Interpersonal Communication Barriers to the Dissemination of

Digital Literacy in North-East India.

Authored/Presented By:

Syed Mohsin Raja

Social Media Club - Assam

A Research Paper Presentation

Asian Conference on Education, IAFORArt Center, Kobe , Japan

21st Oct – 25th Oct, 2015

Konnichiwa

Communication:

Interpersonal Communication

The Base of this Research:

Wilbur Schramm’s Communication Model

BICS – Basic Interpersonal Com ProficiencyCALP - Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

When NOT understood, Language becomes NOISE

Questions:•Why do Digital Literacy programmes fail?

•What are the languages required?• Are the languages used contemporary?

• What if we don’t understand/relate even the terms?

• What are the factors resisting a proper interpersonal communication?

------------• Only 5% Indians are fluent in English – India Human Dev. Survey 2005.

• Greater Digital Divide...

The Diversity:

• Communication is pervasive and yet dependent

•Languages: 1635 rationalised mother tongues,

23 constitutionally approved languages. <66 Scripts>

122 spoken languages in North-East, Census 2011.

• Culture & Traditions: 645 district tribes, 7 Distinct Religions.

29 tribes in Assam, 55 Languages

The Diversity:

Context:

•Digital Literacy Programmes & Communication: The Languages

Required

•Digital Divide

Interpersonal Communication Roadblocks:

•Perception

•Categorization

Roadblocks:

Roadblocks:

•Prejudices & Stereotyping

Roadblocks:

•Tones, Body Languages

Theories aiding to this Research:

• Uncertainty Reduction Theory1975, Charles Berger & Richard Calabrese

• Coordinated Management of Meanings1970, W. Barnett Pierce & Vernon E. Cronen

and...

Technology Acceptance Model – Fred Davis, 1989

Language Stress Points:

Language skills required

•BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skill

•CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

The Model: Language GapsIn a Digital Literacy program like NDLM

On-Field Research Methodology:• Cluster Sampling:- Simple Random sampling,- Multistage sampling.

• Purposive sampling:- Homogenous,- Typical.

• Survey & Opinion Poll

• Observation:- Non participatory and under natural conditions.

Outcome so far:

• Data: 327 people from NDLM

- Most of them understands only 1 or 2 languages,

- English is an alien,

- Technical terminology understanding is weak,

- Technically weak,

- Level of Education affects.

Data Break-up:

• Data: 327 people

• Beneficiaries = 277

• VLEs = 50

Data Break-up:

Problems as per the Beneficiaries:A. Content problem = 183

B. Inefficient Instructor = 45

C. Lack of exp/knowledge = 78

D. Too old = 28

E. Others = 119

A B C D E

Probable Solutions:

Implementing local languages in all the POSSIBLE ways.Customized contents – Region, Age

Assessment before Implementation. BICS to CALP

Thank You

Syed is a guest faculty for ‘Digital & Social Media’ in:1. Indian Inst. of Entrepreneurship,

Guwahati,2. Guwahati University,3. IDOL, Guwahati,

+91-9435488999

syed@socialmediasimplify.com