Developing Effective Communication Skills

This assignment delves into the crucial aspect of effective communication skills in professional settings. Participants will learn about the characteristics of successful communication, identify potential barriers, and engage in self-reflection exercises to enhance their communication abilities. The content covers presentation techniques, active listening, non-verbal cues, and strategies for fostering clear and concise communication.

Running head: REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
REFLECTIVE REPORT ON MICROTEACHING TECHNIQUE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Executive summary
In this critical analysis of the assessment 2 stage 1 task, we have discussed the entire assignment
in a reflective report format. I, in a group of four students had to deliver microteaching session
on effective communication in nursing profession. We chose visual adult learning technique and
prepared a PowerPoint presentation. We also prepared the lesson plan regarding our presentation.
Finally, the assignment contains the reflective analysis of the process of presentation and
discussed the six aspects of the Gibb’s reflective cycle.

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
Lesson plan..........................................................................................................................4
Goals of the microteaching session.................................................................................4
Learning outcomes...........................................................................................................4
Content of session............................................................................................................5
Teaching methods............................................................................................................6
Strategies to involve audience.........................................................................................6
Lesson prepared and resources required..........................................................................7
Key skills learnt...............................................................................................................8
Time management...........................................................................................................8
Reflective analysis...............................................................................................................9
Description.......................................................................................................................9
Feelings............................................................................................................................9
Evaluation......................................................................................................................10
Analysis.........................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................10
Action plan.....................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................11
References..........................................................................................................................12

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Introduction
Microteaching is a training technique for upcoming teachers which currently been
practiced worldwide (Arsal 2014). This technique provides those upcoming teachers with an
opportunity to enhance their skills and add real-time experience in their profession. the core
skills of microteaching like presentation and strengthening skills helps upcoming teachers to
learn the techniques and arts of teaching at ease and to enhance their expertise. The effect of this
teaching skill is evident in subjects such as science educations (health and life sciences),
practical subjects and many more (Remesh 2013).
In our previous assignment, I, in a group of four students, facilitated a microteaching
session of 15 minutes. Our teaching session was comprised of visual resources and we used
presentation to conduct the microteaching session. We included different adult learning styles
and teaching techniques to include the audience in our presentation. The topic of our presentation
was effective communication in nursing profession and we were to teach an idea to the audience
or group of student we were interacting (Broadbent 2013).
In this critical analysis of the previous assignment about importance of effective
communication in nursing, I am going to discuss the different adult learning techniques and
strategies our group had used to engage the audience during the presentation. During this
microteaching session, we also provided a lesson plan including lesson outcomes, content of
session, teaching methods, resources required, and different key-skills learnt during that day. I
am going to use Gibb’s reflective cycle to analyze my facilitating skills and will discuss how my
facilitation skills improved while facilitating the group (Husebø O’Regan and Nestel 2015).

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Lesson plan
The lesson plan prepared by my group members and me was comprised of aspects such
as details of facilitators, goals (general and specific), learning outcomes, preparation,
implementation and reflection (Chong and Kong 2012).
Goals of the microteaching session
The prime goal of the microteaching session was to improve our teaching skills in the
real-time experience (Saito 2012). As a team, we were aware of the topic of our discussion. We
divided the topic in four different segments however; our goal was to understand every section of
the presentation so that we can create a connection while presenting the topic. I was also aware
of the importance of effective communication in nursing and prepared all the readings regarding
my section and the whole topic before the presentation. Other than these, the general goal was to
create a learning contact with the audience and I as a mentor was dedicated to make my audience
understand every aspects of communication skills. According to Milkova (2012) contact learning
technique help the learner or mentee more confident about themselves and they never forget
those real-time learnings. To make the audience understand the importance of effective
communication, I had to assess my learning needs. I had to understand which strategy could help
the audience to connect with the topic effectively.
Learning outcomes
After the microteaching session, the audience would understand the learning outcomes of
our presentation. These outcomes are
 Effective communication is a core skill for nursing professionals.

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
 The definition of communication and aims of good communication in nursing
practice.
 Characteristics of effective communication skills including pro-active
participation, active listeners, ability to learn from others and staying focused
while practicing communication skills.
 Communication barriers and different types of communication barriers
 Effectiveness of communication skills in nursing practices.
Content of session
The content of the session was comprised of sections and timings for every facilitator.
Process of planning is time consuming however, me and my group members were benefitted
from the session preparation. During planning the session, I was able to visualize the class and
each steps of that class was clear to my vision. It helped me to ensure the thoughts I have
prepared for my section and the whole topic. It also helped to me logically arrange the content
for presentation and underline points that audience might feel problematic.
The session content was comprised of the following steps:
 defining key objectives
 clarifying key points and related topics
 organize material regarding the topic
 plan the presentation technique, strategies to involve audience
 evaluation process
 and timing division

