Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Antrobus.

Welcome to computing.

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

Today, we're going to learn about communication tools.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit "IT and the World of Work." Today's lesson is called "Tools for Communication", and by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to identify and compare a range of digital communication tools appropriate for different workplace scenarios.

In today's lesson, we'll be using these keywords.

Let's have a look at them together.

Synchronous.

Synchronous, communication that happens in real time.

Asynchronous.

Asynchronous, communication that doesn't happen in real time or require both parties to be present at the same time.

Today's lesson will be broken down into two sections.

The first section compares synchronous and asynchronous communication, and in the second section we'll be looking at how to select appropriate tools for specific scenarios.

Let's get started.

Synchronous communication is any online communication that happens in real time.

In the workplace, remote calls or live chats are used for synchronous communication.

Synchronous communication supports rapport building across a team.

Eye contact and facial expressions can help to convey a message clearly and enhance working relationships.

Synchronous communication is immediate.

It allows quick transfer of messages or information across a team.

This can speed up decision-making and help productivity.

Messages can be clearly understood and questions can be asked in real time, meaning that misunderstandings can be avoided.

Synchronous tools foster collaboration and creativity.

For example, team brainstorming sessions can generate ideas quickly and in real time.

Synchronous communication can only happen if everyone involved is available at the same time.

It can be difficult to schedule meetings that suit everyone's availability, especially in large teams. Meetings often need to be planned well in advance to make sure everyone can attend.

This reduces flexibility because people have lots of different priorities within a business.

Differing time zones across the world add extra complexity when scheduling meetings for international workplaces.

Imagine somebody who works in Australia trying to arrange a meeting with somebody who lives in the UK.

They're completely different time zones.

Synchronous meetings may disrupt people's work-life balance.

A person may need to be available at an inconvenient time to fit in with others.

Depending on the tool used, it can be difficult for people to give detailed answers based on the allocated time available.

Synchronous communication can cause employees to become stressed as they can feel that they're always in demand and can never say no to a meeting.

Employees can become distracted by synchronous communication and this can lead to frustration.

If an employee is in the middle of a task and an urgent message comes in, they may need to stop what they're doing to respond.

This can cause them to lose focus on the original task and tasks can end up taking them longer.

If not managed effectively, synchronous communications can lack documentation of what was said.

This can lead to confusion and tasks not being followed up.

Asynchronous communication is any communication that does not happen in real time, so let's have a look at how that compares.

In the workplace, this includes tools such as email and messaging apps.

Asynchronous communication allows flexibility in the workplace.

Employees can choose when they communicate or collaborate with others.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

True or false? Synchronous communication doesn't happen in real time or require both parties to be present at the same time.

Asynchronous communication happens in real time.

Is that true or false? Pause the video for a moment and consider the question.

Okay, how did you get on? If you put false, you'll be correct.

But why is that? The definitions have been mixed up.

Did you notice that? Synchronous communication happens in real time and asynchronous communication doesn't.

Asynchronous communications can be more inclusive.

Asynchronous communication tools can enhance participation, including for people in different time zones, those who prefer written communication, or those with accessibility needs.

Asynchronous communication allows employees time to think about what they want to say and form more considered messages rather than having to respond immediately with people on a live call.

Employees can set aside time in the day to deal with their communications.

This means they can focus on and complete a task rather than being distracted by synchronous communications mid-task.

Asynchronous communications are documented in some way, such as an email thread or recorded video.

This provides a record of what has been said that can be referred back to in the future.

Asynchronous communication can mean that important messages are delayed.

This can impact decision-making and delay work if people are waiting for information they need to complete their work.

Due to a lack of non-verbal cues, asynchronous communication can lead to misunderstandings.

This can create tension within a team and can have a detrimental impact on decision-making.

Employees can be overwhelmed with messages, which can cause stress.

Team rapport may not be as well developed when using asynchronous tools.

Non-verbal cues and spontaneous conversations, which can occur in synchronous communications, are missing.

Asynchronous tools allow employees time to carefully consider the responses they will give, but this can be time consuming.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

True or false? Synchronous communication tools are better than asynchronous communication tools.

Pause the video and give that some thought.

Okay.

Did you choose true or false? If you chose false, that would be correct.

But why is that? Neither type of communication is better than the other overall.

Some forms of communication will suit different tasks better than others.

Businesses will often use a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools for different purposes.

Okay, let's move on.

Both synchronous and asynchronous tools give workers more flexibility about how and where they work.

Many roles that were traditionally office-based can now be done anywhere if you have an internet connection and the right digital tools.

Okay, let's have a look at task A.

Explain the similarities and differences between synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Also, give some practical examples of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in your answer.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and we'll come back with some feedback.

Okay.

How did you get on? Let's have a look at some examples.

Synchronous communication happens in real time and people have to be present at the same time.

Tools like Google Meet for video conferencing and phone calls are examples of synchronous communication tools.

Asynchronous communication doesn't happen in real time, so people can pick up their communications when they want.

This can allow flexibility in a workplace, for example, when people work different hours.

Asynchronous tools could include email, forums or messaging apps.

Both types of communication can be achieved using digital tools.

How did your response compare? Did you include the same level of detail? If not, maybe go back and have a look at some of the content we've already covered in this lesson.

Now let's move on.

Okay, we're now moving on to the second section of today's lesson, select appropriate tools for specific scenarios.

Let's get started.

Before choosing a digital tool for communication, it is important to think about its purpose.

