Unit of Study Guide Unit Code: SBM3101 Unit Name: Professional Development and Business Communication Prepared by: Associate Professor Craig Ellis Date: 7/11/2016 This publication is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the written permission of Asia Pacific International College.i Table of Contents 1. Unit Overview .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Unit Description .................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Unit Learning Outcomes (LOs) ............................................................................................ 2 1.3 Teaching Methods and Strategies....................................................................................... 2 1.4 Development of Course Objectives and Graduate Attributes ............................................ 3 1.5 Schedule of Teaching and Learning Activities ..................................................................... 3 1.6 Key dates ............................................................................................................................. 4 1.7 Student Feedback and Continuous Improvement .............................................................. 5 2. Learning Resources........................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Prescribed and Recommended Readings............................................................................ 6 2.1.1 Prescribed.................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Recommended ............................................................................................................ 6 2.1.3 Access to Library Resources ........................................................................................ 7 2.2 Additional Resources Required ........................................................................................... 7 3. Assessment Information................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Assessment Overview ......................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Group assignments.............................................................................................................. 8 3.3 Submitting assessments...................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Late submission of assessments.......................................................................................... 9 3.5 Receiving marks for assessments........................................................................................ 9 3.6 Changes to assessments...................................................................................................... 9 3.7 Assessment moderation...................................................................................................... 9 3.8 Appeals against assignment marks ................................................................................... 10 4. Policies............................................................................................................................11 4.1 Academic Integrity and Professional Standards................................................................ 11 4.2 Other Relevant Policies, Procedures and Forms ............................................................... 11 5. Student Support ..............................................................................................................12 5.1 Academic and Learning Support ....................................................................................... 12 5.2 Technical Support.............................................................................................................. 12ii 5.3 Student Services Support .................................................................................................. 12 APPENDIX A - Assessment Information ....................................................................................13 Assignment 1: Essay...................................................................................................................... 13 Assignment 3: Presentation.......................................................................................................... 14 Assignment 4: Learning and development plan ........................................................................... 15 Assignment 5: Report.................................................................................................................... 16 APPENDIX B: Unit Moderation Status.......................................................................................17Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 1 1. Unit Overview Instance Semester 3, 2016 Unit Title Professional Development and Business Communication Unit Code SBM3101 Credit Points 6 Pre-Requisites None Co-Requisites None Other Requirements None COURSE(S) DBUS, DBIS, BBUS, BBIS Teaching Team – Melbourne Unit Coordinator: Dr John Tippett Phone: (03) 9603 5333 Email: [email protected] Office: Level 6, 399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000, Australia Teaching Team - Sydney Unit Coordinator: Dr Rakesh Khanal Phone: : (02) 9318 8111 Email: [email protected] Office: Level 1, 55 Regent Street, Chippendale NSW 2008Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 2 1.1 Unit Description