What is Communication?

The accurate transfer of information from a sender to a receiver. The sender or receiver can be People Animals or Communication is a two-way street. To have good communication with someone else, we must be sure that what we are saying is clearly understood. The message must have the same meaning to others as it does to us. Just saying something to someone does not mean that we have communicated with that person. Communication means that the message we have transmitted has been received and understood. Machines

Person to person Communication Verbal Communication Nonverbal Communication Our senses Body language Most communication occurs among people. People use their senses to communicate. Often interpersonal communication uses speech and is called verbal communication. People also use nonverbal communication. This means using the other senses, like vision, smell and touch to communicate. For example – people choose clothing that visually communicates a message about themselves. They wear fragrances to make themselves more appealing. Emotions can be communicated through touch or by a glance. Body language can communicate a lot about what a person is feeling.

Technological Enhancement By using technology, communication from one person can each the masses. Mass communication systems include radio, television, The Internet, books, magazines, and newspapers.

Animal Communication Washoe – Young gorilla that learned how to speak using the same sign language as that used by deaf people. After several years of training, Washoe had learned 160 words and was putting them together to make short sentences. All animals communicate about mating, gathering food, shelter and defences. Skunks produce an odour to send a message to other animals – some animals use vocal sounds as warnings and or calls to their own species. Giraffes rub necks to show affection, chimpanzees embrace each other, etc. List as many methods of animal communication that you can think of.

Machine Communication People can also communicate with machines and machines can communicate with each other. We push buttons on a calculator, get visual and auditory information from television, factories have machines communicate with each other to make parts, etc.

Purposes of Communication Every message has a certain purpose. Communication systems are designed with five different goals in mind: To inform To persuade Have students use the internet to download, print and display, a couple of communication purposes for each of the five mentioned in this slide. Inform – Mass media – newspapers, television, Radio, Internet. – Inform about events – concerts, events, sales, births, deaths, marriages, etc. Person to person is usually used to persuade people. Salespersons – negotiators – layers, Advertisements use persuasion to sell products. Entertainment – Movies, books, records, plays, dances, cartoons, etc. Education – Teachers communicate verbally, newspaper articles of special interest, television documentaries, etc. Control – Machine to machine – Thermostats communicate with furnaces or air conditioners and control them by turning them on and off. Timers are used in many machines and appliances, photo cells control lights, etc. Sometimes communication is used to control people. Propaganda (a point of view held by a government or movement) is an example. The best defense against propaganda is open communication which allows all parties to freely exchange information, ideas and points of view. To entertain To educate To control

Communication Systems We are surrounded by many examples of communications systems. They range from small calculators to large special purpose computers: From I-pods to stereo systems: from intercoms to world wide telephone systems. A system is a combination of elements which function to achieve a desired result. In ALL communication systems, the desired result is to communicate a message. Every system has an input (the desired result) and an output (the actual result). In a communication system that involves two people speaking to each other, the desired result (The system input) is what the sender wishes to communicate. The process is the technical means you will use to communicate the message. The output is the message that is actually received by the second person.

Feedback How do you know that the message you sent was received exactly as it was sent? How do we know that our message was received and understood as intended? Noise could interfere with the message, the receiver could misunderstand what you meant. Generally, communication systems provide a way for the sender to find out whether the actual message received (the output) was the same as the desired message (The input). – Feedback gives this information Feedback is information we get by monitoring the output of the communication process. We monitor to see if it is what was desired. Feedback can be obtained by asking the receiver to repeat the message as received. Or, the receiver can be asked if he or she understood the message. One the feedback is received, the output is compared to the input. Since all communication systems have inputs, process, and outputs, we can model each using the basic system model.

