[MUSIC] Okay, so you've been through our four step process for problem solving. You've taken time to understand the problem. You've strategized how to solve it, you've executed your plan and you have evaluated your solution. Well done. Unfortunately, particularly in academic context, we can't stop there. We also need to communicate solutions to the right audience. Usually the professors or other teaching stuff, but, occasionally to our classmates and peers too. The most important thing to remember when communicating solutions is that in academic context the solution itself is not always what interests your talking audience. Frequently, teaching staff are just as interested if not more interested in the relevant aspects of how you arrived at your solution. Now this doesn't mean taking your audience through every twist and turn of your problem solving process, but taking them through the highlights that relate to the solution that you have arrived at. Your solution then serves as a demonstration to them that you have acquired the necessary academic knowledge of your field, and are able to apply that to problems that might be typical in that field. When communicating solutions in academic contexts, the solutions can take several forms or combinations of forms. Verbal, visual, numeric, or in writing. While writing is the most common, other forms of expression also have their place in different academic contexts and fields. We'll have a look at forms of communication at university in more depth in the communication for university success MOOC. But for now, let's take a look at each of these forms as they relate to communicating solutions to problems. Solutions maybe communicated verbally either doing group work or in presentations. Of course solutions will be communicated differently in each of these two context. When communicating solutions during group work, remember that the group as a whole needs to decide. Any solution presented in group work should be presented politely and as an option for the whole group to decide upon. In presentations however, the solution will be a final one and the language used will be definite and closer to written language than in a conversational style. Solutions can also sometimes be communicated numerically or visually. Math solutions will of course be largely numerical, as will some solutions in engineering and the sciences. Remember however, that expressing your solution in just numbers is usually not enough. Even in mathematics and physics you will be expected to explain how you arrived at that answer and what the answer means. Solutions may also take a visual form. Often this is in the form of tables, charts or diagrams, plans or blueprints, but may even take the form of artworks if you're studying in the visual arts. Again, this visual forms will not be sufficient by themselves and they're importance and relevance will need to be explained in words. Also be mindful that different forms of table and charts are used to represent different forms of solutions. Be careful to choose the form that best represents your data. As stated earlier, writing is the most common way of communicating solutions in academic culture. When solutions are expressed in writing they can differ greatly in form depending on the academic field and the genre used. The manner in which the solutions are expressed can differ too. As Brook points out, sometimes just the solution is enough but sometimes the different options for solution are written. And the reason for choosing the best one need to be explained. In the sciences for example, solutions maybe communicated in lab notes or possibly in a results and discussion sections of research reports. In social sciences too, solutions need to be explained in writing. In business, this might take the form of a recommendation section of a report and an education. It may be written in an rationale section explaining why a curriculum change was undertaken. Whatever form your communication takes, the most important thing to remember is who your audience is. Your main audience is your professor, or the teaching staff on your course. And because of this, your communicated solution must adhere to the typical norms of academic communication. This means, among other things, abiding by academic integrity rules and using evidence to support your solution. [MUSIC]
