For decades, man has known the importance of communication. Today with various means by which one can communicate, it has become much easier, this is equally true for academic institutions. Therefore, it is vital to understand the different communication models so we can use them for enhancing communication in the different organizations. Below is a discussion of these models and how they can be implemented in an academic institution.

Lecture:
It is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject. The criticisms of lectures are often summarized by a quote generally misattributed to Mark Twain:
“College is a place where a professor’s lecture notes go straight to the students’ lecture notes, without passing through the brains of either.”

Critics point out that lecturing is mainly a one-way method of communication that does not involve significant audience participation, often contrasted to active learning. This type of communication is linked to the linear model that is an early communication model created by Shannon and Weaver which visualizes the transfer of information as an act being done to the receiver by the sender. The linear model views communication as a one-way or linear process in which the speaker speaks and the listener listens. It consists of the sender encoding a message and channeling it to the receiver in the presence of noise. Thus in academics a lecturer is the sender and the students are the receivers. It is an efficient, cheap way of conveying a topic to a large student body as it can be delivered as a weekly series designed to provide the basic framework of a course. The lecture is particularly suitable for introducing a subject to ensure that all students have the necessary understanding to learn a subject even with varied backgrounds, give direction and purpose to a demonstration or prepare students for a discussion.
Lectures however are a form of one-way speaker communication with no active learner participation which may ultimately lead to difficulties in maintaining students’ interest in the lecture. And finally, a third problem is that other factors like culture, environment, and relational history often come in play to affect the message. Nevertheless, lecturing is not the most effective method for promoting student thought, changing attitudes or teaching behavioral skills, a better teaching model was created: Tutorial.

Tutorial:
This is a method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process arranged for an individual student or small group of students for a discussion. It is a two way communication which can be in form of oral debate. It is supported by the interactive model of communication which is two linear models stacked on top of each other. The sender channels a message to the receiver and the receiver then becomes the sender and channels a message to the original sender. This model has added feedback, indicates that communication is not a one way but a two way process.

Schramm (1955) in Wood (2009) came out with a more interactive model that saw the receiver or listener (student) providing feedback to the sender or speaker (tutor). The tutor also listens to the feedback given by the student. Both the student and the tutor take turns to speak and listen to each other. Feedback is given either verbally or non-verbally, or in both ways. In a tutorial students and tutor discuss and debate on different topic areas or an interactive problem solving session. Tutorials enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the subject and to enable them to communicate with confidence in oral debate.
Tutorials are source of intellectual stimulation and a great learning tool through discussion with other students under the guidance of the tutor. Talking about topics is a very good way to clarify your own understanding of the topic. This makes learning easier because the more you understand the easier it is to remember the work. It encourage learners to solve problems, connect, prioritize and incorporate conceptual knowledge this comes about as they research in preparation for discussions as well as academic debates. However there is no simultaneous feedback thus one has to await the response from the other party before moving on to the next topic. A new method was then developed: Seminar

Seminar:
This is generally a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. The purpose of seminars is to explore and extend your knowledge of the topics that have been covered in lectures. This may be through in-depth discussion of the key issues, related key texts and articles; differing theories; and current debate. Quite often the tutor will set work or topics in advance for you to research and present to the rest of the group at a later date. There is constant interaction amongst all participants. Usually there are several keynote speakers within each seminar, and these speakers are usually experts in their own fields, or topics.

Due to these problems of linear model, a better model was created: the transactional model of communication. Unlike the linear, it recognizes that communication is a simultaneous process and therefore switched both the terms “sender” and “receiver” to “communicator”, it also adds “environment,” which embraces not only physical location, but also personal experiences and cultural backgrounds. In seminars, the environment applies where entrepreneurs actually come to present and bring information of how the industry really works which will also enhance students understanding of the field beforehand. Students are provided with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of their subject and to practice a variety of academic skills. Its success largely depends on students’ willingness to contribute ideas.
A wealth of knowledge usually, presented by many speakers at one time in one place. A lot of "learning" at one clip, with most material compressed into two or three days' worth of time, sense of camaraderie, where individuals can meet others with the same interests/problems/concerns that they may have in their chosen field and being with others that "understand" individual's problems or concerns, is usually a great morale booster.
In conclusion, the seminar method is the most modern and advanced method of teaching. The higher learning process requires the interactive and integrated methodologies based on the psychological principles. The seminar method applies such technique of human interaction /intervention with the learning and teaching experiences.