Hello and welcome to this video lecture.
The lecture is a part of Unit 4- The profession,
Element 2- Interpersonal skills.
My name is Tatjana Knapp
and I will speak about communication
with the end-users,
mainly in the validation process.
We discuss the process of validation in Unit 2,
explaining it as a process of assessing
whether the content is, in fact, Easy-to-understand.
The process should actively include the end-users of Easy-to-understand information
and is often considered to be a crucial part of the process
of publishing Easy-to-understand information.
A crucial part of the validation process is communication.
Communication is the key to successful validation.
In this lecture, we discuss the basic ‘‘rules‘‘
of successful communication with validators and end-users
and offer some advice on how to ask
efficient questions to get useful answers.
Based on practical experience and literature review,
Haramija and Knapp defined 15 ''golden rules'' or tips
for communicating with the end-users and validators.
The first rule is to show respect.
We never want to speak with adult end-users and validators in the same manner
as we would with children.
Secondly, allow enough time.
Understanding and processing the message to give feedback requires time.
Sometimes we feel like a person responded out of the blue
but upon further thought,
we might realize they provided a question
to the answer, we were asking a while ago.
Thirdly, remember to speak relatively slowly and clearly.
If possible, opt for a quiet location
for your validation sessions.
Try to eliminate possible interference.
Sometimes might be helpful
if the validator or validators
already know the location and feel comfortable there.
Though a validator might be accompanied
by a support person or an assistant,
remember to always address
the validator directly.
Focus on them
and try to maintain eye contact, if possible.
It is always a good idea to check
if the validators might use communicators,
folders with pictograms,
or related low or high technology devices.
Augmentative and alternative communication can be very useful.
If the person does not use it
and if we work together with them for a longer period of time,
assessing whether they would benefit from communication aids
could be in place.
Try finding the methods and tools that really work.
Remember that people likely understand more than it seems.
Sometimes a lack of feedback does not stem from possible poor understanding.
The validator could also have difficulties expressing the feedback.
Always focus on the abilities of the validators
and try to give positive feedback.
Remember to use simple language and short sentences.
If you fail to understand the message the end-user or validator is trying to communicate with you,
be honest and admit it.
Trust us, most people will notice
if you pretend to understand them.
Make sure that the end-user or validator
understands you, too.
Never ask questions such as
‘Do you understand?’
or ‘Do you not understand?’
There is a high probability
that the person will answer such questions
with ‘‘ Yes ’’, regardless.
What kind of questions to ask
is briefly suggested later in the lecture.
When a person fails to understand,
try rephrasing the message or question.
Using real-life examples
is almost always beneficial.
Repeating and summarizing important information
is always useful.
And last but not least,
regardless if you work with a group or an individual,
you need to ensure confidentiality.
The materials you are working on
sometimes encourage the validators
to share their personal information and different stories.
You want to make sure
that this kind of information stays confidential.
We now move to what kind of questions
to ask the validators during the validation process.
Some questions are useful
and lead towards high-quality end products,
others are not
and only serve as a formality.
From experience,
useful questions are the ones that are specific
and related to the text or picture we are validating.
They are usually the famous 5ws questions:
who,
what,
when,
where,
and why.
Examples of such questions could be:
Why did the cat fell off the shelf?
What do you see in this picture?
To list a few more useful examples,
we could ask something like:
How many cars does the boss have?
When was the woman born?
Who is the old man‘s son?
In which country or where is Paris located?
Questions that do not help the validation process
are mostly those that can be answered
with a simple ‘‘yes‘‘ or a ‘‘no‘‘
or make the validator choose the option they like the most.
For example,
you might wish to avoid questions such as:
Did you understand what the text says?
Is the illustration clear and adequate?
Do you think the text is well written?
Do you prefer A or B?
Is the text written in Easy-to-understand language?
These types of questions
can give false confirmations
and do not ensure the quality of the final validated product.
We are concluding this lecture
with some additional advice.
Remember to ask your validators one question at a time.
You wish to work step by step
and check the comprehension thoroughly.
Do not accumulate or combine questions.
Listen to the validators carefully and provide feedback.
Always, make it clear that the validation process
does not put the validator to test.
It is the other way around.
The validator is putting the material to the test.
You may want to ask the validators
to read the text or a word out loud.
Some words can be easy to understand
yet difficult to read.
The validators might have trouble reading them out loud.
Opt for Easy-to-read synonyms, if possible.
By hearing the text out loud,
you might discover additional loops,
for example, too many words in a line,
or redundant words.
Our final word of advice
is to turn to other units
for additional lectures and samples
if you want to learn more about the validation process and communication.
This concludes our video lecture.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the content,
please contact me through email.
The email address is tatjana@risa.si.