DPST MODULE SERIES #3
Interfacing Strategies Editors Azriani Ab. Rahman Majmin Sheikh Hamzah Mohamad Najib Mat Pa
First Publication: © Dr. Azriani Ab. Rahman Dr. Majmin Sheikh Hamzah Dr. Mohamad Najib Mat Pa © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of author/s or publisher. ISBN: 967--5547-67-6 Editors Dr. Azriani Ab. Rahman Dr. Mohamad Najib Mat Pa School of Medical Sciences, USM, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Email:
[email protected] Authors Assoc. Prof. Dr Nor Azwany Yaacob Dr Ahmad Fuad Abdul Rahim Dr Mohd Ismail Ibrahim Dr. Muhamad Saiful Bahri Yusoff Muhammad Irfan Abdul Jalal Publisher Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan USM, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu Kelantan, Malaysia
Published in Malaysia
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Contents The USM-JPNK Community - Academic Partnership Program 4 Introduction• 4 The ‘Discovering Potential for Sustainable Transformation’ (DPST) series• 6
Module 5: Interfacing strategies
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Objectives • 7 Definitions • 8 Communication skills involve both science and art• 9 Methods of Communication • 9 Importance of Communication• 10 Purposes of Communication• 10 The Reasons for teaching / learning communication • 11 The Communication Process • 12 Models of Communication • 14 Basics of communication skills • 14 What promotes effective communication? • 15 External factors and internal factors (Within the Sender and Receiver) • 17 Barriers to effective communication • 18 Points to remember in an encounter with an individual • 19 Interfacing strategies to effective communication • 21 Communication Tips • 24 The Seven (7) Tasks of Consultation • 25 How to close a conversation / consultation • 26 How to give feedback • 27 Take home messages• 28
Session Outline 29 Appendix A: Roles of the Interviewer 32 Appendix B: Communication Observation Checklist 33 Appendix C: Synopsis of ‘Tigo Anok Tupa’ Video Clip 35 Appendix D: Guidelines for the Moderator 37 Checklist of Required Materials / Equipment 38 References 39
The USM-JPNK Community - Academic Partnership Program
Introduction The School of Medical Sciences (SMS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), located at the Kubang Kerian Health Campus, has a pool of resources in academia. As an academic institution, it also has the social responsibility of sharing resources specifically in enhancing the level of education at least to the surrounding community. The majority of Kelantanese are Malays. School children from Kelantan have shown high achievement in both the PMR and SPM results. However, it is observed that these potential leaders of tomorrow are lacking in communication skills, especially in English. The lack of confidence in communicating in this language has, in some ways, affected their performance in interviews to further their studies as well as to pursue their career. This may be partly due to the local social environment which is not conducive for them to practice English speaking in their daily communication as compared to other parts of Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur. SMS, USM has a pool of academicians and non-academicians who teach and communicate in English in their daily work activities. The 4
academicians are also actively involved in motivating and stimulating personal and professional development among students. There are also medical students who are trained to become future leaders and are conversant with working with the public. These students formed the Medical Student Facilitator Team (MSFT), consisting of student volunteers, which actively seeks out interested secondary schools in and outside Kelantan to organize motivational workshops. Since their inception in 2008, the MSFT have organized programs for more than 15 schools, covering both advanced and urban schools as well as underprivileged, rural ones. It is interesting to note that they have been collaborating with District Educational Centers (PPD – Pusat Pendidikan Daerah) under the Ministry of Education to run the programs. All this wealth of expertise and experience are now put into greater use when the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) approved a grant (number 2003/PPSP/6750020) under their Knowledge Transfer Program. The result is the USM-JPNK (Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Kelantan) community partnership program, whose main aim is to engage all the resources available in SMS USM for the benefit of the community. Specifically, this partnership will be able to share resources in developing and nurturing positive personal qualities and soft skills of secondary school students via the enhancement of communication skills. The outcome of this project will be sustainable as it will produce future leaders in the community. This community project also will help USM train their medical undergraduates to develop essential skills to prepare them for their future career. Therefore, this collaborative project will benefit both the community and USM in terms of the students, academic and non-academic staff. The project theme “I give therefore I gain, I teach therefore I learn” reflects its sincere agenda in developing future human capital that benefits the country, society and religion. It also emphasizes the mutual benefits to be reaped by all parties involved in the endeavor.
