Having discussed the concept, functions and means of communication in earlier post, lets discuss another important theme - the process of communication. The process of communication most widely accepted is that of Shannon and Weaver (1949), which identifies five elements in the process, viz, the source, the receiver, the channel, a coding system and noise: We shall elaborate on each of these components in this subsection along with the feedback and contextual issues in the communication process.
i) Source and receiver: These two are the most important components of any communication process. No communication takes place without the source (i.e., the sender of information) and the receiver (i.e., the consumer of information). The source and the receiver could be human beings, animals or even non-living objects. For instance, the computer (a non-living machine) can be a source of information. In the case of educational' communication, the institutions are the sources and the learners are the receivers of information.
ii) Channels: The means through which communication between the source and the receiver takes place are known as the medium or channel of communication. We communicate through various channels viz., by touch, by beating drums, through spoken words, through printed words, electronic gadgets, etc. Even facial expressions can function as a verbal and non-verbal channel of communication. The tribal societies still use the traditional channels of communication such as sound signals sent over long distances. In the present century, modem societies use the radio, television, cassettes, telephone, computers, video discs, video texts, satellite, etc., as channels for communication.
There can be two types of channels of communication - direct and indirect. In the direct channel of communication we use spoken words, facial expressions, physical postures and so on as channels for transmitting information and ideas. In the indirect channel of communication, we use various electronic and non-electronic channels of communication. In classroom teaching, for example, we usually depend on direct communication, i.e., face-to-face teaching, while in distance education, besides oral communication, we use both print and non-print media. The choice of a communication channel has important implications for the curriculum design in a given mode of education.
iii) Code: A communication code is a set of signals or symbols that creates meaning for both the source(s) and the receiver(s) (Rogers, 1984). Word of mouth, written material, visuals, etc., are codes that communicate ideas, views and feelings. There are several verbal and non-verbal codes that we use for our social communication. For successful communication the code used should be mutually accessible to the source and the receiver.
iv) Noise: There are some factors that affect the smooth flow of communication. Those factors which disturb or interfere with the passage of information between the source and the receiver are termed 'noises' or 'barriers'. Thus, noise is the term that refers to any factor which prevents the proper exchange of information, apart from those caused by the sender and the receiver. It may be anything, such as technical problems in reception, overloaded information, etc.
There can be various types of noise causing barriers in the flow of information. We discuss here three types of noise.
a) Poor reception: The poor sound quality in audio media, distorted pictures in a video programme, poor quality of paper and printing in text materials and so on can distort the message or reduce its effectiveness. Such interruptions demotivate the users from participating in the communication process.
b) Overloaded/ ambiguous information: Overloaded information can interfere with the reception of the message. For example a chapter of a book with too much content can distract the students and present them from comprehending the meaning of the message. Too much continuous information through the radio or TV broadcasts may distract the attention of the audience and make them passive users. The bombardment of messages from the source cannot ensure that every message will go through. Similarly ambiguous information creates barriers in student's learning.
c) Environmental distractors: Environmental distractors are also frequent sources of noise. For example, listening or viewing of audio or video-cassettes. Distractions such as the ringing of a telephone, or the noise made by a typewriter, lessen the effectiveness of communication. Even home viewing is distracted by children playing around one, ringing of the telephone, discussion among the members of the family, etc.
To ensure effective communication, the receiving end place should be noise-free, and the environmental distractors should be eliminated or minimised to the extent that these do not affect the attention of the consumer while receiving the message.
v) Feedback: So far we have been discussing one-way communication only, i.e. a message that flows from the source to the receiver. This type of communication is helpful for certain purposes such as giving information, making announcements, etc. The radio and the television broadcasts are good examples of one-way communication. But in day-to-day life we have seen that most of the communication is two-way. The source and the receiver of information get feedback from one another and this process continues to affect the behaviour of both of them. The second aspect of feedback is that the response messages are acted upon to make adjustments or improvements in the content, methodology or style of communication. Thus feedback is a communication in response to the previous message received form the source. Broadly, feedback refers to any process by which the sender obtains information as to whether and how his/her intended receiver received the information. The receiver, in turn, raises his/her queries or doubts for further
clarification and tries to confirm whether or not he/she has understood the information correctly, or as it is intended by the source.
Besides informing the source as to how satisfactorily the information has been received by the receiver, feedback enables both the source and the receiver to correct omissions and errors. Feedback influences one's on going or future communication behaviour. In a face-to-face situation, feedback can be verbal as well as non-verbal. The source or the receiver can respond instantly by either accepting or rejecting the communication. A simple smile can communicate the reaction of the source or the receiver. Simply nodding the head can make communication two-way, and the sender can get the necessary feedback about whether or not his/her communication has got through. In some cases, for instance in distance education, feedback is received through printed communication. In non face- to-face communication situations, feedback takes different forms. There can be two types of feedback - immediate feedback and delayed feedback. In face-to-face teaching, the student gets immediate feedback from his/her teachers. Even in computer assisted learning the student can get immediate feedback on hisker progress. But since the student prepares his/her assignment-responses and submits them to the evaluators for their comments and grading, he/she gets feedback on his/her work after a few days time. In the radio and TV broadcasts also, the teacher and the student get feedback after time gap. Whether immediate or delayed, feedback is important to make communication effective and to ensure the intended effect on the student. It also implies that we are concerned with producing the desired effect on the receivers by making feedback more frequent and systematic.
vi) Context: The context in which communication occurs also plays an important role in sharing information. The meaning of communication is affected by the social, physical or cultural context. In our daily life, we hear many persons saying, 'you have taken my words out of context'. 'You have taken me very seriously. I was just joking', and so on. The belief, values and behaviour - related factors also influence the effectiveness of communication. Similarly, the mental and physical condition (they could be suffering from anxiety and fatigue) of the participants also affect the process
of communication.
To conclude, the communication process includes a sender, a channel, a receiver, a relationship between the sender, an effect, a context in which communication occurs and a range of things to which the message refers (Mcquail & Windahl, 1981). It also includes a purpose, or an objective to be aimed at and achieved. These components are used to collect, pool and disseminate information.
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