1. What is
communication?
Lecture 1.2
University of Alberta
ALES 204
Nancy Bray
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2. Housekeeping Items
Labs start on Monday, January 14
Textbook rentals - e-book through publishers
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3. Lecture Outline
1. Definition of communication
2. Models of communication
3. Myths of communication
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4. Course Map
Analyze a communicative situation
Plan an approach
Identify strengths and weakness of your approach
Context Rhetorical Purpose Channel
Interpersonal Informative Oral
Small Groups Persuasive Written
Public
Mass Communication Visual
Online
Define communication and understand a model of communication
Describe the role that culture, hierarchy, perception, language, non-verbal behaviour, and
generation play in communication
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5. 1. Definition of communication
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6. Example
Chandler and the pizza delivery woman
(Friends, Season 5, Episode 19)
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7. Define communication
1. Where is communication successful in this clip?
2. Where is communication not successful?
3. How would you define communication based on this clip?
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8. Why a definition?
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9. Definition of communication
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10. More definitions
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11. More definitions
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12. More definitions
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13. Communication studies scattered
126 definitions of communication (Dance, 1972)
249 distinct communication theories (Anderson, 1996)
7 textbooks shared only 7% of their content (Anderson, 1996)
7 communication traditions -- emerging clarity (Craig, 1999)
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14. Definition of communication
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15. 2. Models of communication
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16. 7 essentials of
communication

17. 1. People

18. 2. Message

19. 3. Channels

20. 4. Noise

21. 5. Context
(setting)

22. 6. Feedback

23. 7. Effect

24. Gamble & Gamble’s model of
communication

25. The Matrix
Scene: Morpheus proposal

26. Apply the Gamble &
Gamble model
Who is sender? Who is the receiver?
What is their shared field of
experience?
What is the message?
What is the channel?
What is the noise?
What is the feedback? What type?
What is the context/environment?

27. Strengths of the G&G model

28. Weaknesses of the G&G model

29. Dance’s communication helix

30. Meeting of helixes
Model of a conversation or contact

31. Model of communication in relationships
Growing together, then growing apart

32. 3. Myths of communication
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33. 5 myths of communication
Source: Kory Floyd, Communication Matters
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34. 34

35. 35

36. 36

37. 37

38. 38

39. Reading
Read Course Guidebook
(eClass)
Read Chapter 1
Read Chapter 2 by Monday
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40. Discussion forum
Do you know a particularly effective communicator?
Can the Gamble and Gamble model of communication help you understa
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41. Why this image?
Can you figure out what this image has to
do with communication?
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42. Photo Credits
Slide 1 & 2 - The Tower of Babel by Peter Bruegel the Elder. From Wikicommons
Slide 3 - Meister der Weltenchronik. From Wikicommons
Slide 4 - Jupiter (Zeus) from Wikicommons
Slide 11 - From Wikicommons
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