Effective public communication updated course outline

Effective Public Communication (FCOM 0102): July 2013 P a g e | 1 of 9

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN Center for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia ______________________________________________________________________________________ Foundation in Natural and Built Environments Module: Effective Public Communication [FCOM 0102] Prerequisite: None Credit hours: 2 Instructor: P.Thivilojana ([email protected]) Module Synopsis: The module introduces and delves into the basic concepts and principles in the daily application of interpersonal and group communication skills both for personal and professional development. Course components include models and concepts within interpersonal, group and organizational communication such as perception, listening, group decision making, leadership and conflict. Module Teaching Objectives 1. To understand the concepts of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and how people behave and communicate in different situations. 2. To demonstrate the principles of communication and behaviour in analyzing interaction with others, both at individual and at group levels Module Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of the subject, students will be able to: 1. Explain the concepts of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and how people behave and communicate in different situations. 2. Apply the principles of communication and behaviour in analyzing interaction with others, both at individual and at group levels. 3. To demonstrate an ability to analyse and response to handling conflict as well as efficient negotiation skills in dealing with variety of individuals. 4. To be aware of the importance of cultural differences and respect cultural differences as well as to build healthy and positive relationships with fellow students, co-workers and clients. Modes of Delivery This is a 2 credit hour module held over the 18 weeks, 2 hours per session, once a week. As each session is set to achieve different milestones in the students’ communication skills attendance is compulsory. Students are to be self-directed in their work and at times will need to work in groups on projects assigned to them and must be able to display ability to work as a team player , and display effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The breakdown of the contact hours for the module is as follows: Contact hours Lecture: 1 hours/week Tutorial: 1 hours/week Self-study: 2.5 hours/week


Office Hours You are encouraged to visit the instructor/lecturer/tutor concerned for assistance during office hours. If the office hours do not meet your schedule, notify the instructor and set appointment times as needed. TIMeS Moodle will be used as a communication tool and information portal for students to access module materials, project briefs, assignments and announcements.


Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities (TGC) The teaching and learning approach at Taylor’s University is focused on developing the Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities in its students; capabilities that encompass the knowledge, cognitive capabilities and soft skills of our graduates.

Discipline Specific Knowledge TGCs Acquired Through Module

Learning Outcomes

1.0

Discipline Specific Knowledge

1.1 Solid foundational knowledge in relevant subjects 1-4

1.2 Understand ethical issues in the context of the field of study Cognitive Capabilities

2.0

Lifelong Learning

2.1 Locate and extract information effectively

2.2 Relate learned knowledge to everyday life 1 & 2

3.0

Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

3.1 Learn to think critically and creatively 3.2 Define and analyse problems to arrive at effective solutions

Soft Skills

4.0

Communication Skills

4.1 Communicate appropriately in various setting and modes 3 & 4

5.0

Interpersonal Skills

5.1 Understand team dynamics and work with others in a team

6.0

Intrapersonal Skills

6.1 Manage one self and be self-reliant - 6.2 Reflect on one’s actions and learning. - 6.3 Embody Taylor's core values. -

7.0

Citizenship and Global Perspectives

7.1 Be aware and form opinions from diverse perspectives. - 7.2 Understand the value of civic responsibility and community engagement. -

8.0

Digital Literacy

8.1 Effective use of information and communication (ICT) and related technologies. -


General Rules and Regulations Late Submission Penalty The School imposes a late submission penalty for work submitted late without a valid reason e.g. a medical certificate. Any work submitted after the deadline (which may have been extended) shall have the percentage grade assigned to the work on face value reduced by 10% for the first day and 5% for each subsequent day late. A weekend counts as 1 day.

Individual members of staff shall be permitted to grant extensions for assessed work that they have set if they are satisfied that a student has given good reasons. Absenteeism at intermediate or final presentations will result in zero mark for that presentation. Lecturers reserve the right to not accept any late submission after one (1) week. The Board of Examiners may overrule any penalty imposed and allow the actual mark achieved to be used if the late submission was for a good reason. Attendance and Participation Attendance is compulsory. Any student who arrives late after the first half-hour of class will be considered as absent. A minimum of 80% attendance is required to pass the module and/or be eligible for the final examination. You are expected to attend and participate actively in class. The lectures and tutorials will assist you in expanding your ideas and your research progression. Students will be assessed based on their performance throughout the semester. Students are expected to attend and participate actively in class. Class participation is an important component of every module. Students must attempt all assessment components including Portfolio. Failure to attempt assessment components worth 20% or more, the student would be required to resubmit or resit an assessment component, even though the student has achieved more than 50% in the overall assessment. Failure to attempt all assessment components, including final exam and final presentation, will result in failing the module irrespective of the marks earned, even though the student has achieved more than 50% in the overall assessment. Plagiarism (Excerpt from Taylor’s University Student Handbook 2013, page 59) Plagiarism, which is an attempt to present another person’s work as your own by not acknowledging the source, is a serious case of misconduct which is deemed unacceptable by the University. "Work" includes written materials such as books, journals and magazine articles or other papers and also includes films and computer programs. The two most common types of plagiarism are from published materials and other students’ works a. Published Materials In general, whenever anything from someone else’s work is used, whether it is an idea, an opinion or the results of a study or review, a standard system of referencing should be used. Examples of plagiarism may include a sentence or two, or a table or a diagram from a book or an article used without acknowledgement. Serious cases of plagiarism can be seen in cases where the entire paper presented by the student is copied from another book, with an addition of only a sentence or two by the student. While the former can be treated as a simple failure to cite references, the latter is likely to be viewed as cheating in an examination. Though most assignments require the need for reference to other peoples’ works, in order to avoid plagiarism, students should keep a detailed record of the sources of ideas and findings and ensure that


