Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Antrobus.

Welcome to computing.

I'm so glad that you could join the lesson today.

Today, we're going to be learning all about how we communicate.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit, communication and the internet.

Today's lesson is called, How We Communicate, and by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to describe how we communicate using technology.

During today's lesson, these are the key words that we'll be using.

Let's have a look at them together.

Communication.

Communication, the exchange of information between devices or people.

Instant messaging.

Instant messaging, real-time text communication online.

Video call.

Video call, a conversation using video and audio over the internet.

Purpose.

Purpose, the reason for doing something.

Today's lesson is broken down into two parts.

The first section, recognise and compare communication methods.

The second section, choose communication methods for a purpose.

Let's get started.

Sam asks, "What is communication?" Communication is how we send and receive messages of information.

How many ways can you say, yes, without speaking? I want you to think about that question for a moment.

Pause the video and we'll come back in a moment.

Okay, how did you get on? Let's have a look at the different ways you can say, yes without speaking.

Well, you can use body language.

You could nod your head.

You could use sign language, which is an actual language that people learn.

You may know somebody who uses sign language yourself.

You can use gestures such as, thumbs up.

You can use symbols such as, emojis.

There's different kinds of signals for yes, you could write the word, yes.

So there's lots of different ways that you can say yes, without actually speaking.

Which of these is a form of communication? I want you to answer this question just to check your understanding.

A, waving.

B, typing a message.

C, drawing a heart emoji.

Or D, an oak tree.

Pause the video and give the question some thoughts.

Okay, how did you get on? Well, if you said A, waving, B, typing a message, or C, drawing a heart emoji, you would be correct.

They're all types of communication, an oak tree obviously isn't.

Did you get that right? Well done, if you did.

What happens when people aren't in the same place? When people aren't in the same place, they can't talk face-to-face, so they use technology to communicate instead.

They might send a message, make a video call, or share a file online.

Some types of online communication include instant messaging such as, chat, email, I'm sure you've all used email at some point, video call, voice note, and shared files, which allows commenting.

Have you ever used video call or voice notes? You probably use them in some of the applications that you use, maybe on a tablet or a smartphone.

Sam asks, "What is instant messaging?" Instant messaging lets you send short messages quickly over the internet.

Messages appear right away like a text chat.

It's good for quick questions, updates, or reminders, and informal chat.

It's very quick and often, you'll get an immediate response from someone.

What is email? Email that you send longer messages to one or more people.

You can include attachments like pictures or documents.

It is good for sharing important or detailed information.

A bit like writing a letter.

Sending files, because with email, you can attach files, whether that's a document, a presentation, an image, or even sound files, and it's also quite good for formal messages.

Lots of workplaces use email as standard.

"What is a video call," Sam asks.

A video call lets you talk and see someone in real time.

When I say real time, I mean, live, so it is actually happening at that moment in time, it's not prerecorded.

It's like a face-to-face conversation, but online, it's good for talking to someone far away, maybe on the other side of the world in a different city, group discussions where there's lots of people in the team who are trying to create something and also, for seeing reactions 'cause when you're speaking to someone face to face, you can see their body language and their facial expressions, which gives you an understanding of how they've responded to what you've said.

"What is a voice note," Sam asks.

A voice note is a short recording you can send instead of typing, it uses your voice to explain something or send a message.

It's good for sending messages quickly when typing is tricky, and also, for letting someone hear your tone or emotion.

Sam asks, "What is a shared document?" A shared document is a file that more than one person can edit online.

You can work on it together even at the same time.

It's good for team projects, writing or planning together, and giving live feedback.

"What is online document commenting," Sam said.

Online comments let you suggest changes or share ideas without editing the main work, you leave notes for others to read and respond to.

It's good for giving feedback, asking questions about someone's work and working politely as a team.

So online comments are used in shared documents.

So think about if you were working on a project with a friend and they had included lots of information and images and you wanted to comment to say, actually, you think this image might be better or you think this heading might be better.

Comments are a way of making those changes without actually editing the work and coming to an agreement before you make the edits.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

True or false, video calling and instant messaging are both ways to communicate online? Pause the video and think about that statement.

Okay, how did you get on? Well, if you said true, you would be correct.

Video calling and instant messaging are both ways to communicate online.

Well done, you are doing great so far.

Okay, let's move on to task A.

In this task, you're going to match each scenario to the best communication method, and then you're going to explain why the method works well in each case.

So let's have a look at the scenarios together.

You want to quickly tell your friend where to meet you.

You're showing a grandparent your drawing and want to see their reaction.

You're planning a poster with a partner in a different location, so you have the following three methods to choose from.

Video call, shared document, or instant message.

You're going to pause the video and match the scenario to the correct message by drawing a line.

Okay, how did you get on with the task? Let's have a look at a response.

Well, you can see here in this response, we have the first scenario.

You want to quickly tell your friend where to meet you and the correct method would be instant message because it's quick and instant and you can get a response from your friend and find out exactly where to meet them.

Second, you're showing a grandparent your drawing and want to see their reaction.

The correct method for this will be video call.

You can show your drawing to your grandparent over a video call and you will be able to see their response and you'll be able to tell exactly what they think about your drawing, you're planning a poster with a partner in a different location.

