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Hello and welcome to this video lecture.

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The lecture is a part of Unit 4- The profession,

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Element 2- Interpersonal skills.

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My name is Tatjana Knapp

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and I will speak about communication

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with the end-users,

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mainly in the validation process.

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We discuss the process of validation
in Unit 2,

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explaining it as a process of assessing

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whether the content is,
in fact, Easy-to-understand.

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The process should actively include
the end-users of Easy-to-understand information

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and is often considered to be
a crucial part of the process

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of publishing Easy-to-understand information.

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A crucial part of the validation process
is communication.

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Communication is the key
to successful validation.

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In this lecture, we discuss
the basic ‘‘rules‘‘

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of successful communication
with validators and end-users

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and offer some advice on how to ask

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efficient questions to get useful answers.

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Based on practical experience
and literature review,

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Haramija and Knapp defined 
15 ''golden rules'' or tips

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for communicating with the
end-users and validators.

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The first rule is to show respect.

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We never want to speak with adult end-users
 and validators in the same manner

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as we would with children.

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Secondly, allow enough time.

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Understanding and processing the message
to give feedback requires time.

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Sometimes we feel like a person
responded out of the blue

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but upon further thought,

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we might realize they provided
 a question

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to the answer, we were asking a while ago.

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Thirdly, remember to speak
relatively slowly and clearly.

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If possible, opt for a quiet location

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for your validation sessions.

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Try to eliminate
possible interference.

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Sometimes might be helpful

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if the validator or validators

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already know the location
and feel comfortable there.

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Though a validator might be accompanied

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by a support person or an assistant, 

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remember to always address

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the validator directly.

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Focus on them

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and try to maintain eye contact, 
if possible.

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It is always a good idea to check

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if the validators might use communicators,

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folders with pictograms,

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or related low or high technology devices.

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Augmentative and alternative communication
can be very useful.

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If the person does not use it

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and if we work together with them 
for a longer period of time,

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assessing whether they would benefit 
from communication aids

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could be in place.

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Try finding the methods and tools
that really work.

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Remember that people
likely understand more than it seems.

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Sometimes a lack of feedback
does not stem from possible poor understanding.

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The validator could also have difficulties
expressing the feedback.

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Always focus on
the abilities of the validators

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and try to give positive feedback.

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Remember to use simple language
and short sentences.

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If you fail to understand the message 
the end-user or validator is trying to communicate with you,

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be honest and admit it.

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Trust us,
most people will notice

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if you pretend to understand them.

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Make sure that the end-user or validator

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understands you, too. 

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Never ask questions such as

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‘Do you understand?’

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or ‘Do you not understand?’

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There is a high probability

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that the person will answer such questions

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with ‘‘ Yes ’’, regardless.

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What kind of questions to ask

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is briefly suggested later in the lecture.

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When a person fails to understand,

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try rephrasing the message or question.

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Using real-life examples

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is almost always beneficial.

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Repeating and summarizing important information

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is always useful.

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And last but not least,

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regardless if you work
with a group or an individual,

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you need to ensure confidentiality.

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The materials you are working on

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sometimes encourage the validators

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to share their personal information
and different stories.

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You want to make sure

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that this kind of information
stays confidential.

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We now move to what kind of questions

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to ask the validators
during the validation process.

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Some questions are useful

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and lead towards high-quality end products,

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others are not

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and only serve as a formality.

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From experience,

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useful questions are the ones
that are specific

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and related to the text or picture
we are validating.

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They are usually the famous
5ws questions:

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who,

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what,

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when,

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where,

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and why.

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Examples of such questions could be:

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Why did the cat fell off the shelf?

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What do you see in this picture?

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To list a few more useful examples,

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we could ask something like:

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How many cars does the boss have?

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When was the woman born?

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Who is the old man‘s son?

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In which country or where is Paris located?

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Questions that do not help 
the validation process

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are mostly those that can be answered

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with a simple ‘‘yes‘‘ or a ‘‘no‘‘

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or make the validator
choose the option they like the most.

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For example,

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you might wish to avoid questions such as:

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Did you understand what the text says?

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Is the illustration clear and adequate?

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Do you think the text is well written?

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Do you prefer A or B?

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Is the text written
in Easy-to-understand language?

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These types of questions

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can give false confirmations

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and do not ensure the quality
of the final validated product.

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We are concluding this lecture

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with some additional advice.

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Remember to ask your validators
one question at a time.

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You wish to work step by step

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and check the comprehension thoroughly.

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Do not accumulate or combine questions.

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Listen to the validators carefully
and provide feedback.

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Always, make it clear
that the validation process

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does not put the validator to test.

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It is the other way around.

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The validator is putting the material to the test.

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You may want to ask the validators

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to read the text or a word out loud.

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Some words can be easy to understand

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yet difficult to read.

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The validators might have trouble
reading them out loud.

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Opt for Easy-to-read synonyms, 
if possible.

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By hearing the text out loud,

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you might discover additional loops,

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for example, too many words in a line,

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or redundant words.

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Our final word of advice

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is to turn to other units

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for additional lectures and samples

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if you want to learn more about
the validation process and communication.

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This concludes our video lecture.

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If you have any questions or comments
regarding the content,

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please contact me through email.

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The email address is tatjana@risa.si.