Communications Media Analysis Worksheet

Communications Environments and Media Questions
COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENTS AND MEDIA
Communications environment Communications medium
Electronically mediated virtual communication ____Two-way instant messaging_______
For the communications environment and medium listed above, answer the following questions:
1. What are five communications situations in which this medium could be appropriately used?
a. You are able to send out a meeting location change five minutes before the meeting starts to the other attendee (for small meetings)
b. You are able to ask a someone a short question to find out information quickly
c. Someone is able to quickly ask you your fax number so that they can send you a fax and you can verify receipt of the fax instantly
d. Can coordinate on a homework assignment   between classmates in different locations
e. Can chat briefly with someone online when background noise in a location is too distracting for a phone call
2. What are two communications situations in which it would be inappropriate to use this medium?
a. Having personal conversations in an office environment
b. A manager sending confidential salary information to an employee when they are not certain who may be reading the instant message over the employee’s shoulder
3. What are five non-verbal communications elements characteristic of this medium?
a. Font size, type, and color used in the message
b. Whether or not emoticons are used
c. The length of the initial message and length of responses
d. The way each response is phrased (is the “enter” key pressed after every few words even if the entire sentence is not completed?)
e. The amount of time it takes each person to respond to each other “instantly” (one second versus 30 seconds).
4. What are five types of noise that this communications medium is subject to (e.g., anything in the environment that delays, distorts, or destroys the message)?
a. Internet connection is broken mid-conversation
b. Computer crash... [continues]

Read full essay