The Communication Process Person To Person Communication Input Desired Result Speaking Writing Audio Tapes Other methods Output Actual Message Received What the senders wishes to communicate Yak Yak

The Communication Process Person To Person Communication Process compare Speaking Writing Audio Tapes Other methods Input Output Adjust Find out what was actually received Feedback Monitor Yak Yak

The Communication Process Communication Systems: Telephones Communicate Desired Message Actual message heard by the person on the receiving end Telephone Network compare Input Output Process Person receiving provides feedback to person speaking Monitor Provides Feedback

The Communication Process Communication Systems: TV/News Broadcast Communicate Current News Actual broadcast received by viewers compare Reporters Camera Persons TV Transmitter Antenna Input Output Process Survey, Polls, viewer responses Monitor Provides Feedback

The Communication Process Communication Systems: Newspaper Printing To print a newspaper of high quality Actual Newspaper compare Input Printing Press, Ink, Prepared Copy Output Process Press Operator checks Quality by inspecting paper Monitor Provides Feedback

The Communication Process Every communication process includes five parts: 1) A way of encoding the message (preparing it for transmission) 2) A means of transmitting the message 3) A channel or route which the message takes 4) A receiver which accepts the message The process is the action part of any system. The process combines resources in order to produce an output. The resources that are combined in a communication system are the same kinds of resources that are needed by all other technological systems. These include people, information, materials, tools and machines, energy, capital, and time. These materials are added inputs to the system. Every communication process includes five parts: a way of encoding the message (preparing it for transmission); a means of transmitting the message; a channel or route which the message takes; a receiver which accepts the message; and a way of decoding the message (turning it into a forum which is understandable to the user) All communication systems – weather the communication involves printing books, transmitting signals to satellites, radio broadcasting, or television programming – includes these five parts. 5) A way of decoding the message (turning it into a forum which is understandable to the user)

The Communication Process System Model: Communication System compare Process Input Desired Message at source 1 Encoder 2 Transmitter 3 Channel Encoding Messages: Before a message can be communicated it must be placed in a form that can be transmitted easily. We can speak directly to each other; however, how can we communicate our message over a distance. It may take various forms. If your were to use old fashioned Morse code – you would have to convert the letters into Morse code and send the message as a series of dots and dashes. To produce the data with a computer you would have to turn the letters into a digital code like ASKII (American Standard code for Information Interchange). When we convert a message into a form better able to be transmitted we encode the message. A microphone encodes speech (acoustical energy) into electrical energy so that messages can be transmitted by radio (Or to an amplifer for public address) Light energy reflected by objects and people is encoded into electrical energy by video cameras. Photographs are encoded into halftones (Pictures made up of dots) so they can be printed. Words and symbols are encoded into digital bits so they can be processed by computers. Transmitters: The transmitter is the technical means used to send the a message from the source to the destination. Some common Transmitters include radio, television and satellite transmitters, telegraph senders, human writing (pens, pencils, etc), and cameras. Transmitters convey the message into the channel. Channels: The channel is the path the message takes from the transmitter to the receiver. All messages must move through a channel. Some communication processes use the air as a channel. Radio transmissions and human speech involve messages transmitted through the air. The process of radio waves traveling through space is called propagation. Radio waves can be propagated to distant locations as they are reflected by a layer of the earths atmosphere (between 70 and 200 miles above the earth called the ionosphere). Other channels involve wires or fiber optic cables. These can carry signals overland or under the ocean. Cables also carry information from video cameras to vie3o recorders – in a photographic system, film is the channel that conveys the information from the camera to the viewer (Modern day users would likely be using digital recorders making the CD, VCD, or DVD the channel.) Receivers: The message must be taken from the channel by a receiver so that it can be interpreted by the user. In broadcast radio systems, receivers and antennas are used. Television signals are received by TV sets. These are TV receivers and are connected to television receiving antennas (or cable – or satellite). Each station transmits at a different frequency – the user, you, changes the channel (and the frequency) to select the desired station. When we play music – the audience is the receiver – When we take a picture – the medium the picture is stored on (Film – negative – digital – flash card, disk, etc) is the receiver. Decoders: One the message has been transmitted and received by the receiver, it must be decoded (put back into a form which is understandable to humans). The Morse code we talked about earlier must be decoded by an operator on the receiving end. Electrical signals received by radios and TV are decoded into audio and visual (in the case of TV) and sent to speakers and monitors. Download the communication process from the web site and complete the handout. 4 Receiver Output Actual Message at destination 5 Decoder Feedback Monitor

