UNIT 7 GROUP COMMUNICATION

METHODS
Structure
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Communication and Classification of Group Communication Methods
7.3 In formation-centered Methods
7.3.1 Lecture
7.3.2 Discussion
7.4 Bchaviourccnved Methods
7.4.1 Discussion-Decision
'1.4.2 Roblem-Solving
7.4.3 Role-Play ing
7.4.4 Enquiry-Discovery
7.4.5 Demonstration
7.5 Advantages of Group Communication
7.6 Let Us Sum Up
7.7 Glossary
7.8 Answers tg Check Your Progress Exercises

7.1 I'NTRODUCTION

Nutrition and Health Education is a process by which people gain the knowledge and
develop h e confidence and skills needed for establishing good d i e m and health
practices. The community worker who communicates well must not only give
information to groups in &e community but also listen carefully to what groups have
to say. - @

As you are aware, several mehods are available for educational communication.
Methods used to communicate a message from two to a maximum of 40 persons can
be designated as group communication methods. Communication methods form the
concrete bridge to help the learner reach the goal. Learning takes place only when
commur~icationtakes place between the teacher and the learners and concepts as well
as ideas are grasped fully and fixed well in the minds of the learners. The wise choice
of the method of communication is an essential aspect of teaching. Appropriate use of
differerrt methods calls for knowledge and skill in a veriay of communication
methodls.
In this Unit you will be exposed to information about classification of group
communication methods-information-centred methods and behaviour-centred
methods. You will be learning about certain selected methods of both information-
centred and behaviour-centred. You will also be realising merits and demerits of
the sciected methods and further knowing cues to help you Lo improve their
eflccccliveness.
-
Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
' classify group communication methods based on their main objectives
discuss the information-centred methods-lecture and discussion.
discuss the behaviour-centred methods-discussion-decision; problem-solving,
role-playing, enquiry-discovery and-demonstration.
-- -

7.2 COMMUNICATION AND C1,ASSIFICATION OF

GROUP 'COMMUNICATION METHODS

Before we -1 about appropriate methods of communication to nutrition and W t h

edwath, it is esscntinl to know what is communication? and what is its role in
nutrition and hcalth education?
"Communication mcans sharing of idcas, i n l m h , nttitudcs, values or insmUtions
with individuals or with groups to facilitatti pmgressivc changc in knowledge. -
arritwk?s and pmctks. It involves bath giving and receiving information."
Persans involved with nulritjpn and health education must havc thc skills to educate
but also to cvduate the education, research information and popular claims. They aiso
must have tte communication expertise to tmnsli~teinfmatio~iinto forms appropriate
for the community so that bchaviour may be affccted in a po\ltivc manner. A ,unique
synthmis of skills neither widely available nor utilized in the past is required.
Communication plays an important rolc in thc nutrition field at several stages.
It is important for the,nutrition scientist as well as for the nutrition cducator.
Communication is a h y elcmcnc in cfforts to inform 111cpublic about nutrition and*
M m , it is a ,vital part of prcvcntivc health suatcgics. It is an integral pan of
projccts dcsigncd b improvc h c nuuilionf status and livifig conditions of people of
low-homo p u p s both in thc developed and developing world. At the community
lCvcl, cducalion about foods. nutrition and hcfth is needed, not only to enablc
individuals to use foods wisely and economically but also to enablc them to
reorganizx: im~curotc:and misleading statcmcnls and claims about linkages belwccn,
Fond, nuwition and health.
A variety of gmup communication methods are used by nutrition educators for
impvting information a s wcll as to chngc Ihe behaviour of I m c r s such as lecture,
discussion. demonstration etc., Thcre is no cnd to the numbcr of co~nmunication
mclhods. ;kncffcctivc reacher might illvent one or morc mcthods given sufficient time
and creativity. Since we are intcrcskd in nutrition and health education, lhc methods
rclcvanl to nutridon and hcalth education, can bc classified broadly into two
cmgtkic4-infmation-ccntrcd and bchaviour-ccnlrcd. Let us read labout these
method4 in d&l.

