Jason Justice

For Communication Competence, I chose the video for Assignment 1A to be shown on my E-Portfolio. I chose it since it provided a great example of me being able to communicate information, albeit in a more verbal way. The assignment was given to us during the beginning of the course, and the course itself lasted 12 weeks. The course name was American Government. (POL-120-OAS1) The course was online; therefore, all communication and work were strictly online only. The artifact is a short video that has me explaining the Federal Bureaucracy, how it works, how it influences government, and the history and background behind its founding. 

 

The artifact, as mentioned before, is a video detailing the inner workings of the American Government and Federal Bureaucracy. The assignment had a rigid set of instructions that we had to adhere to if we were to receive a grade. When the video begins, I first go over the Federal Bureaucracy, then I move on to the schematics and how it ties to the government, before moving on to the history and background behind its current form. In that way, I was able to communicate information to a specific audience, which in this case happened to be a history-based one. It has a few strengths, such as that it provides an example of communication and that it allows me to explain in-depth about a subject.

 

I could verbally explain a subject to an audience, which helps to prove my worth in communication. In addition, it was a more in-depth rundown, which is what audiences look for when they choose who to devote their time to. Its weaknesses, however, are there is no transcript available and that it was a shorter assignment than some others. Since it is not based on writing, it is less known what I have written, or the type of information conveyed at face value. The assignment was also shorter, meaning that I had less time to communicate information, which may have caused me to make errors. 

 

The assignment took some time to complete since I had to create a transcript to base my video on and minimize how many errors I made. While it was on the shorter end, I feel that it has achieved my goals. The goals I had set for this assignment were to find a concrete example of my communication with various audiences and to communicate in a topic I was passionate about. The first goal was achieved through the video recording. The recording allowed me to verbally convey information that is important in the field of study I am pursuing. In many fields of work, you have to be able to accurately articulate information, thus the video helps to provide an example of that. The other goal was achieved in that I was able to speak to an audience about a topic I love most, which is history and politics. In fact, I have been the most likely to succeed in history classes due to the interest I have shown in mastering the material both inside and outside the classroom. The video is a great example of me being able to communicate on a topic most interesting to me. 

 

What I have learned pertaining to communication competence is that it is a vital skill to have. As stated above, it is a skill needed to not only see success in whichever job anyone pursues, but it is important in day-to-day life. For example, if you are in an unfamiliar area and you need to ask a local for directions, communication skills will absolutely be vital in conveying the information to them. Or, if you are presenting an important project in your place of work, you will have to find the right words and style necessary for the audience.

 

Communication skills are also what allowed me to see success in some personal and more professional areas in my life, such as the National Society of Leadership and Success, or other classes like Public Speaking. This learning is significant since I am closer to paving my own way in the world and helping to build a better society. While there is still some work I need to do in this discipline, I feel that I have made plenty of progress and it will be reflected in my future endeavors.