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The ‘Discovering Potential for Sustainable Transformation’ (DPST) series The importance of promoting and nurturing positive personal qualities, soft skills and professional development are becoming more apparent within professional and non-professional occupations. The Discovering Potential for Sustainable Transformation (DPST) series is introduced to enhance and promote positive personal qualities, soft skills and professional development among students. The programme is run in a series of three sessions; each with specific themes: Series #1: Module 1: Maximizing Personality Series #2: Module 2: Leading to Lead Module 3: Taming Your Enemy Module 4: Response to Change Series #3: Module 5: Interfacing Strategies Specifically, the Discovering Potential for Sustainable Transformation (DPST) programme is introduced because of three simple reasons: 1)
To increase awareness of the impact and importance of positive personal qualities, soft skills and professionalism to students.
2)
To encourage the development of positive personal qualities, soft skills and professionalism among students.
3)
To help USM undergraduate medical students and secondary school students develop their own self-improvement strategies to improve and maximize their potential.
Last but not least, we really hope that the DPST programme will be a precursor towards sustainable transformation of positive personal qualities, soft skills and professional development among students.
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Module 5: Interfacing strategies
Objectives By the end of the workshop participants will be able to: • • • • • • • •
explore different communication skills and styles. identify their individual communication styles. understand the importance of effective communication. describe barriers to effective communication. give effective feedback. manage time in a consultation. close a conversation in a positive manner. apply effective communication styles to daily life and their future careers.
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Definitions What is meant by ‘interfacing strategies?’ It is the combination of the words ‘Interface’ which means: connection, boundaries or medium in between two objects or things; and ‘Strategies’ which means: plans or ways to achieve a specific objective or objectives. Therefore ‘interfacing strategies’ means the ways or plans to achieve a connection, or to bridge the boundaries between two parties which are communicating with each other. The word ‘communication’ originated from a Latin word which means ‘to impart or to share’. Communication is a “social interaction through messages” as defined by Fiske (1990). In simple language it is about: ‘How to stay connected in a conversation through a medium’ What is meant by ‘Communication Skills’? It is a set of skills that enables a person to convey information so that it is received and understood. It is also an ability to use language (receptive) & express (expressive) information.
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Communication skills involve both science and art Science: Communication theories – Theories of how to communicate with people Art: Personal qualities of the person, conveying messages in different situations and selecting appropriate communication styles
Methods of Communication Verbal Non-verbal Written Visual
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Importance of Communication “Communication is not only a basic part of our everyday lives, but an essential one, in the sense that we cannot not communicate” Thompson, 2003.
Purposes of Communication Communication serves multiple purposes, including: •
Information dissemination
•
Expression of ideas & emotions
•
Education (imparting knowledge – oral presentation)
•
Building relationships
•
Entertainment
•
Decision making
•
Feedback 10
The Reasons for teaching / learning communication Correct training in communication skills can help in making an individual or students see other individuals or persons as people. Communication is one of the core skills. Developing it to a professional level of competence is as important as developing competence regarding cognitive knowledge and problem solving. Experience alone can be a poor teacher of communication skills. Without proper guidance and reflection, experience tends to reinforce communication styles and habits regardless of whether they are good or bad. Communication is a series of learned skills which can be taught. It is not just a single global ability or a personality trait. Changes resulting from communication training can be retained.