7.3 INFORMATION-CENTRED METHODS

Thc main ob&livc of i~ifo~tion-centred
mcthod is the provision of information.
This sSlwtd cnrurc assuring that knowledge leads to changc in attitudc and practices.
Lecture. discussion and variations of them are some of the examples of
information-ccntrcd r~rcthods.Thcsc n~cthodsinvolve one way communication. Each
onc has got its own mcrit and demerits. Whcrever thc infomion needs to be
emphasized. ~ h cl c c ~ r em e w nccds to bc selected. This is more appropriate to
either to thc group which is complctcly ignorant about the message to be given or t6
a groufi uscd to this kind of instruction. The following sub-section presents a
discussion on lxtun: md discussion mclhod. Bcfore you go on to it try answa$ng the
following questions.

Check Your Pmgruss Exercise 1

a) CIln you list somc of thc inforrnalionccnwed mcthods to which you, were
I-
cxpscd to in your previous classcs? (while doing your degree coursJmy other)
.......................................................................................................

b) Werc thcy purcly infarmatian-ccnd or combined with other mclhods? (Give

your rcspansc in qmx provided)
 Crwp Cummunimliun &lcthc;ds
c) Ebw (lid you kc1 about insuuction with informationcenmd lnclhod alonc?
......................................................................................................

Let us now learn about thc lccturc mcthod.

7.3.1 Lecture hlethod
Experience. and educational research stlow that the lcclurc is a relatively inefficient
I
mcthod of commilnicaticln to uansf'cr knowlzdgc. Still many instructors/tcxhcrs will
1w lecturing mostly. Why?
A ccrbin mount of informal lccturiny is inhercnl in thc conduct of any coursz, to scc
t out Llie course objectives, n~otivalctminecs, provide explanation and analysis rclcvant
!
to study exercises.
1 Ncvcrlhelcss, thc lecture method has its own limitation. Tlle method:
1 does not demand the active invol\~cmentof Iearncrs
is unsuilcd lo the tcaching of skills which rcquirc practice
is not apprhpriate to pro~notcchanges in auitudcs
docs not convincc pcoplc since cmphasis is mostly on talking
docs not elicit fecdhack unless thc instructor is vcry sensitive.
Since the lccture mcthod is mostly ueatcd as one-way communication, scveral
disadvanwgcs arc c~pericnccd.Howcvcr, since the lccturc is an important information
- centrcd mcllhoct it cannot be avoided ilispitc of its limitations. It can kc improved by
followirig cerlain cuc,s. Can you diink of solne cucs to improve the present state of
I
lecturing? If you can put thcm down.
Cues to L?i~~rovc
leclurc method

Aflcr doing this exercise, have a look at thc cues given here.
Cucs to i/rtpro,vcthe instr~iclionulvalue of leclure
1) S111dy~ h cnat~ireof audience.
2) Ailopt h c topic lo their inlerests and lcvcl of understanding.
3) Organize ~ h cnlatcrisl for effective ptcscnlation.
4) Usc aids nt appropriate times.
5) Plan for variation in h e prescne~ion-for cxamplc, lectures cum discussion or
dernonstrarion, illus~r:ltivelectures.
6 ) Sparc so~netime for questioning.
7) Gct a fwd back from thc learners.

Aftcr a brief stiiJy of thc Iccturc nicthod we move on to the discl;ssion mcthod.
7.3.2 Discussion hlct liod
Discussion is an organized convcrsation. It can happen in groups. It is thoughtful
corisidcratior~of the relationships involved in a topic or problem studied by a group,
tlirough organized convcrsation. The relationships are analyscd, compared, cvalualcd
and conclusions arc clrawn. Discussion can bc uwd 31 all stages of teaching.
dcyending upon the topic, nature, sizc and arrangement of the group and the time at
one's disposal for discussion. Thcrc arc various forms of discussh: 7
 .\lethods of Communlcrtlon In 1) Group discussion
, Sutrltlun and I i d t b Educrtlw
2) Circular discussion
3) Panel discussion
4) Buzz session
5 ) Symposium
6) Seminar
7) Dcbate
8) Forum

10) Workshop
Discussions promote sochlised interaction, Groups may bc formed spontaneously,
informaly or formaly through specific cffort. Are you aware of the purposes for
which discussions are conducted? If so mention them below:

If you arc not aware, you have a look at the points givcn bclow.

What is the purpose of discussion?

Tlic discussion helps to:
a locatc problems of interest and of significance
a define and clarify the nature and extent of the problems
a get the best possible soIutions
get acquainted wih other people and share ide* with them
a get new ideas and insights which will help to solve both common, personal
problems
a lerun something about working together in p u p s so that we can benefit from the
experiences and contributions of all.

How to conduct a discussion?

