Transcript assignment ed

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY ASSIGNMENT.
PAUL KAREKO NDUNG’U.2011/CS/23092.1E
Instructional communication
is the study of communication in the classroom. Sprague (1992) defines instructional communication as “the
investigation of the role of communication in the teaching of all subjects at all levels,” (p.1). This entails teacher
characteristics (e.g., clarity and immediacy), student characteristics (e.g., learning styles), instructional methods,
the pedagogy of communication in general, and student-teacher relationships. It is an applied context because it
may be studied from an interpersonal communication perspective or a mass communication perspective.
Five elements of
communication according to
the Shannon Weaver Model
are:-
1.Channel
It is essential for meaningful communication that a suitable means to transmit the message be selected. The
channel is the route that the message travels on, be it verbal, written, electronic, or otherwise.
2. Source
The source of communication is the initiator, or origin, that puts the model into action. It is an individual or group
that has a specific reason to begin the communication process. That is, there is a message that they wish another
to receive.
3. Encoder
Once the purpose of the source has been decided, there must be a specified format for the message to take. This
is what the communication encoder does; it takes the concept that the source wants sent out, and puts it into a
suitable format for later interpretation.
4. Message
The information, idea, or concept that is being communicated from one end of the model to the other is the
message. Most of the time, in human communication, the message contains a distinct meaning. When the model
was created, Shannon and Weaver were not concerned whether the message had substance, but rather that it
was being transmitted.
5. Noise
It is inevitable that noise may come into play during the communication process. Noise could be considered an
interference or distortion that changes the initial message; anything that can misconstrue the message may be
noise. Noise can be physical, as in an actual sound that muffles the message as it is being said, or it can be
semantic, like if the vocabulary used within the message is beyond the knowledge spectrum of its recipient. In
order for communication to be effective, noise must be reduced.
Six essential components of the
General Model of Instructional
Communication.
1.Instructional Environment
No two instructional environments are exactly alike. The environment includes
such elements as the nature of the institution hosting the instruction, the nature of the
classroom, the culture of the institution (and the surrounding population), the level of
instruction (elementary through graduate school), the physical and social climate in
which the institution exists, transitory factors (e.g., political environment, presence of
athletic programs, size of class), and many other elements not noted here. Since most of
these environmental factors are beyond the control of the teacher or the students, most
of the variance created by the environment will function as error variance in the testing
of instructional communication theories. The current research accepted as error
variance all elements of the environment
2. Students
Students introduce many aspects of variance into the instructional system. Students
vary greatly in terms of intelligence, prior learning, personality, and temperament. In
most classrooms, students also vary widely in terms of gender, culture, ethnicity,
religion, socio-economic status, etc. All of these elements impact the way students
perceive teachers and teachers' communication behaviors. As was the case with the
environment, this research accepted as error variance all variance attributable to
individual students.
3. Teachers
The teacher introduces many aspects of variance into the instructional system. The
teacher's level of intelligence, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge,
communication competence, and experience are important. So are the teacher's
education, personality, and temperament. All of these elements influence the teacher's
choices of verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors in instruction.
4.Teachers' Verbal and Nonverbal Behaviors
No teacher communicates in exactly the same way as any other teacher. Teacher
communication behaviors introduce considerable variance' into the instructional
process. What teachers say and what they do nonverbally constitutes a continuous
stream of messages which impact the meanings which are stimulated in students'
minds. Typically, individual teachers tend to have consistent communication behavior
patterns which are observable by students.
5. Student Perceptions of the Teacher
Sometimes students have perceptions of the teacher even before they take a given
class with that teacher. This may be a function of having taken a class with them before,
having met the teacher before, or they may have received information about the teacher
from someone else. If the teacher is totally unknown, however, students will begin to
develop perceptions of the teacher as soon as they begin to be exposed to her/him.
