During our time outside we were to work as a team to build a shelter, which had to meet certain criteria. In the group a leader was established, they were chosen as they had the instructions and it was easier and cause less confusion to listen to one person while they were reading the instructions. They also took a leadership role by choosing the area where we would build our shelter. Everyone in the group was included and everyone voiced their opinion on what they thought would be best. The thing I found most challenging working in the group was being clear of what everyone was doing, as we naturally sectioned off into smaller groups to work on different sections. To tackle this in the future I need to ensure my communication within the group is better.  

The task was explained very clearly as only one person was reading the task with everyone else listening. Any confusion was cleared as we all had the opportunity to voice any questions or thoughts we had. On reflection the preparation stage from Hargies 5 Ps of Explaining (Hargie, O., 2011) may have been missed as we did not have much time to prepare what resources we were going to use. This meant it was more difficult to explain why we used certain resources when presenting to another group.  

The environment played a major role in the type of communication and how we communicated due to the large outdoor space. It was slightly more difficult talking over the noise of the environment as it was a large, open space and sound got lost easily. This could be made easier by bringing the group closer together when we are communicating to try and minimize any loss of communication. Listening was also distracting at some points as other groups were nearby and shouting over to each other. We can overcome this by moving groups further apart or concentrating on blocking out any outside noise from the environment.  

Our negotiation was not very successful as we had to get someone from another group to come and help us for at least ten minutes. This meant that they would have to leave their own group and help another team. It was challenging as everyone was focussed on building their own fort that they did not want to help as they wanted to finish their own. Eventually we managed to negotiate and get help towards the end when people were finishing their shelters.   

Overall It was a great experience as it clearly displayed how communication needs to change in different environments.  

Hargie, O. (2011) Skilled Interpersonal  Communication. 5th Edition. London: Routlege

Last week I started my first year at the University of the West of Scotland, where I will be studying education for the next four years. Before starting I was apprehensive as it felt like I was starting school all over again and the task of making new friends was slightly frightening after being comfortable with your friends from school for so long. However, starting this new chapter of my life was exciting and I am looking forward to what the next four years at the university will bring. When starting the course, I was glad that the lecturers went into detail about each module as it provided me with a clearer insight to the course, it was also useful to hear from two of the BA2 students that had went through the same experiences the year before. After the induction week I was very excited to start each module specifically the modern foreign language as Spanish is something I have never done before and will help me develop my skills in foreign languages.