1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
naVa J. Mutambwa
Veku Communications Skills Centre

2. Bridging the gap MODES OF LEARNING Lectures Seminars Tutorials
Assignments
Laboratory activities
Tests
Library
Group discussion

3. Lectures & seminars
hear about advances in research which has not been published
hear important announcements about the course
Get inspiration in a particular area from an enthusiastic lecturer
Gives you an opportunity to hear one’s interpretation of a topic that you have been reading about or discussing

4. Lectures Significance –
Gather information and ideas about course material
Provide a common ground for subsequent discussion
Give you practical examples and applications related to theories you are learning
Gives you a model of how an expert approaches a particular topic

5. Therefore……………….
You get a basic framework for a course of study and a starting point for student learning
Refrain from using the lecture as a venue for small talk and chatter!
Consider the speaker’s speaking style, the subject and your obligation as a listener, some speakers are not professional speakers ,so your focus is on the content

6. Seminars
-Provide the student with an opportunity to participate in the learning process
Each student is assigned a topic to read in depth, produce a scholarly paper and present it for discussion and criticism
Stages involved are –
Research into the topic
Write up the paper
Present the paper to the class
It involves both written and oral skills.

7. Tutorials
- they are small group sessions aimed at clarifying any grey areas met in the learning process
-students ask questions and also get to answer questions
- tutorials allow for discussion of issues, enable a topic to be understood more deeply
-provide a forum for students to test and hear and comment upon their others and their colleagues’

8. Tutorials
- tutorials encourage intellectual relationships to develop between students and between lecturers
All efforts will be defeated if……………
Students do not prepare for the tutorial
there is continuous digression from the topic
Students sit in silence and only speak when asked a question
Students try to dominate the discussion and don’t allow others to express their point of view
Students draw attention to themselves by making ‘smart’ remarks

9. Developing independent learning strategies
Use memory aids such as mnemonics to recall key facts
Recite things to yourself in order to reprint them on your mind
Discover optimum times for your study
Find ways of coping with difficult work
Take note of ergonomic factors like light, ventilation and seating
Read ahead of lectures
Review work daily, weekly and monthly

10. Time Management Time is an equal opportunity resource
Time is an usual commodity that cannot be stockpiled
Time is a non-renewable resource
Approach time as if you are in control
Time management gives you a chance to spend your most valuable resource in the way you choose

11. Time Management (cont.)
set realistic goals allow flexibility avoid marathon sessions set clear start and finishing times plan for the unplanned

12. Time management (cont.)
When should you study for a course?
When your mind is freshest
Never study with distractions
Do not begin studying if you are more concerned about something else
Try to divide study into one hour blocks
Take time to review what you have been reading

13. Listening skills To be a good listener, decide to listen first
Try to be quiet, do not be tempted to make a response before the speaker has finished talking
Maintain eye-contact
Remove any physical barriers
Use facial expression and body position
Send acknowledgements
Listen beyond words

14. Obstacles to listening
Pre-occupation with self or assuming the role of the speaker
Preoccupation with external issues
Leveling – reducing original message to a more simplified form, but missing the gist in the process
Evaluating source
Assimilation – a tendency to reconstruct the message so that it reflects our own attitudes and values

15. Obstacles to listening
Friend or foe factor – often we distort messages because of our positive or negative attitudes towards another person
Hearing what is expected – listening with
prejudice
Note
ALL LISTENERS DO NOT RECEIVE THE SAME MESSAGE

16. Poor listening habits
Pseudo-listening – giving the impression that one is listening
Stage hogs – interested only in expressing their ideas and don’t care about what others say
Selective listening – responding only to the part of the remarks that interest them
Insulated listening - the listener avoids acknowledging any message

17. Poor listening habits (cont)
Defensive listening – taking innocent remarks as personal attack
Ambushing – listening to certain information so that they will use it against the speaker

18. It is important to note that …..
Active listening enables us to reflect on the sense of what the speaker is saying and feeling
enables us to check on our understanding
With active listening, we stimulate the speaker to explore further his or her feelings and thoughts
It helps to listen to signal words in a lecture

19. NOTE TAKING Can use: numeral –letter format Indenting format
Cornell format
In each of these formats just jot down the main points only, not everything that has been said in the lecture

20. NOTE-TAKING (cont) Use abbreviations
You may decide to leave out vowels in wrds
You can use an apostrophe to delete a syllable, e.g. requir’t for requirement
You can use a charting method for comparing or contrasting
Do not trust your memory, jot down notes, it is believed 47% of what has just been learnt is forgotten in the first 20 min,62% is forgotten after the first day

