SPE3008 Communication and Collaboration
| Semester 2, 2013 Online Toowoomba | |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Education |
| School or Department : | Education |
| Version produced : | 11 April 2013 |
Staffing
Examiner: Susan Carter
Moderator: Rahul Ganguly
Rationale
Communication is the essence of effective teaching and learning. It is therefore essential that student teachers not only understand the nature of communication processes in various learning environments, but develop their own skills to the highest possible level. Communication for teachers is not restricted to the classroom, but involves interviews with parents, discussions with other professionals, reporting to administrators and so on. This course is therefore both theoretical and practical - with theory underpinning the practical to prepare students to apply their abilities in a wide range of educational contexts.
Synopsis
Students will analyse the nature of communication and learn the elements of effective interpersonal communication. A major focus will be on the role of verbal interaction in teaching. The importance of effective and active listening will be emphasised, together with the interaction between nonverbal and verbal communication. Students will also learn how to conduct group discussions, prepare and present reports on pupils to parents and fellow professionals, how to deal with anger and conflict, and some 'front-line' counselling skills. NOTE: Minimum enrolment numbers apply to this offering. Should enrolments not reach the minimum number required for on-campus study, students may be transferred to the ONLINE offering and advised of this change before semester commences.
Objectives
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the nature of communication in educational contexts (Assignment 1 and 2)
- demonstrate satisfactory skill levels in a range of widely accepted communication competencies for teachers, such as: interpersonal communication; listening; verbal and nonverbal communication; facilitating classroom and group discussion; reporting (Assignment 1 and 2)
- demonstrate effective use of ICT'S as communication media (Assignment 1 and 2)
- demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of correct communication skills including literacy, presentation and referring protocols (Assignment 1 and 2)
- demonstrate evidence of how to contribute effectively to professional teams. (Assignment 1 and 2)
- demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing. ( Assignment 1 and 2).
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Facilitating Interpersonal Communication | 10.00 |
| 2. | Listening Skills | 15.00 |
| 3. | Verbal and Non-verbal communication | 10.00 |
| 4. | Assertion and Negotiation | 10.00 |
| 5. | Conflict Management skills | 15.00 |
| 6. | Leading Discussions, Meetings etc. Constructive Feedback | 10.00 |
| 7. | Influence of Technology on communication including emails, texting, Facebook, Discussion forums, You-Tube and multi-media presentations | 10.00 |
| 8. | Cultural influences on the nature of communication including racism and sexism. | 10.00 |
| 9. | Communication ethics | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2013&sem=02&subject1=SPE3008)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
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DeVito, J. A 2011, Interpersonal Messages: Communication and Relationship Skills, 2nd edn, Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, Boston.
Reference materials
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Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library. The gateway to education resources is here ... http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/facultyguides/education/default.htm.
Student workload requirements
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Independent Study | 80.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 50 | 50 | 09 Sep 2013 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 50 | 50 | 21 Oct 2013 |
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' 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. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted. -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
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:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
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 http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.
Assessment notes
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APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/apa
Other requirements
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Students will require access to e-mail and have Internet access to USQConnect for this course.