SCIENCE 4025 - Professional Communication

Roseworthy Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

A key aspect of communicating well is to present logical arguments and communicate them clearly with a variety of audiences. In this course students enrolled in an honours program will enhance their skills to understand and evaluate arguments and apply these skills in professional communication contexts in both oral and written formats. Group and organisational communication will be considered as will reporting guidelines and the preparation of ethics application. Aboriginal cultural sensitivity and awareness, communication and education practices will also be addressed, allowing students to have an appreciation of different perspectives and ways of knowing.

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Course Details

Course Code	SCIENCE 4025
Course	Professional Communication
Coordinating Unit	Sciences, Engineering & Technology Faculty Office
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Roseworthy Campus
Units	3
Contact	Approximately 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Restrictions	Available only to students admitted to the relevant Honours program
Assessment	Individual and group written and oral assessments

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Alexandra Whittaker

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

1.	Extend written, visual and verbal communication skills for a variety of audiences and purposes
2.	Critically evaluate and synthesise information for a range of target audiences, presenting arguments in a clear, succinct and logical manner
3.	Defend and justify the treatment and presentation of information within a professionally ethical framework
4.	Develop teamwork and interpersonal skills
5.	Reflect on how different traditions of thought contribute to communication and education practices and acknowledge different ways of knowing, including Indigenous perspectives and knowledges.

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)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 2, 3
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1, 2, 3
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	4
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	3, 4, 5
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	4, 5
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	5
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	1, 2, 3
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	2, 3, 4, 5

Learning Resources

Online Learning

All course material will be made available via the MyUni course.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course is taught via 12x 3 hour workshops (plus an infographic and 3MT showcase event) engaging discipline experts from across the faculty, Wirltu Yarlu and guest speakers. Students will also engage with self -directed individual and group projects relating to a variety of modes of communication

Workload

No information currently available.

Learning Activities Summary

Majority of this course will be delivered at Roseworthy Campus and live streamed via Echo 360 and Zoom (where appropriate) for honours students based at the North Tce and Waite Campus. Learners will engage in a series of 2-3 hour workshops throughout the semester focusing on topics such as theories and models of communication, scientific writing (literature reviews and thesis), oral communication and critical thinking . All students will be required to attend an Aboriginal cultural awareness and sensitivity workshops at the North Tce campus in week 11 and 12.

In addition to these formal sessions, there is considerable individual and group self-guided work to be completed on the assessments.

Specific Course Requirements

Learners must attend the compulsory face to face workshops as well as the oral presentation assessments. Where possible, workshops will be streamed on Echo 360 or available via zoom for students not based at Roseworthy Campus.

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

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

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Hurdle? Yes/No	Learning Outcome	Approximate week due
Workshop Assessments	Formative & Summative	15%	No	1, 2, 3	Week 2/3
Me in a minute video	Formative & Summative	10%	No	1, 3, 4	Week 6
Critical Evaluation	Formative & Summative	25%	No	2, 3, 4	Week 8
3 minute thesis and Infographic presentation	Formative & Summative	25%	No	1, 2, 3	Week 12
Final reflective piece	Formative & Summative	25%	No	3, 5	SWOT VAC

Assessment Detail

Workshop assessments (15%): Students will prepare a risk analysis for their honours research project and a literature review plan during their initial workshops.

Me in a minute video (10%): Students prepare a Me in Minute video (modelled off the Deakin model). An innovative video strategy that promotes the acquired knowledge and capabilities of students and graduates to prospective employers.

Critical Evaluation (25%): Students choose a current scientific topic of interest (e.g. environmental, medical, STEM education) and prepare a 1500 word critical evaluation (in pairs) comparing information from published literature, current news, and print/social media sources.

3 Minute Thesis and Infographic Presentation (25%): Identical format to the universities current 3-minute thesis (3MT) competition. Students prepare a 3min oral presentation that is designed to engage and explain their professional honours project to a general audience in lay terms. Students will also prepare an infographic that showcases the key projected outcomes from the honours student’s honours research project. Students present their infographic at a mini Research Day (approx. 3-5min oral presentation) and answer questions posed by their examiners and peers.

Final reflective piece (25%): A 1000 word reflective essay “How has the aboriginal cultural sensitivity training and Indigenous communicaction methods workshops impacted on you". Student examines his or her experiences across their year or throughout their degree and writes about those experiences, exploring how he or she has changed, developed or grown and how they can continue to improve from those experiences.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

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

M11 (Honours Mark Scheme)
Grade	Grade reflects following criteria for allocation of grade	Reported on Official Transcript
Fail	A mark between 1-49	F
Third Class	A mark between 50-59	3
Second Class Div B	A mark between 60-69	2B
Second Class Div A	A mark between 70-79	2A
First Class	A mark between 80-100	1
Result Pending	An interim result	RP
Continuing	Continuing	CN

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
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator