Overview
This unit introduces you to elementary professional communication concepts. Topics include communication theory and practice, small group communication, oral and written communication, teamwork, and ethical issues. All topics are discussed with an emphasis on practical exercises and application.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
COIT11239 is an anti-requisite.
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 2 - 2020
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 Course Committee, Teaching Staff, BA Head of Course
In order to promote a better student experience in the newly redesigned BA program, this unit will no longer be delivered after T3 2020
Terminate COMM11003 and replace with BUSN11016 from T1 2021 onwards.
- Demonstrate oral, written and interpersonal communication in professional contexts
- Explain the relationship between communication and technology in professional contexts, including information management and knowledge transfer
- Discuss ethical use and dissemination of information in professional contexts
- Identify effective communication in intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group and intercultural contexts
- Communicate effectively in a variety of business and academic communication genres, both written and oral.
Skills
By the end of this unit, you will be able to communicate effectively with peers and superiors. You will have improved your skills in the core areas of:
- writing
- oral communication
- interpersonal communication
- research.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 20% | |||||
| 3 - Group Work - 40% | |||||
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 | |||||
| 11 - 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 | 11 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 20% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Group Work - 40% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
Communication Skills for Business Professionals
- Edition: 2nd (2019)
- Authors: Celeste Lawson, Robert Gill, Angela Feekery, Mieke Witsel
- Cambridge
- Melbourne Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
- ISBN: 9781108594417
- Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
If you prefer to study with a paper copy, they are available at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code). eBooks are available at the publisher's website.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom app on your smart phone or access to Zoom on your laptop
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.johnson2@cqu.edu.au
Week 1: Introduction to communication concepts
Begin Date: 13 Jul 2020Module/Topic
Introduction to communication concepts in a professional context.
What is professional communication? What is transmission theory? Why are we all going to be professional communicators? This week, we look at the basics.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 1 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 1
Week 2: Audience and context
Begin Date: 20 Jul 2020Module/Topic
Audience and context.
Every instance of effective communication must begin with an understanding of your audience. Why? And what do we mean by 'Context'? We begin constructing communication.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 2 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 2
Week 3: The medium and the message
Begin Date: 27 Jul 2020Module/Topic
The medium and the message.
When is an email not just an email? Can you ever send an SMS text to your CEO? What are the critical differences between communication media? This week we look at communication options.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 3 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 3
Week 4: Information gathering
Begin Date: 03 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Information gathering: research and information literacy.
There is a world of information out there and as a university graduate, you'll be paid to be able to access it. This week, we show you how.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 4 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 4
Week 5: Writing for understanding
Begin Date: 10 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Writing for understanding.
It's not enough these days to be skilled in specialist knowledge; you need to be able to communicate this knowledge, especially in writing.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 5 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 5
BREAK WEEK
Begin Date: 17 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6: Intercultural communication
Begin Date: 24 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Intercultural communication.
You will not only be working in a team after you leave university but increasingly, in a team populated by people from all over the world. This week we examine communication across cultures.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 6 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 6
Essay or Report Due: Week 6 Thursday (27 Aug 2020) 6:00 pm AEST
Week 7: Oral presentations
Begin Date: 31 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Oral presentations.
One of the fastest-growing methods of business and corporate communication these days is the use of presentation and conferencing technologies. We show you how to use them effectively.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 7 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 7
Week 8: Non-verbal communication
Begin Date: 07 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Non-verbal communication.
What is non-verbal communication? How can you use it to your advantage? How do you avoid the obvious problems? This week, we make you smile.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 8 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 8
Week 9: Teamwork, conflict resolution and negotiation
Begin Date: 14 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Teamwork, conflict resolution and negotiation.
At some point, everyone will work in a team of some type. Big teams, small teams, teams filled with people you'll never meet except online. We begin your teamwork here.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 9 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 9
Week 10: Understanding yourself
Begin Date: 21 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Understanding yourself and others.