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The Communication Process Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly and unambiguously. Effective communication is also all about receiving information that others are sending to you, with as little distortion as possible. To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of problems at each level of this process; with clear, concise, accurate, and well-planned communication The situation in which your message is delivered is the context. This may include the surrounding environment or a broader culture (corporate culture, international cultures, and so on). As the source of message, you need to be clear about why you are communicating and what you want to communicate. You also need to be confident that the information you are communicating is useful and accurate. Encoding is the process of transferring the information you want to communicate into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded by others.
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Success in encoding depends partly on your ability to convey information clearly and simply, and also on your ability to anticipate and eliminate sources of confusion (e.g. cultural issues, mistaken assumptions). You need to know your audience well. Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal channels including face-to-face meetings, telephone and video conferencing; and written channels including letters, emails, memos and reports. Different channels have different strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right channel is important. Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for example, taking the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) Just as confusion can arise from errors in encoding, it can also arise from decoding errors. This is particularly the case if the decoder doesn’t have enough knowledge to understand the message. Your message is delivered to individual members of your audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope your message will get from this audience. Keep in mind, though, that each of these individuals enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtedly influence their understanding of your message, and their response. To be a successful communicator, you should consider these before delivering your message, and act appropriately. Your audience will provide you with feedback, as verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message. Pay close attention to this feedback, as it is the only thing that can give you confidence that your audience has understood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you have the opportunity to send the message a second time. 13
Models of Communication Transmission model The communication process is complete when a message has been transmitted from the sender to the receiver. Interactional model The communication process is ONLY complete when the sender receives feedback that the message has been received as intended. These may involve a number of interactions.
Basics of communication skills Communication is a TWO-WAY process. What the sender said is not necessarily what the receiver hears or perceives.
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What promotes effective communication? Fiske in 1994 also described that: “…communication is often taken for granted when it should be taken to pieces”. It involves five different components or elements to ensure effective communication. What are the five components of effective communication?
1 2
Effective verbal communication What do you want to communicate? (The message is the information that you want to communicate) Clear, concise, useful, accurate; language appropriateness. Voice management How is the information being said?
It can add extra meaning to what is being said (positive or negative impression). E.g.: appearing friendly, irritable, bored, angry or agitated.
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3 4
Active listening Determine the accuracy of information obtained and effectiveness of conversation / clinical consultation
Effective non-verbal communication Bickley in 2003 described that: “...just as the host / doctor is observing the guest / the patient, the guest / the patient will also be watching the host / doctor”.
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Besides words (verbal component), gestures, eye contact and posture are able to send messages too.
Cultural awareness Scollon and Scollon in 2001 defined culture as. “...customs, world view, language, kinship system, social organization or other taken-for-granted day-to-day practices of a people which set that group apart as a distinctive group.” Lack of cultural awareness leads to misunderstanding and conflicts.
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External factors and internal factors (Within the Sender and Receiver) What are the factors? External Factors: Physical and environmental set-up • Seat arrangements • Proximity (distance between the sender and receiver) • Conducive and comfortable surroundings (ensuring privacy and confidentiality) Personal appearance and manners Internal factors: (within the Sender or Receiver) Psychological factors Personality Communication styles 17
Barriers to effective communication Speaking using ‘big’ or ‘bombastic’ words. Asking only closed questions, which is similar to an interrogation. Closed body posture. Lack of or no eye contact. Distancing, i.e.: sitting too far apart that the person feels removed. Appearing too busy and too rushed. Not listening and constantly interrupting the other person. Lack of respect, such as poor attitude, aloofness, ignoring, brushing off, etc. Perceived lack of confidentiality e.g. discussing a person’s problem in hearing distance from other persons. Visually looking unprofessional, e.g.: poor dress code, too high-status appearing. Environmental interference e.g. lack of privacy, people coming in and out of the room, too hot or cold, too noisy, children interfering. Lack of time management skills; lack of respect for the other person’s time. 18
Points to remember in an encounter with an individual These points should be considered when you meet an individual, both in a formal (e.g. a consultation) or informal (e.g a conversation) situation. When receiving them, put yourself in their shoes. Establish initial contact by attending to things such as the physical set-up, proximity, environmental set-up, psychological setting, being respectful to other people’s culture and beliefs, etc. Convey warmth. Greet them and put them at ease. Obtain their preferred form of address. Introduce yourself and explain your roles. Ask the opening question and pay attention to the use of appropriate open versus closed questions. Set the agenda for the interview. Encourage the guest to express themselves in their own words. Look for verbal and non-verbal cues.