21. Visual note – taking techniques
Laddering is a note-taking technique that ties main ideas to main ideas and minor ideas to minor ideas
Main ideas are connected with a perpendicular line
Mapping uses geometric shapes, diagrams, and pictures to show relationships or sequences

22. More tips Underline to highlight key words, definitions and references
Leave blanks to indicate missed information, cues can be filled in later
Leave space for personal additions
Make use of color- can come with your own coding system

23. Tips cont’d Conduct a short pre-class review
Pay attention to lecturers’ body language
Pay attention to your environment, temperature and quality of light
Postpone debate
Be alert to repetition
Listen for introductory, transition and concluding words and phrases
Notice the lecturer’s interest level

24. Learn to listen to all these ingredients in a lecture broth
Opinion gap filler new words detail references conclusion
Summary fact digression exemplification illustration key concepts topic sentence introduction joke interpretation semantic

25. Communication theory Communication defined:
A process of sharing information using a set of rules. Berko, Wolvin and Wolvin.1998
A conscious or unconscious, intentional or unintentional process in which feelings and ideas are expressed as verbal and or non-verbal messages, sent, received and comprehended. This process can be accidental, expressive or rhetorical( resulting from specific goals of the communicator)

26. Communication defined
The process of creating meaning between two or more people through the expression and interpretation of messages: an endeavor to reach the minds of others (Cleary, 1999).
A process of creating or sharing meaning in formal or informal conversation, group interaction or public speaking.

27. Essential elements in the communication process
1. Participants who are the individuals who assume the roles of senders and receivers during an interaction
As senders, participants form and transmit messages using verbal and non-verbal symbols as receivers, they interpret the messages and behaviors that have been transmitted

28. The role of the sender
Decide on kind of action you desire from the receiver
Choose a code most suitable for the needs and context
Structure ideas logically
Consider abilities and limitations
Ensure that the message is not capable of being misinterpreted
Check that you receive the desired feedback

29. The role of the receiver
Give incoming messages all your attention
Check that the sender’s message is meeting your needs
Ensure that you comprehend the message fully
Provide sender with sufficient feedback

30. The communication Process
2. Encoding
The act of making an idea accessible to others, or putting an idea into a form so that it becomes perceptible to the receiver
The effectiveness of a message will depend greatly on the correct choice of code

31. Communication process (cont.)
3 Messages
The message is the content or subject matter.
It is the encoded idea, fact, opinion or feeling that the sender wishes to convey
The message can be verbal, non-verbal or both

32. Communication process(cont.)
Medium
The means through which messages are transmitted, it could be oral or written
Choice of medium depends on:
Proximity, the nature and complexity of the message, need for feedback, time and cost

33. The process (cont.) Receiver
The person to whom the message is directed and who has to understand it. Each receiver has a unique frame of reference and accordingly decodes the message in a unique way

34. The process (cont.) Decoding
The process of receiving, interpreting and understanding the encoded message
The way individuals decode messages is determined by their frame of reference and perceptions

35. The process (cont.) Feedback The receiver’s response to the message
The message can be adjusted should the misunderstanding occur
Feedback thus provide the sender with a way of ensuring that the message has been received, interpreted and understood as was intended

36. The process (cont.) Context
It refers to the time, place and circumstances in which the communication transaction occurs.
Context can viewed as physical, social, psychological or cultural

37. Barriers to Communication
Noise
Messages are influenced not only by the interpretation of each communicator but also by noise which is any internal or external interference in the communication process

38. Noise as a Barrier
The following factors interfere with messages and meaning of what has been put across:
Physical noise
Psychological noise
Organization of material
Perceptions
Values
Bureaucracy
Gender

39. Barriers to Communication
Culture
Information overload/underload
Attitude
Stereotyping
Prejudice
Semantic factors
Personality
Experience
Age
Racism
Jargon
World views
ethnocentrism

40. Communication models Linear model
Implies that communication is one way
Communication is represented as a system
A source selects information that is formulated into a message
The message is transmitted by a signal through a channel to a receiver/destination
There is no transactional relationship between the source and receiver

41. The interactional model
It represents the dynamic, ongoing nature of communication
A source encodes and sends a message to a receiver
The receiver decodes the message and encodes feedback which is sent to the receiver or source
The process suggests a system that is circular and where messages are sent and received

42. The transactional model
The model suggests that communication is a transaction in which the source and receiver play an interchangeable role
Messages are processed simultaneously by the communicators
Encoding and decoding may take place simultaneously
Both communicators assume the roles of encoder and decoder

