MATHS 3015 - Communication Skills III

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

In the modern world skill at communicating technical concepts is sometimes just as important as having the technical skills themselves. This course develops students' skills in both the written and verbal communication of technical concepts. In addition the general communication skills that are fundamental to getting and keeping a job are taught. The course encourages student learning with a range of interesting teaching techniques including guest lecturers and workshops. Topics covered are: The use of and benefits of using Plain English and diagrams to communicate technical concepts; why and how to report (including presentations, report writing, email, phone and person to person communication); writing job applications and preparing for technical job interviews.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MATHS 3015
    Course Communication Skills III
    Coordinating Unit Mathematical Sciences
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites MATHS 1012 or COMP SCI 1102
    Incompatible CHEM ENG 3004, C&ENVENG 3000, ELEC ENG 3012, MECH ENG 3006
    Restrictions Not available to BE students. May not be presented towards BMaSc(Adv)
    Course Description In the modern world skill at communicating technical concepts is sometimes just as important as having the technical skills themselves. This course develops students' skills in both the written and verbal communication of technical concepts. In addition the general communication skills that are fundamental to getting and keeping a job are taught. The course encourages student learning with a range of interesting teaching techniques including guest lecturers and workshops.

    Topics covered are: The use of and benefits of using Plain English and diagrams to communicate technical concepts; why and how to report (including presentations, report writing, email, phone and person to person communication); writing job applications and preparing for technical job interviews.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Ms Josephine Varney

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course students will be able to: 

    1. demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills

    2. apply these skills at all stages of application for employment

    3. understand the importance of good communication in a professional environment

    4. understand the importance of teamwork in a professional environment

    5. understand the function of meetings

    6. possess the ability to conduct and participate effectively in meetings  

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    1,2,3,4,5,6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1,2,3,4,5,6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    None.
    Recommended Resources
    None.
    Online Learning
    This course uses MyUni exclusively for providing electronic resources, such as lecture notes, assignment papers, sample solutions, discussion boards, etc. It is recommended that the students make appropriate use of these resources.

    Link to MyUni login page:
    https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login/
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course relies on lectures and workshops for the delivery of the course material. Workshops supplement the lectures by providing exercises and example problems to enhance the understanding of the course material.  Written assignments and presentations provide assessment opportunities for students to gauge their progress and understanding.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Activity Quantity Workload hours
    Lecture 11 32
    Workshops 11 30
    Assignments 2 40
    Presentations 2 30
    Tests 2 24
    Total 156
    Learning Activities Summary
    Lecture Outline

    1. Plain English
    2. Looking for a Job
    3. Cover letter and CV
    4. Interview
    5. Test
    6. Oral Presentations: Preparation, Visual Aids, Delivery (3 lectures)
    9. Meetings
    10. Test
    11. Guest speaker

    Workshop Outline


    1. Plain English
    2. CV preparation
    3. Interview preparation
    4. Concept mapping
    5. Workforce games
    6. Presentations (2 weeks)
    7. Personality Tests
    8. Meetings
    9. Passive aggression
    10. Presentations (2 weeks)
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Component Weighting Learning Outcomes Assessed
    Assignments 40% All
    Presentations 30% All
    Workshops 10% All
    Tests 20% All
    Assessment Related Requirements
    An aggregate score of at least 50% is required to pass the course.
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment Item Distributed Due Date Weighting
    Assignment 1 Week 1 Week 4 20%
    Assignment 2 Week 8 Week 12 20%
    Presentation 1 Week 4 Week 7 15%
    Presentation 2 Week 8 Week 11 15%
    Test Week 5 Week 5 10%
    Test Week 10 Week 10 10%
    Workshops 10%
    Submission

    All written assignments are to be submitted to the designated hand-in boxes within the School of Mathematical Sciences with a signed cover sheet attached.

    Late assignments will not be accepted.

    All presentations must be submitted electronically.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.