In Informal group discussions, the members of the group act as men~bcrsoP a lamily
and analyse the matters and problems-that have come up for discussion. In the formal
type, the group is organised for discussion with a leader, participants, cons~llti~nts,
rcsource persons, recorder(s) and reportcr(s). The group leader selected, elected or
nominated takes up the responsibility for initiating, maintaining the tempo and
managing the discussion. The reporter maintains record of the points made by
different participants and prepares a summary and suggests future action based on
the proceedings of the discussion.

How to make discussion successful?

~ e a d c i s h and
i ~ participation are tile two essential characteristics of a discussion to
make it successful. Let us learn about each of thcse characteristics separately.
1) Leudership-Leailer must help:
a h e membcrs of the group to get acquainted with each other
a all the members fecl that their opinions and ihoughts are very important
a the timid mcmbers feel confident and feel active.
I
I
2) Porticij~ntion-Tlie nzaizbcrs slwuld:
e listen to what o~herssay
ask questions to bring out poinls hat are not clcar
sharc facts, contribute to h e subject and ask for facts
respcct mch other realising each one's capabilities
give due crcdit for gockl work and cxpress appreciations whcrc clewnrcd.
Check Your Progress Exercise * -
1) List threc cues lhqt would help you promote a successful lecture.

2) List two essential tasks that you have understood regarding the conduct of h e
discussion mcdlod.

Research in nutrition and health education reflects a clanging emphasis from

disseminating information alone to that of influencing food behaviour. Methods proved
to be effective in changing the food bchsviour seem to bc*discussion-decision,
problem-solving, rolc-playing, enquiry-discovery, demonstration etc. One of the
essential I'C~LLUCSof ~hescmeljlods is Lhe size of tlle group. It should be comparatively
smdlcr thw~thc groups involvcd iia odrcr mclhods. An ideal small group sizc is
around ciglit, but it cm vary from 2 to 18.
Are you aware of' thc bcluviour--certred metl~ods?If you arc aware, you can learn
morc about them from thc following tiiscussion. If not, try to go through thc material
carefully. As you reaid, lhink aboul ways in which you can use tl~cscmcthods. We
begin will1 Discussion-Decision Method.
7.4.1 Discussion-Decision Met hod
11 is not the salnc as Ihc groupdiscussion method. It requires the teacher who is
compclent in disc~~ssion lcading to dccision for action in any field of applied science
(for example notrition). The group-discussion may or may no1 lead LO dccision.
IIowcver, digussion-dccision.~netho<iin field of nutrition stinlulalcs people LO try ncw
foocls, to select bcttcr ways of prcparing food and lo nukc bcucr food cldccs, in nll
lhc occasions. The mztlijd may h: the first slcp to gel pople to rccognisc their own
nutritional problcrns and to providc the slimulation needed to scek solutions to such
p~oblcms.This mctholi is more effective lllm thc lcdure mcthod in hat it directs
people's alkntion to do solnething-individual or collective action-in solving problems.
How to conduct discussion-decision methcd?
k t us learn how to go aboul this mcthod syslemalicallp. The pints lo bc rollowed
are listed klow.
1) Di~.ussingand recognihing L ~ I Cnutritional problems of any specific group in the
cymmunity.
2) kciding on the chicf problcms .
3) Discussing thc solutions to the nutrilional problcms rccogniscd.
3) Deciding on an appropriale solution to lhe chief problcms identified.
5) Dcveloping a plan of action involving lllc solutions arrived al.
6) Acting accordingly.
Now you can make an attcnlpt to (lo thc following exercise.
Methods of tammuhamon ~n Check Your Progress Exercise 3
NulrlUon and H d t h Educ8Uon
List the important merits of the discussion-decision method in nutrition and health
education and its suitability in bringing about change.

1) Merits:

2) Suitability:

7.4.2 Problem-Solving Method

Havc you hcard of thc mcthod 'problem-sloving' any time? The mcthod of solving a
problem scientifically, following appropriate steps logically is a problem-solving
mcthod. This mcthod involves thinking, reasoning, planning and execution.
Achicvement of c e r ~ i nabilities, skills and attitudes are the rcsults. V/ewed in this
perspective, 'problem-solving' is a scicnlific method.
This mclhod is 'heffcctivc way to influence what people do about heir dietary
inlilkes and thcir f d supply. Numerous surveys have indicated that p o r food habits
and nutrition problems exist in many countries. Nutritionists and nutrition educators
are of the opinion that thcy cannot slove these problems for olhcr people-people
must lcarn to solve the problems themselves. The challenge, therefore, is.to create
learning situations in which peoplc will recognize their nutrition problems. Then,
nutrition educators must lead the people step-by-step through the active process of
problem-solving.
Lead the group with the following steps in a sequential ordcr:
Sense and idcntify. the problem
Get the scienlific information (facts) relevant to the problem
Use informalion in making decisions
a Rclate facts to real-life situations
a Shxc information and cxprcss and clarify ideas
a Dcvelop trial solutions
a Tcst and evsluatc those solutions
Think critically, and
a Replan and test other solutions urltil the problem is solved.
Because nutrition educators are concerned with what the 'learner' does, they must be
concerned also with what he thinks and how he thinks. Concepts of nutrition are not
developed automatically by exposure. They come to be a part of one's thinking when
thc 'teacher' guides the 'learner* to see relationships between nutrition facts and his
own expcricnce. Any known, identified, recognized nutritional problem is well worth
solving. Both educator and leamer are in need of nubition information related to the
problcm identified in problem-solving, as a method of nutrition education. Problem-
solving alone without a sound knowledge is not neither worthwhile nor a purposeful
venture. Without problem-solving, nutrition knowledge per se may bc purposeless,
uninkresting and of little value to learners. The leamer needs to become involved in
the problem-solving process before he is told "what and how much to eat",or even
shown how to prepare nutritionally adequate food..Studies indicate that mere
acquisition of nuirition knowledge has Little effect upon dietary habits.
 Croup Communiatiun $lt+htwls

Kolc playing is not new to all of us. Wc play somc role or the othcr during our
Iifcrinle. Howcvcr. it may not tc very pfcssional, all Lhc time. Thc proccss is lhc
same no matlcr at what levcl tile rok is p1;lycd. In tlic contcxt of nutrition and hcalth
education. rolc play is s x n as an educational tcchniquc in wliich somc hcalth/nutrilion
problcm (real or imaginary) is illusuated through spntllneous human interactions. For
cxample asking s small gro~lpof mothers to present a typical situation illustrating how
bey dcal with ma:nourished child (iron deficient) a1 home. The enacmcnt is usually
lollowed by a diwussion and analysis to dcterminc what hirppened and why and if
necessary, how thc prcil)lcm could bc lacklcd in the fulurc?
Rolc-play offers an cxccllcnt Incans of bringing out into the opcn, an emodoml
problcm. The frwdom to impersonale someone clse givcs an opportunity to exprcss
and r c l ~ ~ his
s e ~ l ~ o u g and
l ~ u cmotions without fceling self-conscious and without
making thc problem nppc'x prsonal.
Rolc-play may or may not hc p1:lnm-d ahead. Role-play depicts thc characters of a
situation well w d explains lie situation clearly with a tinge of reality. When feelings
and cniotions arc exprcsscd, tllc olficr person is understood bettcr. This mclhod can be
uscd ac 3 part of a p r m s s to gct a whole community of pcople thinking and moving
t t ~ mto action to mcct thcir nccds.

Thc skps adoptcd in fornlulating a role-play includc: .

1) Select the probilcm (nulrition/l~calfi)siwion.
2) Dcfinc t l ~ situation
: and thc roks.
3) Chmsc prucipaints for the various rolcs.
4) - Scl thc stage and prcscnt the situation.-.
5) Act out thc sitmiion, and
6) Follow-up Jiscussiion--ivaluale tl~:prcscnution.
The pitfalls in rolc-play arc that people will not act spontaneously if tho problcm is
not real to them or if h y arc %If-con&ous. Rdeplay fails whcn it is over-uqcd or
inappmpriatcly uscd. It takes tirnc and requires p c t i c c to use rolc play as q olctlid.
Cl~cchYour I'rogt~css Exercise -I
1) Have you comd across nny role-plays in your past expericncc? Recall and
descrik (cuc: h r d a r s h a n prcscnmtions)

.....................................................................................................
2) List some of thc comnmon situations (in the community) suitable to rolc piay.