This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of effective communication as it is used in the contemporary business environment. It describes some of the key theories of communication and explores the elements of correct grammar, punctuation, and business spelling and language. Students will learn how to write, edit, and present reports and research findings. They will develop proficiency in referencing and learn the basics of effective research, how to analyse information, and how to develop effective arguments. The unit will identify some of the barriers to effective communication and discuss ways that they might be overcome. It also offers students advice and instruction regarding ways to promote and develop their own career. It will explore how students can develop self-awareness and understanding and what motivates people to achieve. Students will learn about the key practices associated with developing and maintaining a professional network, including membership of professional bodies and how to identify a suitable business mentor. Finally, the unit will teach students how to conduct their own skills audit to identify areas within their own professional practice that may require development. This unit is a core unit in the DBUS, DBIS, BBUS and BBIS programs. 1.2 Unit Learning Outcomes (LOs) On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to: 1. Describe and discuss the principal theories of communication and how they are applied to a business context 2. Demonstrate understanding and proficiency in the application of correct academic referencing 3. Demonstrate the ability to use appropriate language and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation 4. Demonstrate effective research skills 5. Critically analyse and evaluate arguments and information from different sources 6. Identify and analyse the barriers to effective communication and suggest ways these may be overcome 7. Demonstrate an understanding of how individuals might gain self-awareness, and how they can motivate and encourage both themselves and others 8. Describe and discuss the principles and practices associated with building and maintaining an effective professional network and the role of mentors in that network 9. Identify and critique basic methods for developing effective professional practice, for conducting an individual skills audit, and for developing a personal professional development program. 1.3 Teaching Methods and Strategies This unit is taught over 13 weeks. Unit content is delivered to students via lectures and tutorials, and totals 4 student contact hours per week.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 3 Students will participate in teaching and learning activities including 'activity-based learning' under academic supervision, with frequent interaction with fellow students and the faculty, who will also provide frequent feedbacks to individuals and the class as a whole. In addition to timetabled contact hours, students are expected to do at least 4 hours of personal study each week to review lectures and read prescribed and recommended materials for this unit. The total individual workload of this unit will be around 150 hours (including teamwork, individual self-study and reading). 1.4 Development of Course Objectives and Graduate Attributes Successful completion of this unit also contributes specifically to development of the following APIC Graduate [Transformative] Attributes:  Communication  Collaboration  Problem Solving  Leadership  Analysis  Ethical Attitude  Self-Direction  Research  Creativity and Innovation  Learning  Cultural Empathy 1.5 Schedule of Teaching and Learning Activities Week Topic Scheduled Teaching and Learning Activities 1 Unit Introduction and Communications Foundations  Introduction to course aims, objectives, target competencies, learning strategies, resources available, timetable and deliverables, assessment methods and related briefings  Briefing on how to conduct each phase of assessments and the entire unit of study  Tutorial 1 2 The writing process Writing the reflective journals and experiential learning  Review theoretical concepts to Tutorial 1  Tutorial 2 and 3 3 Academic writing skills  Review theoretical concepts to Tutorial 2/3  Tutorial 4 4 Interpersonal and intercultural communication  Review theoretical concepts to 4  Tutorial 5Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 4 Week Topic Scheduled Teaching and Learning Activities 5 Mid-Semester Test  MCQ Christmas/New Year Shut Down (from 19/12/16 to 2/7). Class resumes from 3/01/17 6 Communication across the organisation  Tutorial 6 7 Researching and processing information  Review theoretical concepts to Tutorial 6  Tutorial 7 8 Oral presentations and public speaking Communicating through visuals  Review theoretical concepts to Tutorial 7  Tutorial 8 and 9 9 The Job Search, Résumés and Interviews  Team Presentations 10 Writing long reports  Review of theoretical concepts for all tutorials 11 Final Exam  TBA 1.6 Key dates Event Information Date(s) Orientation Important information, activities and classes introducing students to their studies Monday, 31 October 2016 to Friday, 4 November 2016 Semester starts Commencement of teaching Monday, 14 November 2016 Census After this date, students may not:  Enrol into units of study  Withdraw without penalty from