or
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In your interview, the use of three skills is critical for you to understand the story fully: Facilitation, Repetition and Clarification.
1 2 3
Facilitation In facilitation you encourage the guest to say more, but not specifying the topic. It can be done through posture, actions or words. Clarification It is indicating that you have been listening to the guest and pinpointing what you know and don’t know.
Repetition Echoing the guest’s words encourages him / her to give more details. It is helpful and useful for eliciting both facts and emotions.
After you feel you have enough information, it is useful to piece it all together in a summary. Give feedback where appropriate and close the conversation /consultation. 20
Interfacing strategies to effective communication
1
Your personal appearance & manners
a. As a student / intern it is expected that you dress professionally and appropriately. Do not ‘under dress’ e.g. wearing slippers, nor ‘overdress’, e.g. by wearing too many expensive jewellery or strong perfume. b. Personal grooming and clothing, e.g. avoid too heavy make-up for the girls, dyed hair (bright colours) among the boys. c. Watch your social manners and what you say. e. Watch your use of slang language in public.
2
Physical setting
a. Placement of table & chairs. If possible, avoid having things placed between you and your guest e.g. books, etc. b. Proximity. Distance between the sender and the receiver should be appropriate c. Verbal privacy & Confidentiality: Outsiders should not be able to listen to the conversation through open doors or windows. d. Phone Interruptions. The desk phone and your hand-phone should be off or in silent mode, to avoid interruption. e. People interruptions. Avoid other individual interruptions unless it is necessary. f. Physical privacy. The interview room should ideally be private g. Visual privacy. Outsiders should not be able to see what happens in the consultation room.
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Psychological setting a. You are the host/insider. When a guest comes to see you in the office, he/she is coming as a guest/outsider. It is your duty to make your guest comfortable, physically and psychologically. You have to make the first initiative to greet your guest. You have to make the initiative to offer the guest a chair. This will also keep the guest informed that you are ‘in-control’ of the time together. b. Be organized. Have your tools on-hand. Have your pen/pencil, etc. with you. Know where the locations of the common services such as washroom etc. Know the system on how your institution is operated upon etc. c. Appear interested in the guest. Sit at your guest’s physical level /eye-level. This is especially important when interviewing those who are handicapped or small children and elderly. Maintain appropriate eye contact. Give non-verbal feedback, e.g.: nodding your head, saying “hum…” “ha…” (non-sense words), etc. d. Appear unhurried. You look hurried if you repeatedly or constantly look at your watch or the wall clock, keep reaching for the phone to make calls unrelated to your guest, remain standing, or you keep moving to the door. e. Allow the person to finish his/her sentences without interruption
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4
Be respectful of other people’s culture and believes.
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a. Malaysia is a multi-cultural country. A respectful person will learn as much as he/she can about other people’s customs, religious practices, etc. b. Malaysia is also a major tourist destination from people all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Europe and North America. c. As a professional, you will encounter any of those people. Even if you don’t have direct contact with them, others may talk about you and that will reflect on not only your professionalism, but also the professionalism of the whole system of your country
Verbal component
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a. Open questions versus closed ended questions b. Use of appropriate words and phrases c. What to say? d. How you say it? e. When you say it? f. Where do you say it?
Non-verbal component a. Eye contact b. Facial expression c. Gestures d. Postures e. Proximity f. Clothing and accessories
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Communication Tips Communication is a two-way process.
