GT101: LEARNING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MEETING 2
CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGY AND THE INFORMATION COMPETENCY
CHAPTER 4: COMMUNICATING IN EVERY DAY LIFE

Prepared by:
GT101 Team – AOU, Kuwait branch
Based on the content of GT101 smart book @McGraw-Hill Education
CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGY AND THE INFORMATION COMPETENCY

Learning Outcomes:
• Explain how technology impacts you and your education.
• Describe strategies for effective distance learning.
• Discuss approaches for developing information competency.

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TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE

Technology has developed academic life. Here are some of the ways how you
may use technology in your classes:
• Course websites: contain basic information about the course such as
syllabus, exercises, inline quizzes, grades and announcements.
• Textbookcompanion websites: a website tied to a book that includes
summaries, flashcards and practice tests.
• Podcasts: video or audio recordings of the class material.
• Blogs: kind of web-based public diary in which the writer offers ideas and
thoughts.
• Classroom presentation programs such as PowerPoint and Apple’s Keynote. 3
E-MAILS

• Emails enable us to communicate with instructors and colleagues.

• Email is to send a message in electronic way.
• There are two basic types of e-mail systems:
1. Client-based e-mail systems
– Require a special program known as an e-mail client to be installed on your
computer.
– Examples are Apple’s Mail and Microsoft’s Outlook.
2. Web-based e-mail systems
– Do not require an e-mail program to be installed on your computer.
– Examples of webmail service providers are Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail,
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and Yahoo.
E-MAILS
• Every email address contains three basic elements:
1. Mailbox name (user name): the name assigned to an account on an
email system.
2. @: the “at” sign.
3. Domain name: the name of the organization that hosts the emails to
which the users subscribe. Often an institution (e.g. aou.edu) or an
Internet Service Provider (e.g. gmail.com).

Example of an email address

 E-MAILS

An email message has three basic parts:

1. Header, which includes:
- Addresses (To, Cc and Bcc)
- Subject
- Attachments

2. Message
3. Signature, which indicates:
- sender’s name
- Title
Example of an email 6

- contact numbers, …
SPAM MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY

• Spam is junk, unwanted or unsolicited e-mail.

• Tips for dealing with e-mail spam:
– Consider using two e-mail addresses (one for personal e-mail and another one
for newsgroups and chat rooms).
– Never give out your password.
– Change your password frequently.
– Never respond to e-mails that ask for personal information.
– Do not click on any links in an e-mail until you are sure the e-mail is from a
legitimate source.
– Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know.
– Be cautious with social networking sites.
• To control spams you can use spam blockers (Spam filters).
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NETIQUETTES FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE E-MAILS

• Netiquette (short for ‘net etiquette’) refers to the rules of good online
behavior.
• Some netiquettes for writing emails follow:
– Be respectful and polite specially when e-mailing instructors or work
supervisors.
– Never send an e-mail or text when you are angry.
– Use an informative subject heading.
– Keep messages short and focused.
– Make sure the recipient knows who you are (by using a clear signature).
– Avoid abbreviations and emoticons in formal e-mails.
– Don’t use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS (it looks like you’re shouting). 8

– Check spelling and grammar before sending an e-mail.

CLASSROOM NETIQUETTE

• Turn off your cell phone in formal settings, such as class or work.
• Don’t send texts or make calls while someone else is speaking.
• Stay on task (not on Facebook) when taking notes during class.
• Never use headphones connected to your computer.
• It’s still cheating, and therefore wrong, to text or receive answers to
problems during class or exams.

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DISTANCE LEARNING

• Distance learning is a form of education in which students participate

via the web or other kinds of technology such as teleconferencing.
• Rather than meeting in a traditional classrooms where the instructor
and students are physically present, distance learning classes are
virtual.

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DISTANCE LEARNING: CLASSES WITHOUT WALLS

• Distance learning classes offers many advantages including:

– You can take a distance learning course anywhere that you have access to
the web (at home, library, on vacation).
– They are more flexible than traditional classes (no specific time).
– Contact with instructor may be greater.
– Shy students may find writing their responses easier than speaking them in
front of a class.
– You can become a better writer.