units of study Wednesday, 23 November 2016 Semester ends Teaching ends Friday, 27 January 2017 Examination period Final examinations, vivas and presentations Monday, 30 January 2017 to Friday, 10 February 2017Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 5 1.7 Student Feedback and Continuous Improvement APIC is committed to the principle of continuous improvement, and seeks feedback from students to assist APIC in providing the best possible teaching and learning experience. As a result of feedback received from students via APIC's Student Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ), implemented at the end of each teaching period, the following changes have been made to this unit: A transition program has been established to address the recommendations from the Board of Examiners (Semester 2, 2015)Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 6 2. Learning Resources 2.1 Prescribed and Recommended Readings 2.1.1 Prescribed Dwyer, J. (2012) Communications in Business: Strategies and Skills, Fifth Edition, Pearson Publishers 2.1.2 Recommended Textbook(s) Australian Government Printing Service (2002) Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 6th ed., John Wiley and sons, Milton, Queensland Bright, J. and Earl, J. (2004) Resumes that get Shortlisted, Second Edition, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest. Dietsch, B.M. (2006) Reasoning and Writing Well: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader and Handbook, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill, United States. Dodd, C. (2007) Managing Business and Professional Communication, 2nd ed., Pearson Education, UK Dwyer, J. (2011) The Business Communication Handbook, Ninth Edition, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest Dwyer, J. (2008) Communications in Business: Strategies and Skills, Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest Emerson, L. (2010) Writing Guidelines for Business Students, Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne. Levitt, J. (2012) Your Career: How to Make it Happen, Eighth Edition, Thomson Learning. Sherfield, R. M. and Moody, P. G. (2009) Solving the Professional Development Puzzle, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Archee, R., Gurney, M. and Mohan, T. (2013) Communicating as Professionals, third Edition., Cengage Learning, South Melbourne, Australia de Janasz, S., Wood, G., Gottschalk, L., Dowd, K. and Schneider, B. (2011) Interpersonal Skills in Organizations, Fourth Edition, McGraw Hill, Sydney Journal Articles Australian Communication Review Australian Journal of Career Development Australian Journal of Communication Business and Professional Ethics Journal Business Communication Quarterly Professional CommunicationUnit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 7 Websites Aardvark's English Forum http://www.englishforum.com/00/ Australian Journal of Communication http://www.emsah.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=20187 Australian and New Zealand Communication Association http://www.anzca.net Communication Research Institute of Australia http://www.communication.org.au/ Communication Research Institute of Australia http://www.communication.org.au/index.html Monash University – Language and Learning Online http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/ Paradigm Online Writing Assistant http://www.powa.org/ University of New England – Academic Literacy tutorials http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/alo/ 2.1.3 Access to Library Resources Library opening hours are as follows: Melbourne Sydney Monday – Friday: 9:00am to 9:00pm Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed Public holidays: Closed Monday – Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed Public holidays: Closed E-library (EBSCO) resources are accessible 24/7 via the OLS. 2.2 Additional Resources Required  Your Unit Study Guide  Specific unit readings  The APIC online learning system (OLS) that provides access to full text journal databases, listed Internet resources etc.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 8 3. Assessment Information 3.1 Assessment Overview The assessment in this Unit has 6 components as listed below: Task No. Assessment Tasks and Description Weighting 1 Due Week 5 Essay Business Writing (17/12/16) 10% 2 Due Week 5 Midsemester test MCQ (14/12/16) 15% 3 Due Week 9 Presentation Business Communication Weekly Topic Presentation (25/01/17) 25% 4 Due Week 10 Learning and development plan Career Plan / Elevator Pitch (1/02/17) 20% 5 Due Week 11 Report Business Report (8/02/17) 30% Full details of all assessment tasks for this unit of study (including detailed marking criteria) can be found in Appendix A of this document. 3.2 Group assignments APIC uses group assignments to provide a platform of authentic assessment that highlights best practice and enhances the development of collaborative skills. The assessment focus is around the process of working in groups for purposes including:  Collaboration and cooperation;  Analysis of the task for the purpose of assigning responsibility for its components;  Incorporating elements of leadership, teamwork, delegation and coordination;  Preparation and presentation of group reports, which may be supplemented by individual component reports;  Understanding and evaluating the challenges that arise in collaborative work, and formulating techniques to manage them. All students are expected to undertake group assessment with due regard to the APIC Academic Integrity Policy (see Section 4, Policies).Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 9 3.3 Submitting assessments All written assessments are to be submitted via the Unit site on the Online Learning System (OLS) by the due date and time given in the Assessment Overview. Unit lecturers will provide instructions and in-class demonstration of the submission process prior to the due date for the first assessment in the Unit. Students who experience technical issues when attempting to submit their assignment via the OLS should immediately contact technical support or the website for assistance (see Section 5.2, Technical Support). Vivas, examinations and presentations must be attended as scheduled, unless by prior arrangement due to exceptional circumstances (see Section 4, Policies). Non-attendance at a scheduled assessment may result in a fail grade for the assessment piece, and may impact students' overall grade in the Unit. 3.4 Late submission of assessments Written assessments that are submitted after the due date and time published in this Unit of Study Guide will receive a penalty of 10% of the maximum available mark per working day. Exceptions to this will only be granted where a student has requested and been granted an extension to the assignment due date in advance, or where an application for Special Consideration has been granted (see Section 4, Policies). 3.5 Receiving marks for assessments Students will normally be notified of marks for individual assignments via the OLS. All student results for an individual assessment item will be released concurrently. Marks will normally be returned within two weeks of the assessment being submitted. Students will be notified if there is to be a delay to the release of marks for an assignment. 3.6 Changes to assessments Other than in exceptional circumstances, no changes should be made to the assessment profile published in this Unit of Study Guide after the end of Week 1 in any teaching period. If after this time it becomes necessary to make changes to an assessment, any modifications must be:  made in consultation with students;  communicated to all students in writing by the Unit Coordinator; and  approved by the Dean. 3.7 Assessment moderation Pre- and post-assessment moderation is a quality assurance process for ensuring appropriate assessment and the consistent marking and grading of student work. APIC does not define the proportion of marks and/ or grades that lie within pre-determined bands. Moderation may occur:Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 10  before marking individual assessment tasks (pre-assessment) to ensure markers have a shared understanding of the relevant criteria and standards; and  after marking individual assessment tasks and before the release of marks to students (postassessment) to ensure markers have applied the relevant criteria and standards consistently. 3.8 Appeals against assignment marks Appeals against the mark(s) awarded for an assessment task will only be considered on the grounds that:  a Unit of Study Guide was not provided for the unit;  the assessment requirements as specified in the Unit of Study Guide were varied without the approval of the Dean and without written notification to students;  assessment requirements specified in the Unit of Study Guide were unreasonably or prejudicially applied to the student;  the student believes that a clerical error has occurred in the computation of the mark; or  due regard has not been paid to an approved application for Special Consideration. Requests for re-marking must be made in writing to the Unit Coordinator within 2 weeks of the results for the assignment being released. The assignment will be re-marked by an academic staff member other than the person who did the original marking. Re-marking may result in the original mark being confirmed, or the student being awarded a higher or lower mark than originally awarded. Results of re-marking are final and may not be appealed.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 11 4. Policies 4.1 Academic Integrity and Professional Standards Plagiarism is the inclusion of another person's work within your submission without acknowledgment or permission. While limited amounts of information and concepts expressed by others may be included as part of your work, each inclusion must be identified by appropriate referencing and acknowledgement to the original author. Plagiarism is regarded as a form of cheating. The penalties associated with misconduct are severe, and plagiarism may result in failure or variation of grade in the Unit. All APIC students must familiarise themselves with the APIC Academic Integrity Policy, which can be accessed here: http://apicollege.edu.au/academic-honesty/. 4.2 Other Relevant Policies, Procedures and Forms The following documents contain important information relevant to all aspects of studying at APIC: Policies:  Assessment Policy  Academic Progress Policy  Examination Rules  Code of Conduct for Students  Policy on Both Academic and Non-Academic Grievance  APIC General Regulations Procedures:  Appeals Forms:  Application for Special Consideration  Application to Reduce Study Load or Overload All APIC students are expected to familiarise themselves with these documents as part of their rights and responsibilities as an APIC student.