Structured communication

Structured communication is a term used across a variety of disciplines to describe frameworks for interaction between individuals or machines. Although these frameworks are primarily designed to reduce ambiguity, increased efficiency is often cited as a secondary benefit. The concept has existed since at least 1971, when it was demonstrated to be an effective method of conflict resolution for married couples.<ref>Wells, R.A.; Figurel, J.A. (1979). "Techniques of Structured Communication Training". The Family Coordinator. JSTOR.</ref>

Examples

A structured communication program was initiated amongst healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada following an agreement between employees and employers in 2006.<ref>"Let's Talk: A Guide for Collaborative Structured Communication" (PDF). B.C. Ministry of Health Reports and Publications. Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref> A 2007 study researched the application of structured communication to End-Point Projection theory, which could allow for the development of web services that are able to adapt to unknown channels and/or participants.<ref>Carbone, M; Honda, K.; Yoshida, N. (2007). "Structured Communication-Centred Programming for Web Services". Programming Languages and Systems. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol. SpringerLink. pp. 2–17. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-71316-6_2. ISBN 978-3-540-71314-2.</ref> At least one company has suggested that research tools such as surveys, polls, and quizzes are a form of structured communication as well.<ref>Leath, Bill. "Redefining Surveys with Structured Communication". Retrieved 26 December 2011.</ref>

Limitations

Student teaching is one area in which structured communication was shown to be detrimental, as student teachers using structured communication were less efficacious than those who did not.<ref>Edgar, D.W.; Roberts, T.G.; Murphy, T.H. (September 2007). Structured Communication: Effects on Teaching Efficacy of Student Teachers (PDF). AAAE North Central Region Conference.</ref> This could be because structured communication is designed to place limits on some aspect of communication, such as questions, answers, participants, or channels, in order to guide communication to a desired outcome. These limitations could limit knowledge transfer in a teaching environment.

See also

• Communication sciences
• Group dynamics
• Inquiry-based learning
• Organizational communication
• Social psychology

External links

• A Guide to Collaborative Structured Communication, for healthcare workers
• Interaction Value Analysis: When Structured Communication Benefits Organizations, Stanford University
• Redefining surveys with Structured Collaboration, Bill Leath