Overview
This unit introduces you to professional communication concepts that are relevant to a career in information and communication technologies (ICT). Topics include academic referencing and library skills, oral and written communication, negotiation, teamwork and conflict management. The unit introduces awareness of cultural diversity and its management in a multicultural workforce. COMM11003 Communication in Professional Contexts is an anti-requisite for COIT11239.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
COMM11003 Communication in Professional Contexts is an anti-requisite for COIT11239.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2018
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
The students found that the unit was well organised and helped them understand the ICT business world. Distance students appreciated the online sessions and news forum updates. Students indicated they liked learning how to communicate in different ways, especially non-verbal. Students noted the presentations helped them increase their confidence.
Keep the related activities and materials.
Feedback from Student feedback
The assessment requirements need to be clearer.
Simplify the assessment.
Feedback from Student feedback
The lecture slides need some more explanations.
Add additional explanations to the lecture slides.
- Explain communication concepts and strategies.
- Show confidence and skills in oral communications and presentations.
- Work effectively as part of a team.
- Communicate effectively in a professional context.
- Define and demonstrate conflict management and resolution strategies.
- Core skill, Business Skills: Communication skills and teamwork
- Relationship management (RLMT)
- Information Management (IRMG)
- Research (RSCH)
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 3 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Microsoft Office including Word, Powerpoint and Excel
- Webcam, microphone and speakers (or headset)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.shield@cqu.edu.au
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3 Understanding Your Audience
11 Nonverbal Delivery upto 11.4 Visual Aids
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6.3 Making an Argument
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6.4 Paraphrase and Summary versus Plagiarism
8.4 Qualitative and Quantitative Research
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Group Communication, Teamwork & Leadership
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19 Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership
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Check with your lecturer regarding rescheduled classes.
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Complete unit feedback survey in Moodle - the red "Have your say" button.
There is no exam for COIT11239.
Unit Coordinator: Jamie Shield, Cairns,
j.shield@cqu.edu.au,
Office: 07 4037 4750
SMS: 0487 049 217
1 Practical and Written Assessment
We would like you to work in pairs to role play a scenario to demonstrate your conflict management strategies. Your role play should last between 3 to 5 minutes. You will need to develop a script.
Distance students will require a web cam, microphone and speaker or headset.
Pairs
You may choose your partner. Please discuss with your lecturer if you have not found a partner by the start of Week 2.
You must work in pairs unless granted an exception by the unit coordinator. Exceptions are only granted in extenuating circumstances and will generally require written documentation.
Choice of Scenarios
Several scenarios will be provided to you. You can choose one of the provided scenarios, or, with the written permission of your lecturer, you may develop your own conflict management scenario, e.g., a scenario based on your work or personal life.
Videorecord or Present Live
You may videorecord your role play. Alternatively, you (distance and oncampus students) also have the option to present during your class in Week 3.
Further Details
Further details for this assignment, including the scenarios, will be available on the Moodle unit website.
Week 3 Friday (23 Mar 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Live role plays will be assessed during your Week 3 class. Any extension provided to one partner will also apply to the other partner.
A moderation process is performed to ensure marker consistency. Feedback will be returned within a fortnight of submission when the moderation process is complete. Any feedback you receive prior to the moderation process might change.
Pairs will usually receive the same mark.
The assignment criteria include aspects such as stage presence, nonverbal gestures, listening skills (e.g., use of paraphrasing), conflict management skills (e.g., use of “I” phrases), and the mechanics of your script, e.g., the spelling and grammar.
Plagiarism and the use of a rewriting engine such as a synonym generator or a spinner will dealt with according to University policy. Plagiarism penalties and academic misconduct charges will apply to both partners in the pair. Your assignment might be assigned a zero grade or reported for further action.
Incomplete submissions such as those in which staff are unable to access linked material, e.g., due to insufficient permissions, might not be marked or late penalties might be applied.
- Show confidence and skills in oral communications and presentations.
- Work effectively as part of a team.
- Communicate effectively in a professional context.
- Define and demonstrate conflict management and resolution strategies.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
In this assignment, we would like you to complete the following tasks:
· Design a message (30%) and decompose arguments from an ICT industry document (30%) to demonstrate that you can explain communication concepts and strategies.
· Apply a writing style guide to a 500 word writing task (40%) to assess your ability to communicate effectively in a professional context.
This is an individual assignment.
Further details will be provided on the Moodle unit website.
Week 5 Friday (6 Apr 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
A moderation process is used to ensure marker consistency. Feedback and marks will be returned within a fortnight of submission when the marking and moderation process is completed.
The assignment criteria includes aspects such as the communication strategy design, adherence to a style guide, writing style, correct classification of arguments, analysis of the validity of arguments, and your writing mechanics, e.g., spelling and grammar.
Your assignment will be checked for plagiarism and the use of rewriting engines, also known as synonym generators or spinners. Your assignment might be assigned a zero grade or reported for further action.
Incomplete submissions such as those in which staff are unable to access linked material, e.g., due to insufficient permissions, might not be marked or late penalties might be applied.
- Explain communication concepts and strategies.
- Communicate effectively in a professional context.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Presentation and Written Assessment
There are two components to this assignment:
· Report (50%)
· Presentation (50%)
Please write a report for an organisation that wishes to enhance its communications. Support your report with a presentation.
Choice of Case Study
A case study will be provided to you. With the written permission of the unit coordinator, you may develop your own case study, e.g., one related to your work.
Report
Please write a report to detail your findings. The report will be 1500 to 2000 words in length. In the report you will need to discuss aspects such as the organisation’s communication context including any ethical and intercultural communication implications. You will need to include recommendations as to how the organisation should proceed. Your recommendations will need to be structured arguments that use Toulmin’s model.While your report may draw on the material covered in this unit, you are expected to find and use references beyond those provided by this unit.
Presentation
We would like you to present your findings to the client. Create a PowerPoint, to support your presentation. Your PowerPoint will not be directly assessed.
You (distance and oncampus students) will present during your Week 10 class. Distance students will require a web cam, microphone and speaker (or headset).
Groups
You may work alone or in groups of up to four people. The unit coordinator must be informed prior to submission if a group decides to split.
Week 9 Monday (7 May 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
The report is due by the assignment deadline. The presentation is due during your (distance and oncampus) Week 10 class. Any extension provided to one group member will also apply to the other group members for the report component. Any extension provided to one group member will not apply to the other group members for the presentation component.
Feedback and marks for this assignment will not be available until after the grade certification date.
The assignment criteria for the report include aspects such as the quality of the Toulmin arguments and references, the report organisation and framing, the writing style, the quality of the analysis of the ethical and intercultural communications context, the quality of the referencing, grammar, and spelling.
The assignment criteria for the presentation include aspects such as your stage presence and gestures.
All members of the group are required to speak for at least four minutes each.
Usually, all group members will receive the same mark for the report. Your presentation skills will be marked individually.
All group members are required to speak in the Week 10 class unless the unit coordinator has granted an exception. If a student does not attend on the day of the presentation, the remaining group members must be ready to present. The absent student will be allocated zero marks.
Plagiarism and the use of a rewriting engine such as a synonym generator or a spinner will dealt with according to University policy. Plagiarism penalties and academic misconduct charges may apply to all group members for group components. Your assignment might be assigned a zero grade or reported for further action.
Incomplete submissions such as those in which staff are unable to access linked material, e.g., due to insufficient permissions, might not be marked or late penalties might be applied.
- Show confidence and skills in oral communications and presentations.
- Work effectively as part of a team.
- Communicate effectively in a professional context.
- Define and demonstrate conflict management and resolution strategies.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