43. Helical model It views communication as a dynamic rather than static
Assumes that what is communicated today will influence what is communicated later
The process continues in a spiral of influence
Acknowledges that communication takes place within specific environments that are always changing
The helix or spiral widens as the communication process progresses
In communication participants are active, creative and able to store information

44. READING STRATEGIES Preview Scanning Skimming Reciting Recalling
Questioning
Critical reading

45. SQ3R With this approach, the reader goes through these steps-
S – survey, this activity is similar to preview where the reader skims through the reading material, reading the topic headings, looking at any illustrations, charts or tables
Q – question, the reader raises this question:” what do I already know about this topic?”
R – read through the text or chapter underlining key words, also think about the questions you asked yourself in the ‘Question’ step.

46. SQ3R (cont.)
R – Recode helps you to remember what you read, here the reader should be able to express the information you have read in another way. Recoding can be in form of diagrams, charts or pictures
R – Review means to take another look, or go over again. This can be done through:
Listing the key points
Writing a summary
Making a list of the key terms
Skim the chapter again

47. What technique is suitable for each for each of these activities?
1.Reading for a class ,test
2.Locating communication models from a chapter
3.Establishing the relevance of a text before deciding to read
4.checking the organization of reading material

48. Techniques (cont.)
5. Establishing a link between the last and next lecture
6. Assessing what has been read for the last 30 min. or so
7. Identifying key points to use for an assignment

49. Techniques (cont.) 8. checking on comprehension
9. locating a particular diagram from a whole chapter
10. Comparing theories

50. ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Research shows that preparation is the key to effective public speaking
Communication in public speaking is based on three parameters:
Participants
The setting
purpose

51. ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS
Overview: - Establish the topic - decide on the aim(s) - Set clear objectives {SMART} - gather as much information as you can on the topic or subject - divide the topic into sections -plan the ‘How’ aspect of your presentation - Pay attention to the presenter, that is you

52. Aspects of the speaker Mastery of the mechanics of speech
Logical structuring of the message
Choice of appropriate style
Effective delivery
Awareness of the message’s context
Understanding of the recipients
Voice quality
Dress and grooming

53. Consider the audience How many The mix Specialist language
Level of education
Knowing the group
experience

54. Audience cont’d Demographics Age Gender Religion Occupation
Racial background

55. Audience cont‘d Psychographics
Dispositions e.g in dealing with issues such as abortion, death penalty, homosexuality
Political affiliation

56. Audiences (cont.) Consider also Rhetorographics Place Time
Emotional climate e.g. a community recently devastated by floods or some gruesome murder in the neighbourhood

57. The Content Knowledge of the content Relevance to the audience
Adequate research
Confidence
Support
Enlarge
Simplify
timing

58. The purpose Covered by the aims and objectives
Try to attend to at least the three levels, i.e
Cognitive
Affective
psychomotor

59. The venue Requirements Room size Location Parking Public transport
Display facilities
Equipment
Furniture
Refreshments
Toilets
Lighting
quiet

60. Time Consider the following Preparation time Notification Setting up
Presentation
Discussion
Travel
Schedules
Audience time

61. Delivery
Notes
Discussion
Demonstration
Role play
video

62. Delivery method cont’d
Speaking – raise the pitch of your voice without straining it
Volume should not be too loud or too soft
Speak at the correct tempo and rhythm that gives an energetic impression
Remember the tone conveys a specific attitude
Articulate words clearly, take note of some common pronunciation problems
Gestures should be natural

63. Questions Plan how you are going to handle questions
Plan the questions you may want to ask the audience and when
At what point do you invite questions from the audience
Who is going to answer the questions and when

64. When using a visual ……
Do not stand between the visual and the audience
Speak towards the audience not the visual
Know the visual well in advance
Because it is a visual, it must be visible

65. Self presentation
Set the right tone through the way you present yourself
Pay attention to personal grooming, choice of clothing and accessories
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
Avoid irritating, unpleasant or discourteous mannerisms of speech, gesture or posture

66. Ten practical hints summed up
Speak and move with confidence and enthusiasm
Use facial expressions and gestures to emphasise certain points
Maintain eye contact with the audience
Write down key points on cards
Stand naturally and move about when you need to emphasise a point

67. Points cont’d Make effective use of audiovisual support material
Dress appropriately and ensure that you well groomed
Rehearse beforehand
Take three deep breaths before you begin speaking
Do not exceed your time limit

68. Modes of presentations
Manuscript
Impromptu
Extemporaneous
memorized