1 2
Start with open questions, e.g.: “How do you feel?” (Open answers) then narrow down using Closed-questions, e.g.: “Do you have any problems?” (Yes or No or one-word answers) Check if what was said is what you understood. You can do this by various techniques: i. Rephrasing, e.g.: “Let me say it as I understand it…” ii. Further questioning, e.g.: “How are you?” iii. Asking for clarification, e.g.: “Do you mean to say that…”
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iv. Asking for elaboration, e.g.: “Can you tell me a bit more about it?”
Ask for agreement with the guest: i. Your assessment of the problem ii. Your management plan
iii. Person’s willingness to adhere to the plan iv. Follow-up schedule, if indicated. v. How to contact you if additional or new problems appear. 24
The Seven (7) Tasks of Consultation
1 2 3 4 5
Define the reason for person’s attendance.
Consider other related problems.
Choose an appropriate action for each problem.
Achieve a shared understanding of the problems with the person.
Involve the person in the management & encourage him/her to accept appropriate responsibility.
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Use time and resources appropriately.
7
Establish and maintain a relationship which helps achieve other tasks.
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How to close a conversation / consultation If the session is finished, make sure the guest is also aware of it. It can be done in a non-verbal manner, e.g. capping your pen, pushing yourself away from the table, etc. Try to end with a positive note. Don’t destroy the guest’s hope no matter how hopeless the situation may look to you. Ask the guest if he/she has anymore that they want to discuss. If you have no more time, use ‘How to manage time’ techniques. Close the interview in a positive manner and with a ‘Management Plan’, i.e.: a When is next follow-up visit? b What is the guest supposed to do, c What will you have to do before his next appointment d Thank the guest for coming.
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How to give feedback 1. Focus on the good points first 2. Later on the negative aspects and offer options or suggestions to improve. 3. Communicate your observations on the person’s work /performance. 4. Never on the personality or being judgemental towards the person. 5. Avoid using the word ‘you’ when you offer suggestions. 6. Do it in a tactful manner. 27
Take home messages 1. Effective communication, either verbal or non-verbal is very important so that the delivered message is understood. 2. Everybody has their own communication style. However, communication skills can be nurtured 3. Channels for communication such as email, SMS, phone calls, etc. should be used appropriately. For example if it involves an emotional situation, it is better to communicate face to face rather than communicating via email or SMS.
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Session Outline Following is a suggested session outline. The facilitator is free to modify the outline as is relevant. Objectives
Instructions
Materials
Time
‘Express yourself’ Role-play : Small Group Activity Students are divided into groups of 10 - 12 participants. In each group, the facilitator begins by briefly discussing participants’ ambitions and relates the importance of communication skills in achieving ambitions. Then facilitator introduces the activity which is a mock interview session. The facilitator will be the interviewer (Refer Appendix A). Two group members, preferably male and female, needs to volunteer to become interviewees. To highlight the importance of effective The rest of the group members communication skills. become observers. Facilitator to distribute communication observation checklist (Appendix B, also in CD) to observers (Not to be given to interviewees until after the interview). Instruct observers to observe the communication behaviour of both the interviewer and interviewees using the observation checklist. Allow observers time to read the checklist. Ask interviewees to wait outside the circle. Start the interview.
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Table & chairs for interview. Observers’ chairs form an outer circle, the facilitator sits in the middle of the circle facing the interviewee separated by a table. Observer checklist.
5 mins introduction and instructions, 5 mins per interview (Total 15 mins)
Facilitators lead a feedback session involving interviewees, observers and the facilitator him/herself as interviewers. Discussion should be guided by the components in the observation checklist. Highlight the imporFacilitators to ensure all participants tance of effective communication skills. involved in giving feedback. Discourage feedback on content, emphasise on process of communication.