Communication By Design Why What Is the message being sent Is the content of the message How Much Of a budget is allowed How Who The content of the communication, the way it is presented, and the choice of the communication medium depend upon the audience for which the message is intended. For example: A Rap music track for a TV commercial could be appealing to North American high school students, but leave their parents cold. Can you suggest a few other scenarios? The design of a communication system needs careful planning and analysis. The target audience and the cost must be considered. Technological aspects relating to the the communication medium must also be taken into account. The design of the message is based on the following questions: Why, what, who, when, how, and how much. Why: What is the message being sent? Human needs or wants establish the need for a communication. A life or death medical emergency requiring immediate attention is clearly a need for a message – can you think of a few more? What: What is the content of the message? In the case of the medical emergency it might be “this is an emergency, send an ambulance to 123 heart attack avenue. immediately. What would be the content of of your messages? Who: Who is the message intended to reach – In our medical emergency, it is intended to reach the ambulance service that provides emergency service to your area. Who are your messages intended to reach? When: When must the message arrive? In the case of the medical emergency, where a life is at risk, the message must be received immediately. In some cases time is critical, in others it is not time sensitive. – List a few of each. Are your messages time sensitive – Why or why not? How: How shall the message be sent. In the design process we must recognize that there may be different technological methods that can be used to convey our message. Making the best choice is part of the effective design for communication. Time affects the selection of the communication process. In our medical emergency we would likely use a phone (land line or cell) to phone an ambulance. What are some other methods used to send messages? What would be the best method to send your messages? The communication method we choose affects the design. For example: If the message is to be sent using a printing or desk-top-publishing Process, some thought must be given to carefully choosing the right words and/or accompanying images to convey the message exactly as intended. We must also be aware of how the message looks on paper (or within a presentation). Sizes and styles (fonts) of lettering must be chosen along with design elements (lines, bars, graphics, etc.). What might we have to consider in a radio advertisement? What about a TV advertisement? How Much: How much of a budget do you have to work with? Cost is a very important factor in message design. Generally, communications are designed to fit within a given budget. If more money is available, the message can be made more appealing. For example a printed message might be done in color instead of black and white. Can you name some other areas of communications that the budget would affect? How would it affect your communications? Is the message intended to reach Shall the message be sent

Monitoring and Evaluating the Message The bottom line for any communication is whether it has its desired effect. Was the communication effective? In designing a communication system, some thought must be given to how the message will be monitored and evaluated after it is received. The output is not always what was intended, TV images may be affected by ghost images or poor reception, photographs might be too dark or bright, etc. Can suggest a few others? Generally, the person receiving the message is expected to give some feedback on how well the senders goal was fulfilled. In person to person communication systems , feedback can be given by questions asked by the sender designed to find out if the message was understood. To monitor the quality of a radio or Television signal, receivers could be set up at the transmitting location and monitored by technicians. To receive feedback from viewers on the quality of a broadcast we could use polls or surveys (telephone, mail, Internet, etc.) Printed products like magazines and newspapers can be measured for effectiveness by monitoring the amount of sales. How would you monitor and evaluate your communications?

Summary To have effective communication, we must be sure that the message we have transmitted has been received and understood. Just saying something to someone does not mean that we have communicated. People animals and machines can communicate. Person to person communication is often enhanced by technical means. Animals can communicate with people and with themselves. Machines communicate with people and people communicate with machines. Machines can also communicate with other machines. Communication systems are designed with five different purposes in mind: To inform, persuade, entertain, educate, and control. Often machines communicate with other machines to control their processes. Communication systems like telephone, radio and TV broadcasts, and the Internet surround us. A system is a combination of elements that function to achieve a desired result. In communication systems the desired result is to communicate a message. A monitoring method is built into communication systems to give feedback about how well the actual results match the desired results. The communication process has five parts: Encoding is the act of putting the message into a form that can be transmitted easily; the transmission is the technical means used to send the message onto the channel; the Channel is the path through which the message travels; the receiver captures the message so that it can be interpreted by the user; one the message is received, it must be decoded back into a form which can be understood by the person, animal, or machine that is the object of the communication. The design of a communication system is largely determined by the audience for which the message is intended. For example: an advertisement that is designed to sell products to one audience might not be well accepted by another audience. When designing a communication system, some way must be found to evaluate its effectiveness. Feedback is obtained by monitoring the output. This feedback can be in the form of pools or surveys. It can also be given by technicians who monitor quality. They do this by listening to speech or music, by looking a printed messages, or by viewing TV or radio signals on special test equipment.