Overview
This unit introduces you to professional communication concepts that are relevant to a career in information and communication technologies (ICT). Topics include negotiation, teamwork, conflict management, academic referencing, library skills, and oral and written communication. The unit introduces awareness of cultural diversity and its management in a multicultural workforce.
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 3 - 2026
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 Task | Part Weighting (% of assessment) |
Assessment Security Level | Gen AI Guidance Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Case Study (Individual) (20% of unit ) | |||
| Case Study (Individual) (Case Study) | 100% of 20% | Low | AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration) |
| 2. Presentation (Group) (30% of unit ) | |||
| Presentation (Group) (Presentation) | 100% of 30% | Medium | AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration) |
| 3. Interactive Oral Assessment (50% of unit ) | |||
| Interactive Oral Assessment (Interactive Oral Assessments) | 100% of 50% | High | No Gen AI Use |
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
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- 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 Students, Unit Coordinator Observation and Teaching Staff
Online students often face difficulties attending all sessions, often due to work commitments, which inhibits students from actioning in-class assessment tasks.
Upon an official request from students, provide flexibility by allowing them to follow unit contents through recorded online Zoom sessions and other resources uploaded to Moodle. The presentation tasks can be recorded and submitted for grading without attending the sessions.
- 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)
- Innovation (INOV)
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|
1.
Assessment 1
(20% of unit )
Case Study
|
|||||
|
2.
Assessment 2
(30% of unit )
Presentation
|
|||||
|
3.
Assessment 3
(50% of unit )
Interactive Oral Assessments
|
|||||
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 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
Textbooks
Business Communication: Process & Product
- Edition: 11th (2024)
- Authors: Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy
- Cengage
- ISBN: 9780357984109
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
e.gide1@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Introduction to Communication Skills in ICT
Chapter
Ch. 1 — Business Communication in the Digital Age
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Interpersonal Communication, Teams and Meetings
Chapter
Ch. 2 — Professionalism: Teams, Meetings, Listening, Non-verbal, Etiquette
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Intercultural Communication for ICT
Chapter
Ch. 3 — Intercultural Communication
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Nov 2026Module/Topic
Planning Messages (Purpose, Audience, Structure)
Chapter
Ch. 4 — Planning Business Messages
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 07 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Organising and Writing Clear Messages
Chapter
Ch. 5 — Organising and Writing Business Messages
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 14 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Editing for Clarity and Coherence
Chapter
Ch. 6 — Revising Business Messages
Events and Submissions/Topic
Mid-Term Break
Begin Date: 21 Dec 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 04 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Professional Electronic Messages
Chapter
Ch. 7 — Electronic Messages and Digital Media
Ch. 8 — Positive and Neutral Messages
Ch. 9 — Negative Messages
Ch. 10 — Persuasive and Sales Messages
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 11 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Report Writing Basics
Chapter
Ch. 11 — Report Writing Basics
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 18 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Informal and Formal Business Reports
Chapter
Ch. 12 — Informal Business Reports
Ch. 13 — Proposals, Business Plans, and Formal Business Reports
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 25 Jan 2027Module/Topic
Presenting to Stakeholders
Chapter
Ch. 14 — Business Presentations
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 01 Feb 2027Module/Topic
The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters
Interviewing and Following Up
Chapter
Ch. 15 — The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters in the Digital Age
Ch. 16 — Interviewing and Following Up
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive Oral Assessment-1
Week 12
Begin Date: 08 Feb 2027Module/Topic
Review of the unit contents
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Interactive Oral Assessment-2
Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Feb 2027Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 07 Feb 2028Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Dear Valued Student Friends,
A warm Welcome to COIT11239 – Professional Communication Skills for ICT unit. As your unit coordinator, I am here to support you throughout your learning journey. Whenever you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to communicate with me. Please note that additional textbook information, and learning and teaching resources for this unit are available through the CQUni Moodle unit and/or Library website. Let us make this a successful and enriching experience together!
I wish us all a very enjoyable and productive learning and teaching term.
Unit Coordinator: Professor Ergun Gide
Email: e.gide1@cqu.edu.au
Office location: Level 2, Room 2.09, 400 Kent Street, Sydney Campus, Sydney, NSW 2000
1. Case Study (Individual) ( 20% of unit )
Case Study
Assessment 1 is an individual task worth 20%. You will need to read one approved ICT-relevant case study and produce a concise report (approximately 1000-1100 words) that explains the case study's purpose, approach or evidence base, key findings, implications for professional communication in ICT, and limitations.
The detailed assessment specification will be made available on the Moodle unit website.
Assessment Security Level: Low
Gen AI Guidance Level: AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration)
Generative AI may be used to plan your work, check your understanding of concepts and obtain feedback on drafts. The analysis, the evidence selected from the case pack and the final wording must be your own. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 5 Friday (11 Dec 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (8 Jan 2027)
Within 2 teaching weeks after submission.