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DISTANCE LEARNING: CLASSES WITHOUT WALLS

• Distance learning classes have disadvantages/challenges including:

– You are a prisoner of technology.
– You won’t have face-to-face contact with your instructor or
classmates.
– You won’t get immediate feedback.
– You need to have discipline, personal responsibility, and time-
management skills.

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P.O.W.E.R. PLAN

• Despite the potential challenges of distance

learning courses, they are becoming increasingly
popular.
• Many colleges are offering MOOC (Massive Online
Open Courses) which are free and attracting many
students.
• If you are considering taking a distance learning
course, you need to follow the steps of the
P.O.W.E.R. plan. 13

P.O.W.E.R. plan
 IDENTIFY FOR DISTANCE-LEARNING COURSE POSSIBILITIES

• How to find and prepare for an online course?

– Check your college.
– Do an internet search.
– Make sure your college/work will give you credit for the
course.
– Consider whether or not the course requirements will fit in
your schedule.
– Get feedback from others who have taken the course, if
possible. 14
 OBTAIN ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY

• You don’t have to be a computer expert, but you have to:

– Have an e-mail account.
– have a computer with Internet connection.
– have the basic computer skills
– familiarize yourself with the Learning Management System (LMS) before
the course starts.
• LMS is a software that delivers distance learning course to your computer.
• It provides the course content including: material to read, course syllabus,
calendar, exercises and grades.
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 PARTICIPATE IN DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN

• The skills needed online courses is very different from that of

traditional courses, including:
– Manage your time carefully.
– Check in the LMS and your email frequently.
– Find an online partner to help you share study strategies, form a study
group and share notes.
– Have a technology backup plan.
▪ Use a cloud storage such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Even if your computer
crashes you’ll be able to access your files from any computer.
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 CONSIDER YOUR “CLASSROOM” PERFORMANCE

• As with any class, students get feedback from instructors.

– Make sure to get the best of your instructor's comments to improve you
understanding and performance in the course.
• In distance learning classes, comments may come from fellow
students. They may respond to your comments on online discussion
forums with their comments.
– Consider what you can learn from their comments.
– Ensure that your feedback to your classmates is polite.

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 REFLECT ON WHAT AND HOW YOU HAVE LEARNED

• Distance learning is not for every one. As you reflect on your

distance learning experience, think about the following:
– Is distance learning for you?
– Have you learned the objectives of the course?
– Have you learned as much as you think you would have in a
traditional course?

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BLENDED LEARNING

• Blended learning is another form of education in which studying is

combination of both face-to-face and online methods.
• Students in blended courses may spend less time in face-to-face
classroom settings and more time working independently online.
• They also may collaborate with fellow students outside of class on the
web.
• AOU provides blended learning courses.
• Blended learning overcomes most of distance learning system
disadvantages.
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CHAPTER 4: COMMUNICATING IN EVERY DAY LIFE

Learning Outcomes:
• Explain the importance of communication in everyday life.
• Demonstrate types, components and importance of
communication.
• Investigate
the interpersonal skills that help achieve effective
communication.

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ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES

• There are many ways that individuals and groups communicate.

• Communication is the exchange of information.
– The basic skills in the communication process are: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

• Social media are online communities that use technology to communicate among
individuals or group members.
– Theses media have changed the way friends stay in touch.
– Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are the most popular social media websites.
– Businesses and industry use these contact methods to market their products.

• Cell phones have become a necessity for people of all ages.

– Text messaging (texting) delivers short messages, photos, or videos.
– Cellphone applications (apps) provide an endless list of resources such as books, games, GPS,
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music and weather.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

• Oral communication is the use of spoken words to exchange ideas and information.
– Examples: one-to-one conversation, meetings, voice messages and teleconferencing.
– Can be sent instantly and provides immediate feedback.
– Disadvantages: there is little time to reflect and there is no written record.
• Written communication is the exchange of information through the use of written
words and sentences.
– Examples: letters, faxes, text messages, emails, reports, tables, diagrams, charts and graphs.
– Proves information was exchanged.
– Disadvantage: no immediate feedback.
• Nonverbal communication is communication without words.
– Examples: body language gestures, facial expressions and body movements or positions.
– Sometimes stronger than verbal messages
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– Effective communicators combine oral and nonverbal techniques.
PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION

• There are four main purposes of communication:

1. To inquire—”Which cell phone did you choose?”
2. To inform—”I chose the cell phone with the most free apps.”
3. To persuade—”You should buy this cell phone today before we run out of
stock.”
4. To develop goodwill—”Thank you for buying your new cell phone from
our company.”

