Communication workshop puts media students through the paces

By Pragya Singh

An interactive three-hour workshop on group communication was held for the students pursuing Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication, and Liberal Arts, on Wednesday. The workshop was a part of the student’s Theories of Mass Communication course.

The objective of the workshop was to teach students effective methods of group communication - a form of communication where more than two individuals are involved in the exchange of ideas, and skills.

“Since students are working in groups, there is brainstorming involved. It is unlike a teacher just talking down to you,” Professor Sunil Saxena, Head of Department, Times School of Media, said.

He said that he sees great potential in the workshop both as a teaching methodology as well as a way to evaluate students.

The workshop was divided into five segments. The first three parts of the workshop included questions like, “What is a group?”, “Which groups do you belong to?” and “Why do people form groups?” which the students had to answer as groups.

The answer to these questions were to be filled in each group’s chart paper as well as their Miro boards. Miro is an online whiteboard platform where people can write and brainstorm simultaneously. Their work could also be viewed by everyone with the link to the Board.

“I had attended a workshop in the Netherlands recently using the Miro board and we thought of using the same model for our students,” Pallavi Bansal, Assistant Professor, Times School of Media, who conducted the workshop, said.

The fourth part of the workshop was a Scavenger Hunt, where each group was given a set of clues and tasks, like “Take picture of a place where knowledge is tangible” and “Take a picture of a red mug”. Group 7 finished first among the nine groups to win a pack of Belgian chocolates.

“I think what went right for our group was better co-ordination and communication between the members,” Ashna Santhosh, a member of Group 7, said.

“The workshop taught me how to work despite differences and the Scavenger Hunt was my favourite part,” Joanna Rafi, another BAJMC student, said.

Well, who says learning can’t be fun?

(The writer is a Semester IV student of BA (Journalism and Mass Communication) programme.)