these sources are clearly quoted in their assignment. Note that plagiarism refers to materials obtained from the Internet too. b. Other Students’ Work Circulating relevant articles and discussing ideas before writing an assignment is a common practice. However, with the exception of group assignments, students should write their own papers. Plagiarising the work of other students into assignments includes using identical or very similar sentences, paragraphs or sections. When two students submit papers which are very similar in tone and content, both are likely to be penalised. Student Participation Your participation in the module is encouraged. You have the opportunity to participate in the following ways:

! Your ideas and questions are welcomed, valued and encouraged. ! Your input is sought to understand your perspectives, ideas and needs in planning subject revision. ! You have opportunities to give feedback and issues will be addressed in response to that feedback. ! Do reflect on your performance in Portfolios. ! Student evaluation on your views and experiences about the module are actively sought and used as

an integral part of improvement in teaching and continuous improvement. Student-centered Learning (SCL) The module uses the Student-centered Learning (SCL) approach. Utilization of SCL embodies most of the principles known to improve learning and to encourage student’s participation. SCL requires students to be active, responsible participants in their own learning and instructors are to facilitate the learning process. Various teaching and learning strategies such as experiential learning, problem-based learning, site visits, group discussions, presentations, working in group and etc. can be employed to facilitate the learning process. In SCL, students are expected to be:

! active in their own learning; ! self-directed to be responsible to enhance their learning abilities; ! able to cultivate skills that are useful in today’s workplace; ! active knowledge seekers; ! active players in a team.

Types of Assessment and Feedback You will be graded in the form of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments will provide information to guide you in the research process. This form of assessment involves participation in discussions and feedback sessions. Summative assessment will inform you about the level of understanding and performance capabilities achieved at the end of the module.

Assessment Components Type Learning Outcome/s Submission Presentation Assessment

Weightage Group Project – Blog Group

2 & 4

Digital upload Week 7 30

Class Test Individual 1

Class Test Week 11 20

Oral Presentation Individual 2 & 3

Digital Upload Week 17 40

Portfolio Individual ALL Digital upload Exam Week 10


Assessment Plan Assessment Components This module will be graded in the form of coursework. It consists of a class test, oral presentation as well as a group project. 1. Class test (Individual) This test will examine how much the students understanding of chapters covered throughout the semester in class and test mastery of concepts of communication, both verbal and nonverbal and how people behave and communicate in different situations 2. Oral Presentation (Individual) This group work is designed to assess the ability of the students in applying the principles of communication and behaviour in analyzing interaction with others, both at individual and group levels. Students will be given four topics and will be required to choose one of them. The format of the assessment will be based on verbal presentation. 3. Group Project- Blog (Group)

The group project which is in a form of a blog will demonstrate mastery of selected concepts from the course selected by students. Students will be expected to show application of the principles of communication at individual and at group levels as well as awareness of the importance of cultural differences. Mastery of these concepts is manifested by translating the selected concepts into a blog. Images, drawings, text and so on must be well edited, legible and composed. 4. Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities Portfolio (Online Portfolio) – (Individual) Each student is to develop an e-Portfolio, a web-based portfolio in the form of a personal academic blog. The e-Portfolio is developed progressively for all modules taken throughout Semesters 1 and 2, and MUST PASS THIS COMPONENT. The portfolio must encapsulate the acquisition of Module Learning Outcome, Programme Learning Outcomes and Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities, and showcases the distinctiveness and identity of the student as a graduate of the programme. Submission of the E-Portfolio is COMPULSARY.


