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Communication Skills

Science Laboratory Technology · Level 6  ·  5 Chapters

Compiled by: Kevin Rotich

Can I download Communication Skills notes as a PDF?

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What Communication Skills covers

A laboratory result is only useful once someone understands it, and that is the purpose of Communication Skills in Science Laboratory Technology Level 6. Channels are chosen by weighing the situation, the barriers and the way information flows between staff and supervisors. Written work looks at the kinds of document and the elements each needs. Gestures, posture and dress code then show how a technician comes across without speaking. Spoken communication adds questioning, etiquette and listening, and group discussion closes with rapport, agreed action plans, fair turn-taking, conflict resolution and team-work.

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Careers after Communication Skills

Graduates who communicate well are trusted with more of a laboratory's daily work, and this unit covers the range of that skill.

  • University and college teaching laboratories in Kakamega - You brief students orally, write instructions that follow the organisation's requirements and use body language to show you are approachable.
  • Pharmaceutical manufacturing quality laboratories in Nairobi - You choose the correct channel for a result, flag communication barriers early and take part in team discussions that end in action plans.
  • Environmental testing consultancies in Mombasa - You write clear reports for clients, question requests carefully and handle disagreements politely.
  • Agricultural research stations in Machakos - You work in groups, share the turns to speak and keep the flow of information moving between field and laboratory staff.
  • Private diagnostic laboratories in Nyeri - You follow the dress code and etiquette expected on the floor and listen actively to patients' and clinicians' questions.

Whatever the setting, you apply channels, writing, non-verbal skills, speaking and teamwork together.

Chapters

1
Apply communication channels
8 topics
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2
Apply written communication skills
3 topics
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3
Apply non-verbal skills
3 topics
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4
Apply oral communication skills
4 topics
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5
Apply group discussion skills
7 topics
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What Communication Skills covers: 25 main topics in 5 chapters

1. Apply communication channels

  1. 1.1 Communication Process
  2. 1.2 Principles of effective communication
  3. 1.3 Channels/medium/modes of communication
  4. 1.4 Factors to consider when selecting a channel of communication
  5. 1.5 Barriers to effective communication
  6. 1.6 Flow/patterns of communication
  7. 1.7 Sources of information
  8. 1.8 Organizational policies

2. Apply written communication skills

  1. 2.1 Types of written communication
  2. 2.2 Elements of communication
  3. 2.3 Organization requirements for written communication

3. Apply non-verbal skills

  1. 3.1 Utilize body language and gestures
  2. 3.2 Apply body posture
  3. 3.3 Apply workplace dressing code

4. Apply oral communication skills

  1. 4.1 Types of oral communication pathways
  2. 4.2 Effective questioning techniques
  3. 4.3 Workplace etiquette
  4. 4.4 Active listening

5. Apply group discussion skills

  1. 5.1 Establishing rapport
  2. 5.2 Facilitating resolution of issues
  3. 5.3 Developing action plans
  4. 5.4 Group organization techniques
  5. 5.5 Turn-taking techniques
  6. 5.6 Conflict resolution techniques
  7. 5.7 Team-work

Revise this unit

Exam-style questions 70 Written to CDACC standard, with answers Test yourself 158 Multiple-choice, one at a time Practise questions 132 Quick recall — check you know the facts
3 more for this unit
Oral exam preparation 37 What the assessor asks, and how to answer out loud Worked calculations 14 Step-by-step maths with the common mistakes Quick cards 790 Myth busters, skill tips and scenarios

Beyond the syllabus

Decision simulator 4 On site, what would you do? Workplace scenarios 80 Real site situations — what would you do? Turn this into income 48 Where this skill earns — what to charge, how to find clients

Other units in Module I