Communication skills Discussion Paper

Communication skills Discussion Paper

Instruction

Answer the question below in a discussion format. I must get this paper by 6:00 pm today. Include  MacKeracher (2000) as a reference. Communication skills Discussion Paper

1) Focus on interpersonal skills (listening, paraphing, describing behavior, describing feelings) 2) Listening – Covey (2000).

Communication skills are one of the most overlooked components associated with any form of learning. Communication skills are important to both the facilitator and the adult learner.

1.  How important are communication skills for both the facilitator and the adult learners in person and in online learning?

2.  As a facilitator, what are your communication skills strengths? Are there communication skills that you would like to develop?

3.  In a class there are often some learners that constantly contribute to the discussion and challenge the process. Provide an example of when you encouraged every member of a group to participate in an equal and respectful manner. (In person and/or online)

4.  What do you do if a small number of learners have taken the class off on a tangent? As the group facilitator, what techniques would you use to bring the class back on topic?

Communication Skills

 Communication skills incorporate the skills that enable a person to coherently make a quality public performance through effective communication (Anjali, 2012). Communication skills are thus vital, especially so when it comes to learning process where it involves a lot of communication between the facilitator, as well as learners. Effective communication assists in understanding each other by bridging the gap of diversity and building mutual respect and trust. This discussion focuses on the importance of communication skills, how to develop them, its strengths, as well as group and class management on effective communication involving the facilitator and the learners.

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1. How important are communication skills for both the facilitator and the adult learners in person and in online learning?

Communication skills are important to both the facilitator, as well as the learners. For the facilitator, effective communication is vital, especially on the relationship between them and the learners. Adult learners require special attention which demands for the application of the communication skills (MacKeracher, 2000). As such, skills such as active listening, non-verbal communication, emotion control, confidence, respect and friendliness are all crucial in ensuring that the learning process is accomplished in the most appropriate way. These skills are also applicable to learners in equal measure. Effective application of communication skills by the facilitator enables the building of trust which is crucial in facilitating a smooth learning process. The facilitator through active listening is able to identify the teaching methodologies and strategies that best fit the students at hand.Communication skills Discussion Paper

On the other hand, communication skills enable the learners to understand and interpret situations accordingly, thus effectively improving the way they relate with each other as well as with the facilitators (Anjali, 2012). For the online learning, the facilitator can be able to identify the weakness and strengths of each of their learners and effectively assist using the applicable means accordingly. For the learners, skills such as listening, concision and clarity will assist them in the learning process through effective research and understanding concepts both in class and online.

2. As a facilitator, what are your communication skills strengths? Are there communication skills that you would like to develop?

As a facilitator, I find it interesting when I apply communication skills, both in class sessions, as well as group management. Active listening is my strongest skill as I always prefer to give everyone a chance to rediscover and express themselves. By doing so, am quick to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each, and as such, I get a good chance of giving the required feedback, as well as planning for my teaching strategies. Furthermore, I also try my best to be as friendly as possible. Friendliness brings the facilitator closer to the learners and as such, they feel valued and this improves their confidence which is vital in the learning process as students are able to express their views without fear (Anjali, 2012). Nevertheless, I find myself overwhelmed with emotions, especially when I come across struggling students. I will need to develop on the emotion control skill so that I can gain confidence of dealing with the diverse student situations, especially for the struggling students.

3. In a class there are often some learners that have constantly contributed to the discussion and challenge the process. Provide an example of when you encouraged every member of a group to participate in an equal and respectful manner. (In person and/or online)

Adult learners are diverse and there are those who are talkative and engaging as opposed to the ones who prefer to listen (MacKeracher, 2000). In such a situation, the facilitator is tasked with balancing the situation at hand through engaging every student equally. Providing an equal opportunity, especially in a discussion session eliminates the challenge of dominance, where some students may contribute constantly denying others the chance to contribute (Snyder & Shwom, 2011). Providing an equal opportunity is also vital when managing a group. I was once confronted with a group where only one student was constantly contributing. I had to intervene and tell everyone that there was no right or wrong opinion and everyone was free to contribute. After this intervention, everyone gained confidence to contribute to the debate at hand and it turned out to be a successful session where everyone participated in full confidence. Communication skills Discussion Paper

4. What do you do if a small number of learners have taken the class off on a tangent? As the group facilitator, what techniques would you use to bring the class back on topic?

In a learning session, sometimes a section of learners may distract the class, thus taking the class off on a tangent. As such, the facilitator should be able to apply the communication skill that will bring back the class to normality. In a such situation, I usually engage the student in a question session as this quickly gets their attention and, in that mode, I can shortly continue with what I was teaching. For a group, using a hand gesture will grab everyone’s attention and thus the application of the non-verbal communication comes in handy here (Anjali, 2012).

 References

Anjali, A. (2012). Communication skills. SCMS Journal of Indian Management, 9 (4), 122-123.

MacKeracher, D. (2000). Making sense of adult learning. Toronto: University of Toronto

Press.

Snyder, L. G., & Shwom, B. (2011). Teaching effective communication skills with ACE:

Analyzing, composing, & evaluating. Journal of Applied Research for Business Instruction, 9 (3), 1-5.Communication skills Discussion Paper

 

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