International Webinar 2023 - Visiting Lecture with Lecturer from Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University (Ukraine) – Part 4

Communication is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message itself or the field of inquiry that studies this transmission, also known as the study of communication. There is some disagreement about the precise definition of communication, for example, whether accidental or abortive transmission is included and whether communication not only transmits meaning but creates it. The communication model aims to provide a simplified picture of its main components and their interactions. Many models incorporate the idea that sources use a coding system to express information in the form of messages. Sources use channels to send messages to recipients who must decode them to understand their meaning. Channels are usually discussed in terms of the senses used to receive messages, such as hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste.


Communication can be classified based on whether information is exchanged between humans, members of other species, or non-living entities such as computers. For human communication, an important distinction is between verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication involves exchanging messages in linguistic form. This can happen through a natural language, such as English or Japanese, or through an artificial language, such as Esperanto. Verbal communication includes spoken and written messages and the use of sign language. Non-verbal communication occurs without using a linguistic system. There are many forms of nonverbal communication, for example using body language, body position, touch and intonation. Another important difference is between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Interpersonal communication occurs between different individuals, such as greeting someone on the street or making a telephone call. Intrapersonal communication, on the other hand, refers to communicating with oneself. This can happen internally, as a form of inner dialogue or daydreaming, or externally, for example when writing a shopping list or engaging in a monologue.


Non-human forms of communication include animal and plant communication. Researchers in this field often formulate additional criteria for their definition of communicative behavior, such as the requirement that the behavior serve a useful function for natural selection or that the response to a message is observable. Animal communication plays an important role for many species in the areas of courtship and mating, parent-infant relationships, social relations, navigation, self-defense and territoriality. In courtship and marriage, for example, communication is used to identify and attract potential mates. An often-discussed example of navigational communication is the waggle dance used by bees to show other bees where a flower is. Due to the rigid walls of plant cells, their communication often occurs by chemical means rather than movement. For example, various plants, such as maple trees, release what are called volatile organic compounds into the air to warn other plants of herbivore attacks. Most communication occurs between members of the same species because the goal is usually some form of cooperation, which is uncommon between species. However, there are also forms of interspecies communication, especially in the case of symbiotic relationships. For example, many flowers use symmetrical shapes and colors that stand out from their surroundings to communicate with insects where nectar is located to attract them. Humans also practice interspecies communication, for example when interacting with pets.


The field of communication covers a variety of other issues, such as communicative competence and communication history. Communicative competence refers to the ability to communicate well and applies both to the ability to formulate messages and understand them. The two main aspects are that communicative behavior is effective, that is, it achieves individual goals, and that it is appropriate, that is, it follows social standards and expectations. Human communication has a long history and how people exchange information has changed over time. These changes were usually triggered by developments in new communication technologies, such as the invention of writing systems (first pictographic and then alphabetic), the development of mass printing, the use of radio and television, and the invention of the internet.


The material above was delivered by a presenter from Ukraine in a visiting lecturer held by STEKOM University in collaboration with Universities from Ukraine. The title of the presentation is "Learning Skills in 21st Century Education and Work Environment".


This international webinar activity is part of the implementation of STEKOM University's commitment to increase various international activities. This was done in order to realize the vision to become an international-class university. Various international activities carried out by STEKOM University continue from year to year. There are international activities that are sustainable and there are also some international activities that are not sustainable. All types of international activities are accommodated and regulated by the International department of STEKOM University.