ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILL THROUGH WEB 2.O

R.KARTHICK

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ENGLISH (EDUCATION)

What is Web 2.0 technology?

Web 2.0 is the term used to describe a variety of web sites and applications that allow anyone to create and share online information or material they have created. A key element of the technology is that it allows people to create, share, collaborate & communicate. Web 2.0 differs from other types of websites as it does not require any web design or publishing skills to participate, making it easy for people to create and publish or communicate their work to the world.

The nature of this technology makes it an easy and popular way to communicate information to either a select group of people or to a much wider audience. The University can make use of these tools to communicate with students, staff and the wider academic community. It can also be an effective way to communicate and interactwith students and research colleagues. There are number of different types of web 2.0 applications including wikis, blogs, social networking, folksonomies, podcasting & content hosting services. Many of the most popular websites are Web 2.0 sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr. There are number of different types of web 2.0 applications including wikis, blogs, social networking, folksonomies,podcasting & content hosting services. Many of the most popular websites are Web 2.0 sites such as Wikipedia,YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr.

Wikis

A wiki is a collaborative website that anyone within the community of users can contribute to or edit. A wiki can be open to a global audience or can be restricted to a select network or community. Wikis can cover a specific topic or subject area. Wikis also make it easy to search or browse for information. Although primarily text, wikis can also include images, sound recordings & films. Wikipedia http://.wikipedia.org the free internet encyclopedia is the most well known wiki.

Blogs

            A blog is a contraction of the words web log. Blogs usually provide commentary or information on a particular issue, event or topic. In some cases, blogs can be about a particular person; an online, public, personal diary. A blog is usually maintained by a single person or a small group of contributors. Visitors to the blog can comment on the entries made or respond to comments made by other visitors. Blogs are primarily text but

can also be the form of photos or other images, sounds, or films

Communication is generally classified into a couple of types. The classifications include:

• Verbal and non-verbal
• Technological and non-technological
• Mediated and non-mediated
• Participatory and non-participatory

Four Types of Communication

            Communication is the process of exchanging information in the form of messages, symbols, thoughts, signs, and opinions. There are mainly four types of communication, which are used in varying ways depending on the medium used or the way in which information is exchanged.

Verbal Communication
            Verbal communication include sounds, words, language, and speech. Speaking is an effective way of communicating and helps in expressing our emotions in words. This form of communication is further classified into four types, which are:

1. Intrapersonal Communication
            This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent conversations we have with ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender and receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions. This process of communication when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone or stay confined as thoughts.

2. Interpersonal Communication
            This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one conversation. Here, the two individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and receiver in order to communicate in a clearer manner.

3. Small Group Communication
            This type of communication can take place only when there are more than two people involved. Here the number of people will be small enough to allow each participant to interact and converse with the rest. Press conferences, board meetings, and team meetings are examples of group communication. Unless a specific issue is being discussed, small group discussions can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by everybody. This lag in understanding information completely can result in miscommunication.

4. Public Communication
            This type of communication takes place when one individual addresses a large gathering of people. Election campaigns and public speeches are example of this type of communication. In such cases, there is usually a single sender of information and several receivers who are being addressed.

Nonverbal Communication

      ➜ Nonverbal communication manages to convey the sender's message without having to use words.

➜ This form of communication supersedes all other forms because of its usage and effectiveness. Nonverbal communication involves the use of physical ways of communication, such as tone of the voice, touch, and expressions.

➜ Symbols and sign language are also included in nonverbal communication. Body posture and language convey a lot of nonverbal messages when communicating verbally with someone.

➜ Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the defensive nonverbal signals conveyed by people. Shaking hands, patting and touching, express feelings of intimacy. Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication. Creative and aesthetic nonverbal forms of communication include music, dancing and sculpturing.


Written communication

      ➜ Written communication is the medium through which the message of the sender is conveyed with the help of written words.

➜ Letters, personal journals, e-mails, reports, articles, and memos are some forms of written communication.

➜ Unlike other forms of communication, written messages can be edited and rectified before it is communicated to the receiver. Thereby, making written communication an indispensable part of informal and formal communication.

➜ This form of communication encapsulates features of visual communication as well, especially when the messages are conveyed through electronic devices such as laptops, phones, and visual presentations that involve the use of text or words.

Visual Communication


      ➜ This form of communication involves the visual display of information, wherein the message is understood or expressed with the help of visual aids. For example, topography, photography, signs, symbols, maps, colors, posters, banners and designs help the viewer understand the message visually.

➜ Movies and plays, television shows and video clips are all electronic form of visual communication.

➜ Visual communication also involves the transfer of information in the form of text, which is received through an electronic medium such as a computer, phone, etc.

➜ Icons and emoticons are a form of visual communication. When these icons are used in a public place, phone or computer, they instruct the user about their meaning and usage.

➜ The greatest example of visual communication is the World Wide Web which communicates with the masses, using a combination of text, design, links, images, and color. All of these visual features require us to view the screen in order to understand the message being conveyed.

Media communication is developing at a meteoric rate in order to ensure clarity and to eliminate any ambiguity. The aforementioned four types of communication have played a vital role and continue to do so, in bridging the gap between people, commerce, education, health care, and entertainment.

Learner expectation

            We looked at expectation from the perspectives of nature and level prior to entry to higher education and then response to the actuality on course. Our key findings were that:

Present-day students are heavily influenced by school methods of delivery so that shifts in educational practice there can be expected to impact on expectations of approaches in higher education Face to face contact with staff – the personal element in study – matters to students Imagining technology used for social purposes in a study context presents conceptual difficulties to learners as well as a challenge to their notions of space. They need demonstration, persuasion and room to experiment in this context Staff capability with ICT is a further dimension of the digital divide, and effective use of technology, ie to enhance learning, is as much of an issue as practical operation, ie getting it to work Students’ practical skills with ICT can be harnessed by staff to good effect in both domains – operation and effective use in delivery.

How are 21^st Century Learning Skills Defined?

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) in its publication,Digital Transformation: A Literacy Framework for web 2.0 Literacy (2007), defines 21^st  century learning skills as the ability to a) collect and/or retrieve information, b) organize and manage information, c) evaluate the quality, relevance, and usefulness of information, and d) generate accurate information through the use of existing resources. NCREL identifies broader 21^st century skills as achieving 21^st century learning through digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity. The Partnership for 21^stcentury skills identifies six key elements for fostering 21^st century learning: 1) emphasize core subjects, 2) emphasize learning skills, 3) use 21^st century tools to develop learning skills, 4) teach and learn in a 21^st century context, 5) teach and learn 21^st century content, and 6) use 21^st century assessments that measure 21^st century skills.

What are 21^st Century Learning Skills?

21^st Century Core Subjects and Themes Traditional education models have often focused on learning identified content for subject areas (i.e. math, science, language arts, and social studies), and then assessing this content knowledge with quizzes, and tests at the end of a chapter or learning module. Desired outcomes within 21^st century learning frameworks include learning traditional school subject and contemporary content themes in combination with the interdisciplinary 21^st century themes. The core subjects and themes that frame 21^st

century learning include traditional core subjects while emphasizing civic literacy, global awareness, financial literacy, health literacy, and environmental literacy.

CONCLUSION:

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