| Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba | |
| Short Description: | Communication and Scholarship |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 100700 - Communication & Media Studies |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Enrolment is not permitted in CMS1000 if MGT1200 has been previously completed.
Other requisites
Students who have completed or are enrolled in CMS1000 Communication and Scholarship cannot enrol in CMS1009 Communication in Academic and Professional Contexts, CMS1007 Building Professional Nursing Attributes A or CMS1100 Communicating in the Sciences.
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
Rationale
Advances in communication are occurring globally at a rapid rate. In the contemporary world, effective communication requires an understanding of these new complex processes. It also requires individuals to possess a broad range of transferable skills to meet the demands of change, and to apply these in an equally broad range of contexts.
Synopsis
This course presents an introduction to the theory and practice of communication, with particular application to academic and professional settings. Students study the processes of research and scholarship, and of tailoring communication for specific audiences. Students develop an understanding of barriers to communication, and strategies which can be used to overcome these barriers. Verbal and nonverbal communication, critical thinking skills and the dynamics of interpersonal and group communication will be explored. Students also gain the written, verbal and personal transferable skills essential to their role in a rapidly changing environment.
Objectives
On completion of this course students will be able to:
- define and describe the process of communication;
- demonstrate management, planning and organisation skills by comprehending and adapting styles of written and oral communication to the needs of particular audiences;
- demonstrate ethical research and inquiry skills by analysing and developing a given task, conducting a targeted literature review, and identifying and applying referencing principles using an accepted referencing system;
- demonstrate academic and literacy skills by evaluating credibility of sources;
- demonstrate both written and oral communication skills including a systematic approach to drafting, revising and editing, and the development of logical, clear, concise, balanced arguments;
- examine problem-solving and decision-making strategies;
- examine the dynamics of communication within groups and within organizations;
- explore the dynamics of interpersonal communication across a range of contexts;
- demonstrate cultural literacy skills by exploring principles of nonverbal communication and a range of strategies designed to overcome barriers to communication;
- identify a range of interpersonal communication strategies to minimise barriers to effective communication.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Foundation module | 20.00 |
| 2. | Capstone module | 20.00 |
| 3. | Written communication module | 10.00 |
| 4. | Oral communication module | 10.00 |
| 5. | Clear thinking, problem solving and decision making module | 10.00 |
| 6. | Interpersonal communication module | 10.00 |
| 7. | Nonverbal communication module | 10.00 |
| 8. | Group and organisational communication module | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=CMS1000)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
(Students who have a copy of the first edition can obtain supplementary material from the StudyDesk.)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 28.00 |
| Independent Study | 137.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUIZ | 100 | 10 | 27 Mar 2020 | |
| ESSAY & PLAN | 100 | 35 | 24 Apr 2020 | |
| ORAL PRESENTATION | 100 | 25 | 22 May 2020 | (see note 1) |
| ONLINE EXAM | 100 | 30 | End S1 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- This is the date for online students; on campus students will negotiate dates for oral presentation with their tutor.
- This will be an online exam. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via StudyDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.
External and Online: There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students鈥� responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
On-campus: It is the students鈥� responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.
Requirements after S1 2020:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Requirements after S1 2020:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination.
Requirements after S1 2020:
Candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the Closed examination. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date.
Requirements after S1 2020:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Other requirements
-
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.