3) List two conlnron problcrns associated wit11 role-pliry.

a) ......................................... :............,..............................................
....................................................................................................
b) ............................................ ,..........................................................
\lt.thn~lsr# Cnmmunlcatinn in 7.4.4 Enquiry-Discovery Me1 hod
Nulrilion and Iicaltl Education
What do you Ccel atmilt the title of thc method? Sounds analytical in its process
doesn't it? Let UJ check by going through the Collowing information.
Thcre arc two types in this method- 1) Onc-way systcm. 2) Two-way system.
1 ) One-way System: In this method, the tcachcr attempts Lo stimulate the discovery
process in the Ieamcr. A problem is psed by thc teacher and he then proceeds to
solvc it, but in doing so hc act. out the steps oC discovering the solution. It is clear
from Ihc proccss d~atthe method is demonstrated try the teachcr where involvement
of he tcacher is minimum. It requircs lot of preparation on the part of the teacher
and exccllcnt prcsentation.
2 ) Two-way System: This mcthod involves thc audience in answcring the questions
psed by ttc. leacller. In this system learners makc discoveries and the teacher guides
tllcm in thc right direction. ~xc'cllentskills are required on the pan of the teacher to
providc correct amount and kindhype of guidance.
It is evidcnt that thc teacher is the leader in both system. You can see that the
.method is analyticd. This is the most suitable method for a small group
communication. 'rllis m also be used for larger groups with a limitation that each
and every I m e r may not bc involved in the process of discovery.
What is the proccss of Enquirg-Discovery Method (Common to both systems)?
Given bclow is a step wise account of how to use enquirydiscovery method of
communication.
1) Prcsent opprtunitics to ait and obscrvc the consequences of onc's actions.
.2) Tcst for undcrsulndi~~g oC drc causc-effect relationship. This may be done by
questioning or simply by observation of the reactions of the lemer. Present
Curther opportunities to act, if this proves necessary.
3) Either by questioning or by observing further activity. tcst for the formation of
the gcncral principle ~mderlyingthe cases pmnted. Present furthix cases until
h c general principle has been lamed.
4) Prcwt gprtunitics for the application of the newly learned method to real
situations and problems.
Thc great advantage of Enquiry-Discovcry mcUlod is hat full frcedom and
opportunity is givcn to the learners to learn through thcir own actions and
observations.

7.4.5 Demonstration
You must bc familiar with thc mcthod of demonstration. Dcmonstmtion shows how
any proccss is mrricci out. This method eithcr alone or with the lecture method, is
uwd widely to tcach different subjects. This is oCtcn the only possible method, when
drcrc arc no spccial facilities for tcaching thc practical aspects oC any subject to a
largc group. Morcver, this mcthod is cfCcctive in tcaching practical topics like either
prcpmtion of a milk formula for Oc baby or a supplcmenlary food. A successful
demonstration has ccrtain requirements which include:
a . pleasing qpearance of the demonstrator
knowlcdgc and accuracy of information
cquil)mcnr--careful selection and arrangcmcnt
comfortable scaling arrmgcments Cor the audience
planning all the derails
thorough preparation
, prcsentation with clarity
- olicitinp aulicncc rcsponscs
r* How to conduct a demonstration?
Following the steps in the order given, will help you conduct a demonstration
successfully:

1) Introduce the topic.

2) Present the content interestingly.
3) Emphasize key points.
Croup Cornsrdatim MUWa

4) 'Do' and 'say'.

5) Have a neat setting.
6) Kcep people comfortable.
7) Encourage questioning.
8) End-product should be displayed neatly and evaluated.

! An example for a demonstration is given here.

Demonstration how to make a puppet

Topic: Preparation of paper puppets
Materials necessary: Method of preparation:
Paper 1) Cut a rectangle atleast 3" x 5" for the body.
Construction paper 2) Cut 2 strips of paper at least 1/4" wide for the
String hands.
Glue 3) Cut 2 strips of paper at least 9" long and 1/4"
Paint w~defor the legs.
Crayons 4) Fold the strips of cut out for hands and legs and
attach to the body with a string or yarn or glue
Magic marker
(folding allow's movement).
5) Cut out feet and palms and attach as shown in
figure 7.1.
6) Cut a circle for the head and decorate; connect
circle (head) to the body with a suing, glue or
yarn.
7) Attach a string at the top of the head to the hand
!for f \hibiting actions).