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Teaching methods
Teaching method is an important part of microteaching technique as a proper teaching
method can help the audience to understand the topic effectively (Kowalczyk, Hackworth and
Case-Smith 2012). There are different teaching methods such as class participation, citation,
memorization, demonstration and combination. These techniques help the teachers or facilitators
to create a positive learning environment to make a classroom friendly and supportive. The
technique we used for our microteaching session was class participation. The advantages of class
participation technique are –
 It ensures everyone’s attention in learning.
 It ensures every distractions are removed from the class
 Activities and questions help the audience to engage in the class and creates non-
threatening environment
 Maintains smooth transitions from one topic to another
There are six different adult learning techniques used for microteaching processes. These
techniques are visual, aural, tactile, print, interactive and kinesthetic. Within these techniques,
visual learning helps people to remind the learning for a longer period. Hence, for our
microteaching session we chose PowerPoint presentation to define our topic.
Strategies to involve audience
Our next aim was to make the audience engage in our PowerPoint presentation. Hence, to
meet these strategies, we chose four ways to engage the audience in our presentation (Rui and
Stefanone 2013).

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
 Asking questions- this technique is also known as Socratic technique, in which
teacher teaches by asking questions to the student. The materials in presentation
then support student’s replies. Socratic Method helps the presenter to shine out in
the room and engage a lot of audience in the process.
 Providing examples and case studies while presenting the topic help the audience
to understand the consequences easily. We provided examples of effective
communication and how this communication helped patients overcome the
adverse health condition. The barriers and enhancers of effective communication
was also discussed with examples and stories to engage more audience.
 As we were four group members and the whole task was divided into four
segments, we decided to use the entire stage instead of podium, so that our group
can look different in the eyes of audience. I was sure of this technique as eye
connection is the strongest connection human can use while conversation.
 Memorizing the presentation was another step to engage the audience in the
presentation. I knew of the fact that if I am looking at the slides every minute to
understand the topic I am presenting, my audience will also become reluctant to
understand the topic. Hence, my group members and I decided to memorize the
individual as well as whole presentation topics.
Lesson prepared and resources required
Lesson preparation is an important part of lesson plan are critical aspects of teaching and
learning (Darlind-Hammond 2012). A well-developed and prepared lesson that has been
prepared in advance makes the presentation smooth and engaging and student can understand the
topic easily.

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Authenticity of the topic delivered depends on the materials provided through authentic
resources. In our microteaching process, we have included resources like books, research
journals, and authentic websites. Furthermore, to deliver the topic effectively, we also require
resources such as books and handouts for the audience to be aware of the flow of presentation.
PowerPoint to prepare the presentation, projector, computer, questionnaire sheets and feedback
sheet. According to our lesson plan, these resources were to help us engage the audience in our
presentation.
Key skills learnt
After the completion of the PowerPoint presentation, it is very important to understand
whether the audience have grasp the key points of the presentation or not. Our aim was to get the
feedback of our presentation within that provided time; hence, we included the audience in the
process and provided them with situation to reflect their action. A small questionnaire was also
provided to point out the key skills learn (Danielson 2013).
Time management
Time management was the most important and crucial part of the microteaching session.
We were ready with our reading materials, evidences, and evaluation skills (Kirillov et al. 2015).
However, without a proper time management strategy, our presentation could have been failed to
draw attention of the audience. Hence, I decided to divide time for each presenter, and duration
of the time depended on the importance of the topic in overall presentation. Therefore, the
presenter, who was to present the introduction of effective communication, got 2 to 3 minutes
whereas the presenter defines the characteristics of effective communication got 5 minutes to
explain the topic. Furthermore, to conduct audience interaction and questionnaire discussion 5 to

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
8 minutes was proposed. This way we divided the time throughout the topic to target the entire
section of audience for our presentation (Milkova 2012).
Reflective analysis
To propose a reflective analysis on this issue, I am going to use Gibb’s reflective cycle.
The Gibb’s reflective cycle is comprised of six stages such as description of the situation,
feelings, evaluation and analysis, conclusion and action plan (Paterson and Champan 2013).
Description
It was the assessment 2 stage 1 of the assignment and my three group members and I
were ready with our topic effective communication in nursing. We had divided the topic in four
segments such as introduction of effective communication, characteristics of effective
communications, possible barriers of effective communication and strategies to promote it in
workplace. Communication is essential in nursing practices for patient’s safety and well-being.
Nurses are the center of patients care and hence, it is the responsibility of the nurses to initiate
dialog. Four members of our group described four aspects of communication skills such as
definition of communication skills, characteristics of communication skills, potential barriers
enhancers and examples of effective communication enhancing patient’s health.
Feelings
We all were prepared with our topics and had practiced it several times; however before
the presentation I was feeling nervous. This was my first microteaching experience hence I was
very hopeful about the results. We had arranged our presentation in such a way that I was sure
about audience support and engagement. We started the presentation with strong and positive