40 mins
At the end of the session, facilitators give feedback on effective communication skills including correct ways of giving feedback (Refer page 27).
5 mins Total time : 60 mins
‘Tigo Anok Tupa’- Video Session
To consolidate participants understanding of the concepts explained previously.
Big hall for all participants. Moderator reminds participants of Microphone is the main lessons learnt in the previous placed in the session and introduces the session; the middle of the objectives, what to observe and note. hall for the coming discussion session.
To involve participants in reflection and application of the lessons learnt in the previous session.
Video clip ‘Tigo Moderator shows the video clips show- Anok Tupa’ (CD) LCD 10 mins ing various communication skills & styles in the big group. Computer Sound system Upon completion of the video clips, moderator instructs participants to discuss on communication styles and skills in their small groups aided by facilitators (Refer Appendix C - Synopsis of ‘Tigo Anok Tupa’ video clip).
To encourage public speaking. To stimulate selfconfidence.
Upon completion of the small group discussion, moderator facilitates big group discussion (Refer Appendix D Guidelines for the Moderator). Facilitators stay with their groups to encourage participation of their group members.
5 mins
Mahjong paper / white board for each group Marker pens
20 mins
Big hall for all participants. Microphone is placed in the middle of the hall for the discussion session.
25 mins
Total time : 60 mins
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Conclusion To make sure that participants know why they have been asked to do the things required of them
Moderator will invite few volunteer participants to speak up their thoughts about what they have learnt and gained from this program.
15 min
To review what has been learnt
Moderator conveys take home messages to the participants.
10 min
To obtain feedback from participants regarding the session
Moderator asks participants to fill up the evaluation form provided.
5 min Total time : 030 mins Overall time : 150 mins
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Appendix A: Roles of the Interviewer Scenario A student attends an interview session to apply for a course in a local university. Discuss and decide with the interviewees the course that they are applying for. Instruct the volunteer interviewees to stay outside the group first; they will come in when called, one by one. When the interviewee enters, introduce yourself and ask the interviewee to introduce him / herself. Instruct the interviewee to answer the questions in standard English or Malay language. Purposely communicate with good / poor communication skills. Ask questions based on the questions list below. You may modify your questions as you see fit. List of questions that can be asked by the interviewer: Reasons for applying to the course. Who / What inspires you to apply to the course? How much do you know about the course? How much do you know about the profession? What are the personal qualities that you have, so that you are eligible to be selected? If you are not selected for the course, what is your plan?
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Appendix B: Communication Observation Checklist (Available in CD) Upon entering (interviewee / student) Observed
Not Sure
The student was able to greet the interviewer appropriately The student introduced him/herself The student offered himself a seat before being invited to sit by the interviewer Upon receiving a person (interviewer / facilitator) The interviewer made the student feel relaxed and comfortable The interviewer used an appropriate welcoming tone of voice The interviewer greeted the interviewee appropriately The interviewer invited the student to sit down The interviewer addressed the interviewee by name Verbal component Used words or phrases that were easily understood Used “big/bombastic” words or phrases Used “open-ended” questions Used “closed-ended” questions Controlled the conversation ‘Warmed-up’ the conversation Used courteous (polite) words and phrases Used clarification techniques
Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator
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Not Observed
Remarks
Not Sure
Not Observed
Yes
Unsure
No
Yes
Unsure
No
Observed
Used facilitation techniques Used repetition techniques Used summarizing techniques Used polite closing comments
Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator
Non - Verbal component Eye contact Facial expression (Eg: smile, frown) Posture ( Eg: nodding head, leaning forward, open posture) Body Gestures Clothing and accessories Active listening
Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator Student Facilitator
The physical set-up was appropriate
The environment was appropriate
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Remarks
Appendix C : Synopsis of ‘Tigo Anok Tupa’ video clip This is only a guide to facilitate the discussion. Participants are free to express their own observations. Scene