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COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION

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Communication Components
COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• The six basic components of communication:

1. Message sender—composes the intended message.
2. Actual message—may or may not be the intended message.
3. Message transmission—determined by the specific situation.
4. Message receiver—takes delivery of the message.
5. Message interpretation—is done by the receiver.
6. Feedback—is provided by both sender and receiver.

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 FACTORS THAT AFFECT COMMUNICATION
Four factors that affect the communication process: (both sender and receiver should know)
1. The background of the receiver.
- The knowledge, personality, experiences, interest and motivation of the receiver.
2. The appearance of the sender or of the sender’s communication.
- Sender’s appearance makes a difference.
- Neat and professional written communication makes positive impression.
3. Barriers that might negatively affect the intended message.
- Barriers are factors that interfere with communication such as: physical distractions
(noise, heat, headache, illness,…), emotional distractions (anger, thinking about
personal matter), cultural barriers (language differences) and electronic
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distraction(cellphone texting, multitasking).
FACTORS THAT AFFECT COMMUNICATION

4. The language and communication skills of the sender and receiver.

─ Carefully choose words to express the intended meaning.
─ Be sensitive to cultural diversity when communicating.
─ Message senders must have a broad vocabulary and the ability to spell,
pronounce, and select the correct words.
─ In spoken communication, word choice, grammar and pronunciation are also
factors.
─ In written communication, an incorrect word choice may change the intended
meaning of the message.
─ A message receiver must be able to read and listen with understanding.
─ Both the sender and receiver share the responsibility for effective
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communication.
INTRAPERSONAL VS INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

• Effective communication requires the sender understand his own

intrapersonal communication.
• Intrapersonalcommunication is the way each person views and interprets
information based on previous life experiences.
• Intrapersonalcommunication (or communicating with yourself) must take
place before you can communicate with another person.
• Interpersonal communication occurs between two people, such as a doctor
and a patient.

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 RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENDER AND RECEIVER

1. Evaluate Each Communication Situation:

─ Avoid miscommunication
▪ Ideally, the intended message, the actual message, and the interpreted message will
be the same.
▪ Miscommunication occurs when components of one or more of these three messages
are different for either the sender of the receiver.
─ Give and receive feedback
▪ which involves getting an oral, written, or nonverbal response from the receiver.

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RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENDER AND RECEIVER

2. Understand Personal Needs:

- Understand the needs of the receiver using Abraham Maslow’s five levels of needs:
1) Physical needs: essential to life including: food, clothing and shelter.
2) Security needs: include the desire to be safe from physical harm and mental abuse.
3) Social needs: the desire to be in a group (family, social contacts, work relationships).
4) Esteem needs: satisfied through a feeling of self-importance, self-respect, power or
recognition.
5) Self-actualizing needs: met by developing a sense of achievement, competence and
creativity and by helping others meet their own needs.
People who reach the top in their fields often want to use their abilities to benefit
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others and help them achieve similar success.
 RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENDER AND RECEIVER

3. Assess the needs of the receiver.

- By helping the receiver satisfy the higher
two levels of needs the sender can improve
communication.
- The higher two levels are esteem and self-
actualizing.

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENDER AND RECEIVER
4. Apply Interpersonal Skills:
- Interpersonal skills is the ability to understand and deal with people in a way
that maintains a favorable relationship and goodwill.
▪ Use the you-attitude which puts the reader or listener first.
• Example of the you-attitude: “For your convenience, we are extending our clinic hours to 9 p.m.”.
• The I-attitude is the opposite, putting the senders’ interests first.
• Example of the I-attitude: “Because it fits my schedule better, I have decided to extend the clinic hours
to 9 p.m.”
▪ Be a good listener by listening carefully, asking questions, taking notes and letting the speaker
know you are interested.
▪ Maintain confidentiality by releasing information to authorized personnel at the appropriate
time, not early and not late.
▪ Be considerate.
• Treat others as you would like to be treated. 32

• A good communicator is courteous, honest, patient and respect the opinions of others.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENDER AND RECEIVER

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