You will be assessed on accuracy and coverage of the source, clarity and structure of writing for a professional audience, and correct referencing and academic integrity. The marking criteria will be based on your research and writing quality.
Refer to the unit’s Moodle website for specific marking criteria.
If academic misconduct such as plagiarism and contract cheating is detected, 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, for example, due to insufficient permissions, might not be marked, or a late penalty might be applied.
- Explain communication concepts and strategies
- Communicate effectively in a professional context
2. Presentation (Group) ( 30% of unit )
Presentation
This is a group based structured oral presentation. It is a group assessment worth 30% undertaken in teams of three to four students.
You will be required to present on a contemporary Information and Communication Technology (ICT) topic to showcase your communication and presentation skills. For your presentation, you will need to perform activities such as researching the ICT topic, developing presentation slides, and presenting it.
Presentation slides (max 12 content slides plus a reference slide) must use Harvard style citations (in-text referencing).
Distance students attending online will require a webcam, microphone and speaker or headset.
The detailed assessment specification will be made available on the Moodle unit website.
Assessment Security Level: Medium
Gen AI Guidance Level: AI-Assisted (Guided Collaboration)
Generative AI may be used to plan your work, check your understanding of concepts and obtain feedback on drafts. The analysis, the evidence selected from the case pack and the final wording must be your own. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 8 Friday (15 Jan 2027) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 10 Friday (29 Jan 2027)
Within 2 teaching weeks after submission.
You as a group member will be assessed on the accuracy and balance of the summaries, evidence use and referencing, clarity and structure of the briefing, professional delivery and slide design, and, individually, on the clarity, justification, and insight in the personal statement.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You MUST attend the group presentation to receive marks for Assessment 2. Students who do not attend the group presentation and fail to demonstrate the required level of individual contribution to the assessment will be awarded a mark of zero for Assessment 2.
How marks are awarded:
Group (30%): accuracy and balance of summaries, sensible comparison of evidence, clear structure and time management, professional slides and delivery, correct Harvard style referencing, clear stance, sound justification, confident and professional delivery within time.
Refer to the unit’s Moodle website for specific marking criteria.
If academic misconduct such as plagiarism and contract cheating is detected, 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, for example, due to insufficient permissions, might not be marked, or a late penalty might be applied.
- Show confidence and skills in oral communications and presentations
- Work effectively as part of a team
- Define and demonstrate conflict management and resolution strategies.
3. Interactive Oral Assessment ( 50% of unit )
Interactive Oral Assessments
This individual interactive oral assessment of approximately 20 minutes is conducted live with an examiner (your class tutor) during Weeks 11 and 12. It assesses your understanding of professional communication concepts, your use of evidence and your ability to respond appropriately to workplace situations. It also confirms that the work submitted in Assessments 1 and 2 reflects your own understanding.
During the assessment you will be asked to:
- Explain and justify the decisions in your case study and group presentation, including the research supporting your recommendation;
- Discuss your individual contribution and explain the overall group recommendation;
- Respond to a changed workplace scenario, stakeholder concern or communication problem introduced by the examiner, who may take the role of a client, manager or colleague;
- Demonstrate audience awareness, listening, clarification and appropriate strategies for managing disagreement; and
- Reflect on your learning and explain how you would improve your communication in a future professional situation.
Interactive oral assessment questions draw on unit content taught before your assessment (from Week-1 to Week-10 contents) and on your submitted work. You are not required to deliver a slide presentation. You may refer to your submitted assessments and one A4 page of brief notes, but you must not read from a prepared script. You may ask for clarification, pause briefly to organise your response and correct an answer. Marks reflect the clarity and appropriateness of your communication, not your accent or personality.
Assessment Security Level: High
Gen AI Guidance Level: No Gen AI Use
Generative AI tools, messaging and assistance from others are not permitted at any point during the interactive oral assessment. You will be asked to explain, justify and adapt your work without AI support.
Interactive Oral Assessment will be conducted in Week-11 and Week-12 in tutorial classes. The individual allocated time schedule will be published on the Moodle unit site by Week 9 Friday.
Released on Certification of Grades Day
Your interactive oral assessment performance will be assessed against the following criteria:
• Understanding and application of professional communication concepts (15 marks)
• Justification of decisions using evidence from submitted work (10 marks)
• Adaptation to changed circumstances and stakeholder needs (10 marks)
• Listening, clarification, conflict management and inclusive communication (10 marks)
• Clarity, organisation and professional expression (5 marks)
A detailed marking rubric is available on the unit Moodle site.
IMPORTANT: Any assistance from another person, any use of generative AI or messaging tools, or any attempt by another person to complete the interactive oral assessment on your behalf will be managed in accordance with the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure.
No submission method provided.
- 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.
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?