Observed skills
1
- Communication when the leading actor arrived at the office - Building rapport - Everybody seemed friendly
2
- Non verbal – not attentive - Inappropriate way of giving feedback (i.e. Straight away saying “I hate it”), criticising - Feedback skills (Refer section on how to the person not his idea give feedback) - One way communication (not giving chance the other person to defend)
3
- Poor communication skills - Not respecting others
- Appropriate communications skills when a person is leaving our place
- Persuasion skills
- Trying to improve the situation - How to get the situation become normal - Techniques of resolving conflict - Trying to apologize for the mistake done
4
Explanation - Appropriate communication skills when first time meeting a person (attending skills)
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5
- Coming late, not apologising - Interruption of phone - Presentation skills - Verbal - Non-verbal - Professionalism - Use of AVA - Appearance - How we organize - Preparation – not prepared - Being punctual - No greeting - Not apologizing for being late - Distraction – telephone - Communication noise - No excuse - Words used were not appropriate - Realize mistake before too late (moral of the story)
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having fun jelah
- Presentation skills are very important - Preparation (rehearse) - Punctuality - Greeting - Introduction - Confidence - Personal grooming - Non-verbal communication (eye contact, body language, etc) - Professionalism (attend question)
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Appendix D: Guidelines for the Moderator As the moderator of the big-group session, you have an important role to play. Among your roles are: • To bridge the gap (i.e explain the aims & objective of the session, to set and align the path of the session). • to paraphrase/rephrase the comments made by participants and to relate it with the module objectives in a comprehensible manner. • to enlighten the session with provocative, interactive & meaningful feedback. • to summarize the whole session activities in relation to objectives. • to ensure equal chance is given to every participant to speak up. In the big group discussion sessions for this module, remember that the aim is to get participants to volunteer to come forward and speak. They are not competing as in the ‘Maximising Your Personality’ module (The Big 5 Activity). Allow the less confident ones to observe those who speak. That is why the microphone is put in the middle of the hall.
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Checklist of Required Equipment / Materials
Session
Equipment / Materials
Briefing
o o
‘Express yourself’ Role-play : Small Group Activity
o
o ‘Tigo Anok Tupa’ Video Session
Hall and seating to accommodate all participants and facilitators. Microphone for moderator and at least another one for participants. Table & chairs adequate for group members in all small groups. For each group, chairs are arranged in ‘fishbowl’ fashion: Observers’ chairs form an outer circle, two chairs inside the circle, facing each other and separated by a table. Communication Observation Checklist, one copy for all group members and facilitators.
For the big group video sessions and discussions: Hall, as above. Microphone is placed in the middle of the hall for the discussion session. o Video clip ‘Tigo Anok Tupa’ o LCD o Computer o Sound system For small group discussions: o Mahjong paper / white board for each group o Marker pens o o
Closing Session
o o
Hall and microphone as above. Evaluation form - 1 copy for each participant
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References
1. Marrie MC and Ros C (2008). Good practice communication skills in English for the medical practitioner, Student‟s book. UK: Cambridge University Press. 2. http://www. skillscade.com 3. http://www. skillscade.com/books/books.html 4. Owen DWH (2004). The handbook of communication skills. USA: Rontledge. 5. Jonathan S, Suzanne K, Juliet D (2004). Teaching and learning skills in Medicine. 2nd edn. Radcliffe Medical Press. 6. Suzanne K, Jonathan S and Juliet D (2003). Marrying content and process in clinical method teaching: Enhancing the Calgary Cambridge guides, Acad Med, 78:802-809.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the following for their roles in making this programme a success:
The Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia The main sponsoring body of the Knowledge Transfer Programme Grant (203/PPSP/6750020)
Universiti Sains Malaysia For their permission and encouragement to be involved in this programme
The Kelantan State Education Department for their financial, administrative and logistical support
The Facilitators in the Medical Student Facilitator Team
The students of the participating schools from the whole of Kelantan state
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