We all know about the importance of communication in academia. It enables the students, and teachers in exchanging information through a formal way. But the question is how can we implement communication models effectively in our academia? Let me be more specific by asking how can we implement SMCR Model of Communication in academic life? If you are also curious about this aspect, you should give this article a fine read.
Berlo’s model of communication has four elements. It says that effective communication is based on those four elements. The four elements are that of Source, Message, Channel and Receiver. They’re often Witten as (SMCR). Each element of the SMCR communication model has five components. The description of this model’s elements is as follows;
Source
The source is the sender. In simple words, it is the one from whom the thought, or idea originates. A source is the one who transfers ideas to the receiver after putting ideas into proper words. The factors that affect the source are as follows;
- Communication skills
- Attitudes
- Knowledge
- Social system
- Culture
Hence, a sender is the most crucial link in the communication process.
Message
The message is the idea, or thought conveyed by the source. In this model of communication, message relates to the aspect of “what”. The message comprises of a message code, message content, and message treatment. The five key elements of the message are as follows;
- Contents
- Elements
- Treatment
- Structure
- Code
Channel
Channel element relates to the aspect of “how”. It refers to the medium through which a message is delivered. Berlo listed them as sensory factors. The channels are different for different sources. Like for students and teachers, the channel is based on visual, and audio domains. Hence implementation of SMCR model of communication helps with the management of academic life. The five components of the channel are as follows;
- Hearing
- Seeing
- Touching
- Smelling
- Tasting
Receiver
A receiver is the one who receives, and analyses the message. The receiver is also known as the listener, decoder, or audience. The five components of a receiver are as follows;
- Communication skills
- Attitudes
- Knowledge
- Social system
- Culture
SMCR and Academia
SMCR model of communication and academia have a deep relationship. Teachers and students implement all four elements of this model in the effective delivery of lectures. One typical example of this model is described below;
A teacher is delivering a lecture to the class. The teacher uses multimedia for delivering said lecture. The students are paying attention to the concepts that their teacher is trying to deliver. After the class, the teacher asks students about effectiveness of the lecture. Then students answered questions concerning the SMCR model of communication.
This is the example of a teacher delivering a lecture to his/her students. The teacher is the source. The lecture is the message. Multimedia is behaving as the channel of communication. In the end, students present in the class are receivers. In this way, the SMCR model of communication is helping academic professionals in ensuring effective communication of lectures. But the lectures are not the only things that come in academia. There are many other domains apart from this one. These can include seminars, webinars, research writings etc.
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Advantages of SMCR Model in Academia
As stated earlier, the SMCR model of communication is closely related to academia. This model takes communication as a two-way process. The teacher (source) delivers the lecture, and students (receivers) listen to it in academic classes. There will be a channel for this communication as well.
- The model is straightforward as compared to the modern models of communication. This is because it incorporates simple concepts of the sender and receiver.
- This model is still used in person to person communications. That’s why it is more popular in academia as compared to any other model.
- Its simplicity and broad nature also serve as a basis for many other communication models.
Keeping in mind all of the aspects highlighted above, we can say that the SMCR communication model is crucial. This is because it helps in understanding various elements of communication within academia, as well as general domains. Hence it can be used extensively in academia for ensuring better teacher-student communications.
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