COIT20249 - Professional Skills and Ethics in Information and Communications Technology

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit offers the foundational communication skills, expectations, and ethical considerations that shape the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals, also called digital professionals. Through hands-on activities, you will learn to communicate professionally, both in written and verbal forms, fostering clear and persuasive communication. The unit delves into strategies for effective interpersonal communication within team settings, promoting collaborative teamwork and conflict resolution. It equips you to develop and deliver effective oral presentations underpinned by critical thinking. In addition, this unit strongly emphasises ethics and codes of conduct in the ICT profession. You will apply ethical principles to real-world ICT scenarios, demonstrating ethical, legal, and societal decision-making competencies. Through a blend of theory and practical in-class activities, you will be well-prepared to navigate the multifaceted landscape of ICT professionalism.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 8
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Anti-requisite: COIT20233 Professional Skills for Information and Communication Technology.

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

Term 3 - 2024 Profile
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Rockhampton
Sydney
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Rockhampton
Sydney
Term 3 - 2025 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Presentation 20%
2. Portfolio 45%
3. Report 35%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 89.87% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 37.44% response rate.

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.

Source: Teaching team feedback
Feedback
The unit has effectively integrated the content, work activities, and assessment requirements in a cohesive manner.
Recommendation
Nurture the current learning and teaching practices.
Action Taken
The unit has undergone an extensive redesign, which was implemented in T1 2024. The cohesion has been enhanced through better integration of lecture content and tutorial activities.
Source: Teaching team feedback
Feedback
The final assessment is very challenging.
Recommendation
Provide exemplars and include more ICT-focused contextual assessments.
Action Taken
Exemplars were provided. Furthermore, as part of the redesign, the assessment strategy was also changed. The assessments and in-class activities were more ICT-focused. Viva was introduced along with class participation marks.
Source: Student evaluation feedback
Feedback
Too many different tasks in the Assessment items.
Recommendation
Condense the tasks to make them more manageable during the term.
Action Taken
The assessment strategy was changed as part of the redesign. Viva and class participation marks were introduced. This not only assisted in making assessments more manageable, but helped in assessing learning outcomes orally and increased class participation.
Source: Teaching Team Feedback
Feedback
The unit seamlessly integrates lecture content, tutorial activities, and assessment requirements to ensure a cohesive learning experience.
Recommendation
Foster the current learning and teaching practices.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator
Feedback
The rising use of generative artificial intelligence for professional communication has left students uncertain about how to effectively utilise this technology.
Recommendation
Integrate in-class generative artificial intelligence activities to help students understand its potential uses and limitations within the context of their studies.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the skills and expectations that define ICT professionals, including attributes, communication skills, and ethical considerations
  2. Illustrate the ability to communicate professionally, facilitating clear and persuasive communication in both written and verbal forms
  3. Apply effective strategies for interpersonal communication within team settings to foster collaborative teamwork
  4. Develop and deliver compelling oral presentations supported by critical thinking, ensuring convincing and impactful communication of complex concepts
  5. Demonstrate the application of ethical principles and codes of conduct to real-world ICT scenarios, showcasing ethical, legal and societal decision-making competencies.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments, and individuals in many countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile. This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 8 (the SFIA code is included):

  • Business situation analysis (BUSA)
  • Business administration (ADMN)
  • Competency assessment (LEDA)
  • Consultancy (CNSL)
  • Emerging technology monitoring (EMRG)
  • Learning delivery (ETDL)
  • Requirements definition and management (REQM)
  • Research (RSCH)
  • Risk management (BURM)

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Presentation • • •
2 - Portfolio • • •
3 - Report • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Knowledge • •
2 - Communication • • • • •
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills • • •
4 - Research • • •
5 - Self-management • •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility • • •
7 - Leadership •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8