Before you can manage and communicate to your own team, you need to understand your own motivations and communication style. This week, you explore yourself.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 10 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reflective exercise 10
Week 11: Ethics in a professional context
Begin Date: 28 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Ethics in a professional context.
There are fewer limitations and restrictions on how people communicate today. This means there is a growing pressure of ethical expectation on how professionals communicate. We explore this.
Chapter
See Weekly Lesson 11 for associated readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12: Review
Begin Date: 05 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Review.
This week is allocated to a review of the key elements of the unit, so that you are able to incorporate them into your final assignment.
Chapter
Weekly Lesson 12 reviews key unit concepts discussed throughout the term
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 12 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 13
Begin Date: 19 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Essay OR Report: 1,800 words (40 Marks)
Your task is to produce either a formally written essay or a formal business report on the following topic:
Topic:
Social media can be perceived by organisations as an affordable and easy form of communication. Assess how audience, message, channel and noise impacts the effectiveness of communication delivered via social media platforms.
Write a 1,800 word essay or report on this topic as a Word document (no zipped files, pdf or rtf files).
You are to use a minimum of five (5) CARS compliant sources in addition to the unit text in the referencing of your assignment. Your sources should include at least two (2) journal articles accessed from the Library databases. You are to use the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing.
CARS checklist
C = is the source CREDIBLE? Does it make sense? Is it a place that usually provides unbiased/impartial information?
A = is the source ACCURATE? Is it up to date? Are the statistics/data recent or relatively 'fresh'?
R = is the source RELIABLE? Is it a place you can always count on to be correct and trustworthy?
S = is the source SUBSTANTIATED? Do you know who wrote/designed/hosts it? Do you have a name you can check up on?
Note: The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text referencing, direct quotations and words contained within tables that are in the body of the assignment.
Further details on this assessment and a criteria sheet are provided on the Moodle unit website. Please review all assessment information before beginning this assignment.
Week 6 Thursday (27 Aug 2020) 6:00 pm AEST
This assignment is due on Thursday of Week 6 by 6 pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Week 8 Thursday (10 Sept 2020)
Marks and feedback will normally be returned within two weeks of submission.
This assessment task relates to the general assessment criteria below:
- Written argument
- Use of sources to support argument
- Structure
- Writing standard
- Referencing
- Demonstrate oral, written and interpersonal communication in professional contexts
- Explain the relationship between communication and technology in professional contexts, including information management and knowledge transfer
- Discuss ethical use and dissemination of information in professional contexts
- Communicate effectively in a variety of business and academic communication genres, both written and oral.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
2 Reflective Practice Assignment
Weekly Engagement Reflections: Minimum of 100-150 words per week (2 marks per reflection, total of 20 marks)
Specifically, you will write a brief reflection each week (Weeks 1-10 only). Each reflection should identify a piece of knowledge you have learned from that week's materials or readings and give a brief discussion of why you feel it will help you, as well as an example of where you can use this information in your studies or private life.
The weekly reflection activity link is located at the bottom of each of the weekly modules (Weeks 1-10). Do not submit your reflections via the assignment submission on Moodle, only through the weekly links.
Each reflection is worth a maximum of 2 marks, the total mark being calculated the end of Week 12. Teaching staff will review the reflections on a regular basis to ensure effective learning. Individualised feedback will not normally be given unless there is a problem.
All weekly reflections should be completed by 6.00 pm on Friday of Week 11. Nothing submitted after that date will be marked.
As a general rule, for every reflection you submit that meets the task requirement, you will be automatically awarded 2 marks. If your submitted reflection does not meet the task requirements, you will receive an email advising you of this and your attempt will be deleted, enabling you to have another try.
Week 11 Friday (2 Oct 2020) 6:00 pm AEST
Reflections submitted weekly until the end of Week 11. Total mark will be calculated in Week 12.
All reflections are online and marked automatically.
