Mediated Vs. Real Communication
Otto Peters’ comment that “mediated communication and real communication are related
in the same way as a pencil sketch and an oil painting of the same subject” is startlingly
direct and thought-provoking. What does he mean by this? What does he suggest is the
appropriate role of mediated communication in distance education? How do his
comments “strike” you?
Part 1
In art, the quality of a piece of work as well as its value is of great importance. Therefore,
when a pencil sketch of a beautiful landscape is compared to an oil painting of the same
landscape one can truly agree that, the two pieces of work are both related to the visual
arts but have differences in quality and value. For example, the oil painting would be of a
higher quality and value than the pencil sketch because it would create a more detailed
picture of a landscape.
Therefore, Otto Peters comparison of mediated communication and real communication
to an oil painting and a pencil sketch of the same subject will be interpreted as follows.
Mediated communication can be viewed as, communication that takes place through
technical media, (e.g. emails, and electronic chat rooms) and extends beyond any single
geographical location. On the other hand, real communication can be viewed as genuine,
face-to-face communication that takes place in a single location.
When we look at the above definitions, we can see that both mediated communication
and real communication are two distinct types of communication that are closely related
to each other. Both are similar in that they require participation and attention from both
interacting parties. But as Leonard Pitts suggests in (Interpersonal Communications,
2002, Beebe A.S., Beebe J.S, Redmond V. M., Third Edition) “mediated communication
can be less satisfying than face-to-face encounter.”
With mediated communication, “the consciously perceived presence of the person is
missing”, (Otto Peters in Handbook of Distance education, Moore and Anderson, 2003),
which suggests, that individuals are restricted to emails, discussions, electronic chats and
other technical media. In real communication, the presence of the individual is what
makes it “genuine and lively” (Moore and Anderson, 2003, p.99). With real
communication, individuals can engage all five senses during interaction at a single
location, but mediated communication engages only a few of the senses even though it
extends the reach of humans well beyond any single geographic location. The human face
and body are always rich in meaning and emotions in real communication which of
course is lacking in mediated communication.
Based on the foregone, it can be said that mediated communication is lacking some very
essential ingredients that is not lacking in real communication. As a result, mediated
communication would certainly be of a less quality and value than real communication.
Otto Peters description of the future university (i.e. virtual university) states that, it
should “add extraordinary efficacy, flexibility and variability”…”rather than providing
existing patterns” (Moore and Anderson, 2003, p. 99). This suggests that mediated
communication should complement face-to-face communication, as this will enhance the
integrated learning environment that is now present to distance education students.
I am in total agreement with Otto Peters when he stated that, “communication mediated
trough technical media remains mediated communication…” (Moore and Anderson,
2003, p.99). It is my belief that the most effective type of communication especially to
express feelings, occurs when there are no media filters to interfere with the clarity of the
message or to delay feedback from the receiver of the message. Even if you use
emoticons or smiley faces, when you can’t see the other person’s facial expression, eye
contact, or whether he or she seems interested in what is being said, accurately
communicating your meaning, especially your feelings and emotions can be challenging.
Part 11
Even though we might agree that mediated communication may be lacking some
essential ingredients when compared to real, face-to-face communication, it is important
for us to look at its effectiveness.
If we look at mediated communication from a positive perspective, we will realize that it
can help us to achieve the same goals and objectives as real communication. For
example, NSU among other universities offer a variety of online courses at a distance
and at the same time in the traditional setting. Now, online students are expected to
interact with each other mostly using mediated communication (online chats, emails,
etc.) while students in the traditional setting will mostly use face-to-face communication
to interact with each other. At the end of a program of study, successful students will be
awarded a diploma/degree. This clearly points out, that mediated communication and
real communication were used in two different learning environments to achieve the
same goal/objective (diploma/degree).
Similar things could be said about a pencil sketch of a plant that highlights the main parts
and an oil painting of the same plant highlighting the essential parts also. Even though
the pencil sketch may look a bit dull when compared to the oil painting, it can be
considered to be just as effective as the oil painting when used to teach students about
the essential parts of a plant. Of course, the objective is for the students to recognize,
and identify the main parts of a plant (e.g. leaves, stem, root etc.) and relate such
experience to everyday life experiences, for example, when students see a plant in their
environment; they will be able to recognize its essential parts.
Therefore, it can be said that, mediated communication and real communication both
have their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, mediated communication and
real communication both use words that carry a meaning that everyone who speaks the
same language can recognize. Non-verbal cues not present in mediated communication,
but, in real communication can be misinterpreted by individuals because they can be
culturally based or ambiguous.
This leaves me to say that, if mediated communication and real communication are
effectively incorporated in the teaching learning process, you can achieve the “best” of
both.
References:
Beebe A.S., Beebe J.S, Redmond V. M., (2002), Interpersonal Communications, Third
Edition
Moore M. G., Anderson W. G. (2003) Handbook of Distance Education