Foot Hand

Fig. 7.1 : Pgper Puppet

\I,~cl~c~tl.r
of Curnmunicrt[un In
\t,trition and ttcaltt~~ d u c r t i o n 7.5 AD\'ASTACES OF CROUP COhIMUNICATTON
Thc proccsxs discussed in Unit 7 arc maillly rclatcd to group co~nmunications.
Group communication racilitics fax-to-face intcraction within a small group of
pcrsons, in othcr words a dialoguc or conversation. It is personal, direct, intimate,
allowing far nlsxiinum intcraclion and cxchangc in a word or gesture. Feedback is
thc kcy word here and more so it will bc instantanzous in small group
comniunication. T l ~ clargcr Lhc group, thc lcss personal and clircct is thc cxchangc.
Hencc, slnall gmup is always prcfcrted for bctter communication. The degrce of
dirzclncss and intirnncy, thcrcfore, dcpends upon the size of the group, the place
whcrc it mccts; as dso thc rclauonship of thc mcmbcrs of the group to one another
and to the Icader. Group communicalion is, thcrcforc, a morc coniplex process than
intcrprsonal communication. Howevcr, in thc Indian context, where the group culture
is still inlnct, nutrition educators nt%d to dcpend upon group communication mcthods.
Tllcsc methods can Lw practiced widcly to reach more and morc of the large number
to bc cducitcd.

C l w t Yciur I'royress Exercise 5

2) Lia thrcc iulyantsgcs of group communication method.

a) .................................................................................................
.................................................................................................
'b) ................................................................;................................

7.6 LET-US
- SUM UP
Variety of tcchniqucs of communicalion arc available for educational purposes. Some
of Uicm arc suihblc [or nutrition and health education. In the past, methods used in
nutrition and hcalth education emphasized dissemination of information. Methods like
lecture and gmup discussion arc more suited to this purpose. Later, nutrition
educators realized that change in knowledge docs not guarantee change in food
bchoviour. Mcthods like problem-solving, discussion-decision, role-play,
cnquiry-discovery and demonstration which arc behaviour-centered are currently in
use in nutrition and hcalth education. These methods are found to be efficient in ,
changing thc food khavbur. They tlllow maximum interaction, intimacy and
exchange bctwccn the participants.
Learning abut thc tcchniqucs of communication is essential for effective nutrition
and hcalth education. This is a precondition for the choice of right methods for
canmunicatiog thc mcsmgcs. Therc is a nccd to focus on behaviour-centred methods
of group communication, if onc wants to improve thc nutritional behaviour of the
p-nplc. It docs not Incan that one should neglect information-centred methods totally.
Thc bchavba-centred mctll,xls can bc used lo svengthen the information-centred
mclhods as and whcn ncccssary. The cxpcricncc of thc educator can decide the
combinations for crlwtivc lcarniny.
11)the next unit. wc will be discussing thc mcthods we can use to reach a large
gmup of pcoplc at any one time.
 G r a p ConwnunlcaUon Mdhds
7.7 GLOSSARY
-
ISelh;~viour : Overt action of an individual
I<ractment : Playing a specific role
In~m unizatio~r : Protection against infectious diseases
Inleraction : Series of s~imulus311d ~ C S ~ ~ I Isequences
SC between
individuals
Lccture : Giving information on a particular issuc
hlessage : Single or group of facts or idcns
One-nay process . : Infomlion ilow essentially lrom one individual to other
Process : Operadonal dctails of a paniculx aspect
Two-way process : Iliformation flow bctwecn one individual to othcr in a
meaningful intemclive manncr

7.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES
Check your response wirh ,:z key given k r e

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

(a, b, c j h s w e r based on your knowlcdgc/expericncc

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) Mcntion any point listed under the section 7.3.1 on cues
2) a) Major responsibility lics with the group W e r
b) Reporter presents thc luturc action

Check Your Progress E ,... e 3

1) Merits
a) Hclps pcople to rccc,.~lse ihcir own problems
b) Provides stimulation soludons appropriate to the problems
LO scck

c) Helps to influence the food behaviour

2) Suitability
a) It is more effective than lccture'for idcnlifying rht. nutritional problems of the
people.
b) It is suited to change the food behaviour of thc pcople
Check Your Progress Exercise 4
1) A~~swer
based on your own experience
2) Iron deliciency anaemia
Identilication. cure and prevention of diarrhoea
Immunization
3) Lack of spontaniety in action on thc part of the p p l e
Over uses of thc method
Check Your Progress Exercise 5
1) Plan ahead with all llie detaus
P r e p e thoroughly
Present clearly
Gncouragc people's participation
2) It is personal, ducct. intimate
ILallows maximum intclxclion and enchangc of words or gestures
Insrantacous reed back ib possible