- Engagement with learning materials
- Writing standard
- Written argument
- Critical thinking
- Demonstrate oral, written and interpersonal communication in professional contexts
- Explain the relationship between communication and technology in professional contexts, including information management and knowledge transfer
- Discuss ethical use and dissemination of information in professional contexts
- Identify effective communication in intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group and intercultural contexts
- Communicate effectively in a variety of business and academic communication genres, both written and oral.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
3 Group Work
Group Writing Tasks: three written tasks per group member @ 350 words each (total word count approx. 3,000 words) (40 marks)
Working in groups of up to three, you will need to set up a collaborative Google document. You will need to give equal access to the document to all group members, as well as allow access to your unit coordinator or tutor. Once the Google document has been created, each group member must select three of the following nine tasks. When the selection has been made, the individual member will write a 350-word response for each of their three chosen tasks. You will need to include your name (by-line) with each of your tasks.
Each task should also be given a title and should be supported by a minimum of two CARS-compliant sources of information, one of which should be a journal article.
Task 1: Locate a video advertisement for an entertainment product (e.g. electronics, video games, movies etc.). In your blog post, discuss the ways in which the advertisement's key messages are communicated using the medium of video (e.g. tone, language, sound, non-verbal, colour, etc.). Include the video link in your blogpost. (350 words)
Task 2: Using the materials from Week 11, discuss the key issues of ethical behaviour in the workplace. (350 words)
Task 3: Examine the infographic on page 365 of the unit textbook (Lawson, Gill, Feekery, and Witsel 2019) and explain how noise affects this piece of visual communication. (350 words)
Task 4: Lawson, Gill, Feekery, and Witsel (2019) outline 14 challenges relating to collaborative work (p.148-155). Discuss three of these including ways these challenges could be overcome. (350 words)
Task 5: Explain how cultural stereotyping can be a barrier to effective communication. (350 words)
Task 6: Visit this website: https://www.queensland.com/au/en/home.html. Examine how it disseminates information, paying particular attention to the site's use of different channels and/or media. (350 words)
Task 7: Complete the Typology test in Week 10. Discuss the usefulness of understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses when working in a group. (350 words)
Task 8: Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwQEEt4KATk. Identify what non-verbal communication is being displayed and explain how non-verbal communication can impact the delivery of a message. (350 words)
Task 9: Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfY8dvbuFg. Identify the issues with this oral presentation and offer suggestions for improvement. (350 words)
Interest and focus can be added to each blogpost by including different types of media (e.g. written text, hyperlinks, photographs, diagrams, etc.). Remember that all external media used must be attributed (referenced).
It is recommended that group members proofread, review and offer feedback on each other's written tasks in order to achieve a higher overall mark for the assignment. Collaborative working tools built into the Google docs platform makes this very straightforward. The overall grade for students will consist of both a group mark (the content of the blog) and an individual mark (contribution to the group).
Include an APA reference list at the bottom of each task of sources you have used in that task, including audio and visual credits.
Note: The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last work of the conclusion. It includes in-text referencing, direct quotations and words contained within tables that are in the body of the assessment. It excludes the title and the reference list.
On-campus students will be put into groups by their Tutor. Distance students will be put into groups by the Unit Coordinators. Distance students should maintain regular contact with the Moodle unit website and with your group members through Zoom, email and/or phone. Further specifications of the group work component and assignment requirements are detailed on Moodle. Please review all assessment information before beginning this assignment.
Week 12 Thursday (8 Oct 2020) 6:00 pm AEST
This assignment is due on Thursday of Week 12 by 6 pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Exam Week Thursday (22 Oct 2020)
Marks and feedback will normally be returned within two weeks of submission.
This assessment task relates to the general assessment criteria below:
- Writing standard, presentation and structure
- Attention to requirements of task
- Research and referencing
- Group work
- Demonstrate oral, written and interpersonal communication in professional contexts
- Explain the relationship between communication and technology in professional contexts, including information management and knowledge transfer
- Discuss ethical use and dissemination of information in professional contexts
- Identify effective communication in intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group and intercultural contexts
- Communicate effectively in a variety of business and academic communication genres, both written and oral.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
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?
