In activity B5.7, we suggested that there are three ways of teaching our sessions: presentation, interaction and search or practice. Interaction may also be of three kinds: teacher to student; student to student in the whole class; or student to student in groups.

Presentation and interaction both involve communication between people. Research or practice is when students work on their own.

There are, therefore, four types of communication which can take place in the classroom: (T = teacher S = student)

1. One-way communication: Teacher to student.

2. Two-way communication: Teacher to student and student to teacher.

3. Multiple communication: Between teacher and students, students and teacher, and students and students.

4. Group Communication: Between students and students in groups.

Observe a session at St. Dominic’s taught in the classroom.

1. How many of these types of communication did the teacher use?

2. Approximately what proport ion of time in the session was each used?

3. What are the main uses of each type of communication?

Read summary sheet A14, Types of classroom communication and their uses.

You will go outside the classroom. The tutor will call in one student and give them a message. They have to pass this on to the next student who comes into the room, then stand aside silently while this student passes the message to the third student and so on. Check at the end whether the message has been passed correctly.

You may do this in two teams and find out which team ends up with the most effective message.

Make a list of the things that may cause the message not to be passed on properly.

Read summary sheet A15, Barriers to communication.

1. Imagine you are attending a teaching session as a student.

Just before the session the teacher was very cross with you, accusing you of not attending the last session, but you know you attended it.

Or just before the session you heard the news that one of your best friends had been arrested.

Would you learn properly? Would communication be good? If not, why not?

In this case the barrier will be the mood of the communicators. We looked at this in Summary Sheet A4. For effective communication, both must be in a good mood for communication with each other.

2. Communication is also affected by your relationship with the other person.

Imagine communication between you and the following types of people. Try to explain any barriers there might be in each case.

I. The principal of your RTC.

II. A university professor.

III. A very young child.

IV. A person the same age as you who you have never met before.

V. A person from overseas just arrived in Solomon Islands.

VI. Your father-in-law.

VII. A person from a different island.

VIII. Your former girl friend or boy friend.

Read summary sheet A16, Factors affecting communication.

Some of these ideas are summarised in the diagram below, based on one you looked at in Summary Sheet A4.

In your groups discuss how, if at all, the above ideas may affect our communication in the classroom.

Read summary sheet A17, Effects on classroom communication.

Read summary sheet A18, 12 rules for effective classroom communication.