These perceptions may be weak and stereotypical at first, but they become stronger as
exposure continues. These perceptions will be generated primarily on the basis of the
teacher's verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors-what the teacher says and
how he/ she says it.
6. Instructional Outcomes
The primary outcomes of instructional communication are concerned with
learning: cognitive, affective, and in classes where appropriate, psychomotor. A
secondary outcome of interest to teachers (and sometimes to those who evaluate
teachers) is student evaluations of the teacher. Many other outcomes can also occur, but
they usually are incidental and not of central concern to the instructional
communication process.
sources of information that is communicated to the
learners.
1. From text book
2. from the internet
3. from personal experience
4.from religious books.
JUSTIFICATIONS
A teacher will only use a book written and approve by the curriculum developers to
be used at a particular level of education. Internet also have proved to be a reliable
source of teaching / learning materials . A teacher can also call an expert who is
experienced and qualified in a particular field of study to teach /lecture the students.
Some subjects such as C.R.E.,a teacher will rely on a holy book for references.
role play by educational technology in instructional communication
1. It increases efficiency or effectiveness of education and contents of education.
2. Technology provides us with powerful tools to try out different designs, so that instead of
theories of education, we may begin to develop a science of education.
3.To enhance the teaching and learning process
4. Gives us a new perspective on the nature of teaching and learning and indeed on general
educational objectives.
5. Educational technology aims to improve education.
The barriers to instructional communication.


Lack of Common Experience
Lack of common experience between instructor and student is probably the greatest single barrier to effective
communication. Many people seem to believe that words transport meanings from speaker to listener in the same way
that a truck carries bricks from one location to another. Words, however, rarely carry precisely the same meaning from
the mind of the instructor to the mind of the student. In fact, words, in themselves, do not transfer meanings at all.
Whether spoken or written, they are merely stimuli used to arouse a response in the student. The student's past
experience with the words and the things to which they refer determines how the student responds to what the
instructor says. A communicator's words cannot communicate the desired meaning to another person unless the
listener or reader has had some experience with the objects or concepts to which these words refer. Since it is the
students' experience that forms vocabulary, it is also essential that instructors speak the same language as the students.
If the instructor's terminology is necessary to convey the idea, some time needs to be spent making certain the
students understand that terminology. E.g. tree while others write three.
Confusion Between the Symbol and the Symbolized Object
Languages abound with words that mean different things to different people. Confusion between the symbol and
the symbolized object results when a word is confused with what it is meant to represent. Although it is obvious that
words and the connotations they carry can be different, people sometimes fail to make the distinction. An aviation
maintenance technician (AMT) might be introduced as a mechanic. To many people, the term mechanic conjures up
images of a person laboring over an automobile. Being referred to as an aircraft mechanic might be an improvement in
some people's minds, but neither really portrays the training and skill of the trained AMT. Words and symbols do not
always represent the same thing to every person. To communicate effectively, speakers and writers should be aware of
these differences. Words and symbols can then be carefully chosen to represent exactly what the speaker or writer
intends.
Cont’
Overuse of Abstractions
Abstractions are words that are general rather than specific. Concrete words or terms refer to objects that people
can relate directly to their experiences. They specify an idea that can be perceived or a thing that can be
visualized. Abstract words, on the other hand, stand for ideas that cannot be directly experienced, things that do
not call forth mental images in the minds of the students. The word aircraft is an abstract word. It does not call to
mind a specific aircraft in the imaginations of various students. One student may visualize an airplane, another
student might visualize a helicopter, and still another student might visualize an airship. Although the word
airplane is more specific.
Interference
Barriers to effective communication are usually under the direct control of the instructor. However, interference is
made up of factors that are outside the direct control of the instructor: physiological, environmental, and
psychological interference. To communicate effectively, the instructor should consider the effects of these factors.
Psychological interference is any biological problem that may inhibit symbol reception, such as hearing loss, injury
or physical illness. These, and other physiological factors, can inhibit communication because the student is not
comfortable.