Marks and Grading Table Assessments and grades will be returned within 2 weeks of your submission. You will be given the grades and necessary feedback for each submission. The grading system is shown below:

Grade Marks Grade Points Definition Description

A 80 – 100 4.00 Excellent Evidence of original thinking; demonstrated outstanding capacity to analyze and synthesize; outstanding grasp of module matter; evidence of extensive knowledge base

A- 75 – 79 3.67 Very Good Evidence of good grasp of module matter; critical capacity and analytical ability; understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature

B+ 70 – 74 3.33

B 65 – 69 3.00 Good

Evidence of grasp of module matter; critical capacity and analytical ability, reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature

B- 60 – 64 2.67

C+ 55 – 59 2.33

C 50 – 54 2.00

Pass Evidence of some understanding of the module matter; ability to develop solutions to simple problems; benefitting from his/her university experience

D+ 47 – 49 1.67

D 44 – 46 1.33

D- 40 – 43 1.00

Marginal Fail

Evidence of nearly but not quite acceptable familiarity with subject matter, weak in critical and analytical skills

F 0 – 39 0.00 Fail Insufficient evidence of understanding of the module matter; weakness in critical and analytical skills; limited or irrelevant use of the literature

WD - - Withdrawn Withdrawn from a module before census date, typically mid semester

F(W) 0 0.00 Fail Withdrawn after census date, typically mid semester

IN - - Incomplete An interim notation given for a module where a student has not completed certain requirements with valid reason or it is not possible to finalise the grade by the published deadline

P - - Pass Given for satisfactory completion of practicum

AU - - Audit Given for a module where attendance is for information only without earning academic credit


Weekly Module Schedule

Week/Date Topic Lecture Hour

Tutorial Hour

Blended Learning

Week 1 5th – 6th February

Lecture: Introduction to Effective Public Communication.

1 1 2.5


Process of Human Communication • Communication models • Communication contexts

1 1 2.5


Perception • Perception process • Self in communication • Barriers in perception

1 1 2.5


Verbal Messages • Words and meaning • Language and thought

1 1 2.5

Week 5 5th – 6th March

Verbal Messages • Words in action • Language problems

1 1

2.5

(On line discussion/forum)


Nonverbal Messages • Interpreting nonverbal messages • Spatial and temporal cues

1 1 2.5


Nonverbal Messages • Time • Visual and vocal cues

1

Final submission of

the Group Project and presentation

30%

2.5


Listening • Importance of listening • Types of listening • Improving listening

1 1 2.5

(On line

discussion/forum)

April 3rd – 4th Mid Term Break

Week 9 9th – 10th April

Conflict • Definition • Levels of conflict • Conflict resolution

1 1 2.5

Week 10 16th – 17th

Interpersonal Communication • Bases of human attraction

1 1 2.5

(On line


April • Characteristics of relationship

discussion/forum)

Week 11 23rd-24th April

Interpersonal Communication • Theories of relationship development and dissolution • Maintaining relationship • Family communication

1

1 The class test is conducted for the whole cohort - 20%.

2.5

Week 12 30th April & 1st May

Small Group Communication • Types of small groups • Group dynamics

1 1 2.5

Week 13 7th-8th May

Small Group Communication • Group structure • Effective groups

1 1 2.5

Week 14 14th–15th May

Discussion/ Class Activity related to Final Project 1 1 2.5

Week 15 21st –22nd May

Members in Group Communication • Members roles

1 1 2.5

Week 16 28th –29th May

Leaders in Group Communication •Approaches to leadership • Styles of leadership • Functions of leadership

1 1 2.5

Week 17 4th – 5th June

Intercultural Communication • Definition of culture • Obstacles to intercultural definition • Barriers to intercultural communication The Group Project is due.

1 Oral Presentation- 40%

2.5


Organization Communication • Definition • Organization culture • Communication in an organization

1 1 2.5


Study Leave *No final exam for EPC Portfolio

submission 10%

Note: The Module Schedule above is subject to change at short notice.


Recommended Reading References

Main References :

1. Pearson, C.P., Nelson, E. N., Scott, T., Harter, H. (2013) Human Communication, (5th ed.) Boston: McGraw Hill 2. Tubbs,S.L. & Moss, S. (2003) Human Communication: Principles and Contexts, (11th ed.) Boston: McGraw Hill

Additional References :

3. Beebe, S.A. & Materson, J.T. (2002) Communication in Small Groups: Principles and practices, (8th ed.) New York: Harper Collin Publishers 4. Wilson, G.L., Hantz, A.M., and Hanna, M.S. (1995) Interpersonal Growth Through Communication, (4th ed.) Iowa: William. C. Brown Publishers 5.Wood, J.T. (2002) Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters, (3rd ed.) Australia: Wadsworth 6. Jandt, F. E. (2010) An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global Community, (6th ed.) Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc. 7. Samovar. L. A., Porter. R. E., McDaniel, E. R. (2010) Communication Between Cultures, (7th ed.) Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning 8. Adams, K. & Galanes, J.G. (2009) Communicating in Groups: Applications and Skills (8th ed.) New York: McGraw Hill 9. Verderder,K.S., Verderber, R.F., Sellnow D.D. (2008) Communicate! (13th ed.) Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning 10. de Janasz,S.C., Dowd,K.O., Schneiler B. Z. (2009) Interpersonal Skills in Organizations (4th ed.) New York: McGraw Hill 11. DeVito, J.E. (2009) The Interpersonal Communication Book (12th ed.) New York: Pearson Education, Inc.