by another participadt. They also-need to inculcate the
skill of raising questions which are brief, specific aqd relevant. While healthy criticism
Communication Process is acceptable, the tendency to score points, browbeat the speaker and criticize some
ones' view point should be eschewed.

4.5.5 Technical Factors

I
Technical factors such as regular power supply, audio-video quality at both teaching'
and learning ends have serious implications in interactivity. Power breakdown, during
or before the session would lead to interruptions in the schedule. The quality of audio
and video is equally important, if the audio signals are weak and noise disturbs thk-.
reception of the sessions, there cannot be proper interaction. If video is not available
in a teleconferencing session, it may continue but if audio fails, the session has to be
discontinued. Similarly, the talk-back quality of interactive media should also be good,
if there are disturbances in telephone and fax lines there will be little or no scope for
student interaction with the resource persons.

4.5.6 Organizational Factors

In addition to the factors discussed above operational factors also impinge upon
interactivity. To be relevant and effective, computers, radio, television sets, fax and
phones and other technologies have to be accessible to the student population. Apart
from being accessible, these should be in functional order. Pre-readings or questions
should be distributed in advance. Learners should be informed about the sessions and
about specific discussion topics well in advance so that they can prepare themselves
better for the interactive sessions.

Check Your Progress 3

Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Why is it important for a teacher to develop some specific strategies while
using interactive media?

2. What type of organikational planning would be required for using interactive

media in synchronous communication?

4.6 SUMMARY
In this unit we have examined various issues and factors related with interactivity.
From the various interpretations of the term interactivity, we inferred that interactivity
encompasses both intimate person-to-person, face-to-face communication as well as
mediated communication. It is generally linked with the Internet or with computer
mediated communication. It goes beyond two-way communication and merges speaking
with listening in which simultaneous exchange and feedback takes place, hence it may
involve higher level of engagement as compared to communication.
We then examined three levels of interactivity: reactive, proactive and coactive and
looked at some elements of interactivity such as speed, reach, range, sense of place,
level of control, responsiveness and so on. It was discussed that interactivity can
stimulate higher levels of attention and in turn higher level of learning as it allows the

I
freedom to interact and facilitates active participation among learners.
52
 The element of interactivity was studied in some media components and it was found Interactivity in Communication
that a number of teaching-learning as well as operational factors have implications for
facilitating learning through interactive media which need to be taken into account.
Access and utilization constitute prime conditions for learning from media allowing
interactions. There is a need for buildiqg interactivity in the design of the sessions,
laying emphasis on key words and periodic recapitulation of salient points. The role of
resource persons in initiating, stimulating and sustaining interaction is crucial and for
that it is imperative that they have verbal proficiency and good presentation skills. The
i need for using alternative formats such as quiz, problem solving,etc. is equally important.
Delayed andor incomplete responses, too manylfew questions, time constraints, varied
levels of knowledge of the learners and different teachingllearning styles etc. may
affect interactivity. Screening of questions, prepariqg for anticipated areas of difficulty
are likely to enhance interactivity. The learners also need to plan appropriate learning
strategies such as attentive listening, developing the art of raising questions, etc. for
deriving optimum benefit from the interactive media.

4.7 UNIT END ACTIVITIES

1. Take any text book and a text written as self learning material. Compare the
levels of interactivity with the reader in the two materials. Prepare a note on it.
2. Listen to the radio counseling programme of IGNOU meant for your programme

4.8 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING

You may visit websites on the topics discussed in this Unit, like the following:
http://bic.avnet.kuleuven.be/vroducts/handbook/handbookchapters/
~hapter2.htmI#2.1.5%20Interactivity (Retrieved on 25.5.07)
http:Ncampustechnolopy.comlarticIes/40223 41 (Retrieved on 25.5.07)
http://www.interactive-pioneers.org/in de conteet.htm1 (Retrieved on 25.5.07)
- http:Nwww.enspire.com/customllevels diagram (Retrieved on 25.5.07)
4.9 CLUES TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Check Your Progress 1

I
with the Internet or with computer mediated communication. Interactivity goes
beyond two-way communication and merges speaking with listening in which
simultaneous exchange occurs and feedback is taken into account. It may involve
higher level of engagement as compared to communication.

as well as users of a particular medium that is used for interactivity.

Check Your Progress 2 1

I

1. Interactivity can facilitate active participation among learners and enhance their
level of alertness. It can stimulate and slustain higher levels of attention and
hence higher levels of learning. It cad personali~elearning materials and
bring the writer close to the learner. Ilt can challenge ideas, encourage
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G
Communication Process performance and ensure that learners try out things for themselves. An interactive
approach can help learners to process new ideas and link them with their existing
experience.
2. There are three different levels of interaction: reactive, proactive and coactive.
I consider proactive interaction most appropriate because in this type, the learner
is required to initiate action or dialogue and has a choice of content, topics to be
covered, complexitfr of content and vocabulary level, etc. S h e can go beyond
mere selecting or responding to existing structure<, and can construct unique
approaches other than those provided in tlie instructional materials.

Check Your Progress 3

1. It important for a teacher using interactive media to develop some specific
strategies to harness the interactive element of the medium. S h e needs to build
interactivity in the design of the sessions by placing emphasis on key words. The
approach should go beyond class room teaching techniques by using alternative
formats such as quiz, problem solving, etc. A periodic recapitulation of salient
points will help to reinforce the teaching points. S h e also needs to initiate, stimulate
and sustain interaction with good presentation skills.
2. For using interactive media such as two-way interactive radio, audio conferencing,
teleconferencing in synchronous (real time) communication, the participants should
be informed about the schedules beforehand to be able to present at different
locations. The reach and accessibility of the medium need to be carefully'
considered. Attention needs to be paid to the remote sites as to tbe'host site and
the expert should driw on corninon interests between group rnembers at different
sites.
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