Why do you need the tool? Is it to raise productivity? Is it to improve workflows? Is it to encourage teamwork and collaboration? Or, is it to improve decision-making? Can you think of any other purposes for digital communication tools? Pause the video and give it some thought.

Okay, let's check your understanding at this point.

For what purpose might you buy a digital communication tool? Pause the video and give that question some thought.

Okay, what did you come up with? Let's have a look at some responses.

To raise productivity.

To improve workflows.

To encourage teamwork and collaboration.

And, to improve decision-making.

Did you think of any others? Well done for having go at this task.

You were able to identify the purpose of buying a digital communication tool.

Let's move on.

It is vital to ensure that the chosen communication tool has sufficient security in place for the nature of the business.

The size of the team will affect your choice.

You should consider how everyone will interact effectively with each other using the chosen digital tool.

You might choose an asynchronous tool or a synchronous tool, or a mixture of both.

You should consider the benefits of each carefully.

It's important to look at the features and functionality of the software to see what's possible.

Some tools have multiple applications and are both synchronous and asynchronous.

Consider the existing infrastructure.

Some software is device-specific, so it's important to choose something that will work on all devices used across the workforce.

Another consideration is cost.

Software can be built specifically for an individual workplace.

But this can be expensive and it may not be worth the perceived benefits.

It's also important to consider the skills of the staff.

Will they be able to use the software? Is it intuitive? Intuitive means that it's easy to use, that somebody will automatically know how to use it.

Is training provided by the software company? Will training need to be provided in house? Providing training may have additional cost implications, and that's important for a business to consider.

Scalability is an important consideration when choosing communication tool for the workplace.

If you are spending money on purchasing software and training staff, ideally it needs to have longevity and the ability to grow with the size of the business.

Before buying a product, businesses usually trial the software to see if it fulfils its purpose and works as expected.

Most software companies offer businesses trials to test out the product and see if it meets their needs.

This makes sense before paying a lot of money for a specific piece of software to then find out it doesn't work.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

Which of these are important considerations for choosing digital communication tools? A, synchronous or asynchronous.

B, budget.

C, device compatibility.

Or D, the colour of the company logo.

Pause the video and give the question some thought.

Okay, let's see how you got on.

So, what did you select as the correct answer? Well, if you put A, you would be correct.

But also, if you put B, you would be correct.

And if you put C, you would also be correct.

Because all of these things are important considerations when choosing digital communication tools.

Okay, let's move on to task B.

We're going to read the scenarios and then you are going to decide whether a synchronous or asynchronous tool would be best in each situation.

Suggest the types of tool that could be used.

For example, email, instant messaging, remote calls or shared documents.

Let's look at the scenarios together.

Scenario one.

Lucas's Logistics has 500 employees.

"I'm having some issues with decision-making across my business.

Staff use emails to communicate.

Until recently, this has been effective, but the business has grown a lot lately and communication lines are becoming blurred.

I need a tool that can help." Okay, pause the video and come up with a suggestion for Lucas.

Okay, how did you get on? Let's have a look at an example that you compare yours to.

Okay, Andeep said, "I think Lucas needs to adopt some form of synchronous communication.

Emails are taking too long for staff to consider and answer.

A phone conversation may help.

Staff can get quick responses and hopefully this would support decision-making and improve productivity." How did you get on? Well done for having a go at that task.

How does your response compare to Andeep's? If you didn't put quite as much detail, maybe go back over some of the content.

Let's move on.

Scenario two.

Sophia's Stereos, 5,000 employees.

"My team is dispersed across the UK and I've been struggling to get a positive report amongst the staff.

I've recently purchased a tool that allows my employees to meet via remote calls.

I asked all employees to a meeting but it was a complete nightmare.

Everyone was talking over each other and the focus of the meeting was completely lost.

I need help!" Pause the video and come up with some advice for Sofia.

Okay, how did you get on? Let's have a look at an example.

Andeep suggests, "I think Sofia has chosen a tool that could work well but she could improve her use of the video conferencing tool, like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, by creating smaller group calls, possibly by department.

It might also help if she uses an instant messaging tool too, this could also be done in Microsoft Teams, for quick and instant communications throughout the week.

This might encourage the team to bounce ideas off each other and develop relationships." How did you get on? How does your response compare to Andeep's response? Okay, let's have a look at scenario three.

Laura's Lesson Plans, 50 employees.

"My team work remotely on content for lesson plans.

At the moment, they individually write the plan, then share it via email with another member of the team to check.

They get it back as an email and then send it to the copy editing team.

I could do with having more visibility of each lesson's progress so I can jump in and help if needed.

I'm not sure what would be the best." Okay, pause the video, and give some advice to Laura.

Okay, well done.

Let's have a look at your response and compare it to the example.

Andeep said, "I think Laura should set up some form of shared documents like Google Docs.

The lesson plans could be shared to those who need access and staff could work on the documents either synchronously or asynchronously.

Laura will be able to see the progress of the lessons and leave comments or live-edit the document as needed.

If the employees aren't available where Laura is, they can access it at a later date." How did you get on? How does your response compare to Andeep's? Did you include enough detail? Well done for having a go at the task.

You've done really well.

Okay, so we've come to the end of today's lesson.

Well done for contributing to the lesson.

You've done a fantastic job.

Let's have a look at what we've learned today.

Common digital communication tools include email, instant messaging, video conferencing and file sharing platforms. Synchronous communication happens in real time.

Asynchronous communication doesn't require both parties to be present at the same time.

Thank you for taking part in today's lesson.

I hope you've enjoyed yourself.