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 12 5. Student Support 5.1 Academic and Learning Support Students' first point of contact for academic support is their tutor or lecturer. Contact details for relevant staff are provided in the Unit Overview, Section 1 of this Unit of Study Guide. Students will be advised in class of the consultation hours for this Unit and the best means for contacting individual teaching staff. APIC also provides a range of workshops and tutorials to support students with study skills, academic writing and English language learning. These services are open to all APIC students free of charge. Students may access these services either by referral from a lecturer or tutor, or by speaking directly to a member of staff at their campus reception desk. 5.2 Technical Support APIC provides a 24/7/365 OLS technical support service to its staff and students. To access this service please call 1800 092 652 and select option 1 for students. The technical team will take a step-by-step approach to resolve queries, and will automatically escalate unresolved tickets to a local APIC OLS administrator. We aim to resolve any technical issue within 48 hours of the issue being reported. 5.3 Student Services Support Students who feel overwhelmed by their studies or living in a new country are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to see the Welfare and Engagement Officer at their campus. APIC's Welfare and Engagement Service provides free confidential support and personalised assistance to help students to manage their personal issues and help develop strategies to concentrate on their studies and get more out of their APIC experience. APIC's Student Services team can be contacted at [email protected], or by speaking to a member of staff at the campus reception desk. All student application forms can be accessed from http://apicollege.edu.au/currentstudents/forms/.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 13 APPENDIX A - Assessment Information Assessment 1: Essay Due date: Week 5, Sunday, 11 December 2016 Group/individual: Individual assignment Word count: 1000 Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7, LO8, LO9 Weighting: 10% Marking Criteria: Relevance to the topic Are all of the important issues required of the question addressed? Did the student answer the question/s? Critical analysis Has reference material been carefully analysed or critically accepted/refuted and explained in the student's own words? Extent of reading Does the answer indicate a satisfactory coverage of literature relevant to the question? Logical structure Is the answer well-structured and the argument logically developed? Does the essay have an introduction (essay plan/synopsis), body, and conclusion? Writing style/grammar Is the style concise and lucid or confused, making it difficult for the reader to get the point? There should not be any spelling/typing errors. Referencing Is there a properly presented list of reference material (only those items actually cited in the essay)? Were these items dutifully referenced in the essay?Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 14 Assessment 2: Presentation Due date: Week 10, Sunday, 22 January 2017 Group/individual: Group assignment Learning outcomes: LO1, LO3, LO6 Weighting: 25% Marking Criteria:  Organization;  Clarity and quality of visual materials;  General presentation skills;  Quality of Discussion generated;  Dress- up (behaving in a dignified and professional way).Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 15 Assignment 4: Learning and development plan Due date: Week 12, Sunday, 29 January 2017 Group/individual: Individual assignment Word count: 1000 Learning outcomes: LO8, LO9 Weighting: 20% Assignment Details: Click or tap here to enter text. Marking Criteria: Click or tap here to enter text.Unit of Study Guide: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 16 Assignment 5: Report Due date: Week 13, Sunday, 12 February 2017 Group/individual: Individual assignment Word count: Click or tap here to enter text. Learning outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 Weighting: 30% Assignment Details: Click or tap here to enter text. Marking Criteria: Click or tap here to enter text.Unit Moderation: SBM3101, Semester 3, 2016 Page 17 APPENDIX B: Unit Moderation Status UNIT: Professional Development and Business Communication UNIT CODE: SBM3101 UNIT COORDINATOR: Dr Rakesh Khanal, Dr John Tippett UNIT MODERATOR: Dr Rakesh Khanal, Dr Viral Pandya I have read the Unit of Study Guide for the above-named Unit and consulted with the Unit Coordinator on amendment, and in my opinion: a) information presented in the Student Unit Outline Choose an item. consistent with the current version of the Unit Statement; b) the chosen educational strategiesChoose an item. appropriate for the aims and objectives of the Unit; c) the assessment tasks Choose an item. consistent with the Unit Statement; d) the assessment tasks Choose an item. for the aims & objectives of the Unit. Signed: Click or tap here to enter text. Date: Click or tap to enter a date. Moderator