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
note. The entire group member delivered their portion efficiently. Even I started with potential
barriers of effective communication and delivered my readings however, I forgot to mention the
types of barriers effecting communication between nurses and patients.
Evaluation
While evaluating the course of action I came to the point that the presentation was
successful. We all delivered our part effectively that helped to engage the audience in our
presentation. When I forgot the important portion of my topic, I became nervous. However, I
compensate the fault by addressing the types of communication barriers with examples.
Analysis
The only thing helped us to gain confidence and deliver such presentation was fluency
and practice. We prepared our presentation with dedication and helped each other to prepare
speech and final questionnaire. The theory of effective communication helped me to interact with
my audience as well. As per the theory, communication helps to mend the barriers and let the
knowledge flow in every direction. I understood the theory with personal experience while our
presentation. After forgetting my speech, this connection helped me to reinforce my courage to
deliver the entire section with effectiveness.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, I can say that the entire experience of microteaching process was
positive for my team and me. We all were new to this experience. However, the feedback from
the audience and their involvement in the process of presentation increased our confidence.
Furthermore, the way our team responded to the adverse situation, it filled all the team members
with utmost confidence.

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
Action plan
After this presentation, I am going to take part in some workshops to enhance my
interaction skills, because the engagement of audience made me nervous and I forgot the lines.
However, I will be preparing my slide notes by my own for any future presentation as research
and slide note preparation helped me to overcome the fear of stage and deliver quality
presentation.
Conclusion
In this critical analysis of my previous assignment assessment 2 stage 1, I had to prepare
a report explaining the lesson plan our four-membered team used and all the strategies we used
to deliver our presentation. I mentioned about the learning techniques of adults and the strategies
my team and I used to engage the audience in the presentation. Finally, I presented reflective
analysis of the entire scenario using Gibbs reflective cycle and mentioned all the six stages of it
regarding effective communication skills in nursing profession.

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REFLECTIVE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT 2 PART 1
References
Arsal, Z., 2014. Microteaching and pre-service teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in
teaching. European Journal of Teacher Education, 37(4), pp.453-464.
Remesh, A., 2013. Microteaching, an efficient technique for learning effective
teaching. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of
Medical Sciences, 18(2), p.158.
Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2015). Interpersonal Relationships-E-Book: Professional
Communication Skills for Nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Broadbent, D.E., 2013. Perception and communication. Elsevier.
Husebø, S.E., O'Regan, S. and Nestel, D., 2015. Reflective practice and its role in
simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 11(8), pp.368-375.
Chong, W.H. and Kong, C.A., 2012. Teacher collaborative learning and teacher self-
efficacy: The case of lesson study. The Journal of Experimental Education, 80(3), pp.263-283.
Saito, E., 2012. Key issues of lesson study in Japan and the United States: A literature
review. Professional development in education, 38(5), pp.777-789.
Danielson, C., 2013. The framework for teaching: Evaluation instrument. Princeton, NJ:
Danielson Group.
Milkova, S., 2012. Strategies for effective lesson planning. Center for Research on
learning and Teaching, pp.1-4.

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Kowalczyk, N., Hackworth, R. and Case-Smith, J., 2012. Perceptions of the use of
critical thinking teaching methods. Radiologic technology, 83(3), pp.226-236.
Rui, J. and Stefanone, M.A., 2013. Strategic self-presentation online: A cross-cultural
study. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), pp.110-118.
Darling-Hammond, L., 2012. Powerful teacher education: Lessons from exemplary
programs. John Wiley & Sons.
Kirillov, A.V., Tanatova, D.K., Vinichenko, M.V. and Makushkin, S.A., 2015. Theory
and practice of time-management in education. Asian Social Science, 11(19), p.193.
Paterson, C. and Chapman, J., 2013. Enhancing skills of critical reflection to evidence
learning in professional practice. Physical Therapy in Sport, 14(3), pp.133-138.

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Appendix
Table of learning outcomes
SL no. Time (Minutes) Objective content
1 2 To make the audience
aware of facilitators and
the topic
Presentation and
handbook
2 3 To make the audience
understand the aims of
communication skills
Presentation and
handbook
3 2 Characteristics of
effective communication
skills
Presentation and
handbook
4 3 Potential barriers of
communication skills
Examples and stories
5 5 Audience involvement
and reflection
Questionnaire and
feedback form