So the correct method for this would be a shared document so that you can both work on the poster at the same time, making edits, and also, putting on comments to make sure you both agree.

Well done so far.

Now, let's have a look at the second part of the task.

Explain why the method works well in each case.

So I want you to take each case and you're going to say, why you chose that method and why it works.

So take scenario one, two, and three.

You're going to pause the video and for each one, you're going to explain why the method works well in each case and then we'll come back for some feedback.

Okay, how did you get on with that task? Let's have a look at some examples.

The first scenario, you want to quickly tell your friend where to meet you.

So an instant message is the best choice because it's fast and my friend will get it straight away.

It's perfect for short messages like, "Meet me by the gate." I wouldn't use email because it's slower and they may not check it in time.

A video call will be too much for a quick message.

How does that compare to your example? Did you include in much detail? If you did, well done.

The second scenario, you're showing a grandparent your drawing and want to see their reaction.

I'd use a video call because I can show my drawing on the screen and see my grandparents' face and hear their voice.

It feels more personal and we can talk about it at the same time.

I could send a photo by message, but I wouldn't know what they thought unless they replied later.

That's another good example, again, how does yours compare? The final scenario, you're planning a poster with a partner in a different location.

A shared document is best because both of us can add ideas and edit the poster at the same time.

We don't have to keep sending new versions to each other.

It's better than email for group work because we can both work on it together and see each other's changes right away.

How did you get on? Did you put enough detail into your response? I'm sure you did, but if not, don't worry.

Go back and look over some of the content from the lessons so far and you can have another go.

Okay, so now it's time to move on to the next part of today's lesson.

Let's get started.

Sam asks, "What does purpose mean?" A purpose is the reason you're sending a message, for example, to give information, to ask a question, to get help.

Different communication methods are used for different purposes.

Here we have a table.

We have the communication method and what it is useful for.

Let's have a look at these together.

Instant messaging is quick for good short replies or updates.

Email is good for longer messages, formal, or detailed information.

Video call, lets you talk face-to-face when you're far apart.

Voice notes is good when you want to speak, but not have a phone call with someone.

Shared documents is useful for group tasks where everyone is editing together.

And an online comment is helpful for giving feedback without changing the original work.

"I need to tell John, the club is cancelled today, what method should I use," Sam asks.

Pause the video and give that some thought.

Okay, how did you get on? What do you suggest to Sam? An instant message is the quickest method.

You would be right in saying that an instant message is the quickest method because Sam can quickly instant message John and get a speedy response rather than sending an email where he might not even check.

Sam says, "I need to tell John about the school trip with the times, places, and things to bring.

How should I contact him?" Again, pause the video and think about what would be the correct method.

How did you get on? What did you suggest? Well, an email will give the space to add enough detail and all the relevant information it also allows for attachments to be added.

By having it in email, John is able to keep looking back at the information.

Let's check your understanding.

Which tool is best for sharing a long message with important information? A, an instant message.

B, a voice note.

Or C, an email.

Pause the video and give the question some thought.

So how did you get on? What did you come up with? Well, if you said C, email, that would be correct.

That is the correct method for sharing a long message that contains important information.

When choosing how to communicate, think about speed, detail, audience, and privacy.

If we think about those four things, particularly audience and privacy, would you share personal views in a group chat? Pause the video and just think about that.

Okay, what do you think? Well, if you're sharing private information and you're not sure of the audience, then personal news in a group chat would probably not be the correct place.

What about this? You want to say, congratulations to a friend who just won a competition, would you send an instant message, make a video call or write them an email? Again, pause the video and think about it for a moment.

Okay, what did you suggest? Well, all of the methods are possible, it depends on the context and whether you want a quick option to see their reaction or to send a longer message.

The choice would really be yours.

Let's check your understanding again.

True or false, the best way to communicate is always the shortest one.

Pause the video and give that some thought.

Okay, what did you say? Well, if you said, false, you would be correct, but why is that? Sometimes, you need to explain something properly, not just quickly, so that's why the quickest way or the shortest way isn't always the best way.

Okay, let's move on to task B.

For each scenario, you're going to choose a communication method and explain why it suits the purpose.

Here are some example scenarios or you could choose your own sharing event information with the whole class and saying, happy birthday to a cousin.

Pause the video and think about the communication method you would use and explain why suits the purpose.

Okay, how did you get on? Let's have a look at the responses for the example scenarios.

Sharing event information with the whole class.

An email will give the space to give all the information, is able to have attachments and also, can be saved easily to refer to later.

Saying happy birthday to a cousin.

I would use an instant message, if I wanted to send the message quickly and knew they'd see it straight away.

If I had more time, a video call would be a great way to see their reaction and speak to them face-to-face.

A voice note would work well, if I wanted them to hear my voice, but I didn't have time for a full call.

All three methods are appropriate.

The best one depends on time and whether I want the message to be short, personal, or live.

How did you get on with your example scenarios and responses? Well done for having a go.

Okay, so that is the end of today's lesson and you have done a fantastic job, well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned.

Communication is how we send and receive messages of information.

When people aren't in the same place, they can't talk face-to-face, so they use technology to communicate instead.

They might send a message, make a video call, or share a file online.

When choosing how to communicate, it is important to think about speed, detail, audience, and privacy.

Well done for taking part in today's lesson.

I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing you next time.