COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to improve participants’ practical business communication skills. It introduces participants to the implications and consequences of good and poor communication and offers valuable ways to optimize interpersonal interactions. This course will develop the participant’s ability to use clear, concise and unambiguous communication styles. This course also introduces participants to a variety of different writing challenges including minutes, technical writing, web page design and sales and promotional material generation.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this course are:
- To introduce participants to the process of effective communication and identify the potential pitfalls in communication.
- To build participant skills and confidence in delivering effective (oral and written) presentations.
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To increase participant awareness of specialized writing requirements including minutes, technical writing such as method statements, web design and sales and promotional materials.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLOs)
On completion of this course, participants are expected to be able to:
- Become knowledgeable about the process of communication including learning about possible pitfalls and recognizing different behavior types
- Plan and conduct successful written communications to achieve intended objectives and to write effective formal business reports and accurate minutes, technical data and job descriptions
- Differentiate between good and poor web page designs and describe the critical elements of all forms of publicity materials
- Write ethical, reliable, and informative research papers and be able to evaluate and analyze the work of others in an unbiased manner.
Course Outline:
PART 1. UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
1 Developing Your Professional Presence
2 Working with Others: Interpersonal, Intercultural, and Team Communication
3 Managing the Communication Process: Analyzing, Composing, Evaluating
PART 2. DELIVERING EFFECTIVE MESSAGES
4 Communicating Routine Messages and Building Goodwill
5 Communicating Persuasive Messages
6 Communicating Bad News
7 Communicating through Social Media
PART 3. RESEARCHING, PROPOSING, REPORTING, AND PRESENTING
8 Finding and Evaluating Business Information
9 Preparing Persuasive Business Proposals
10 Preparing Business Reports
11 Preparing and Delivering Business Presentations
PART 4. PERSUADING AN EMPLOYER TO HIRE YOU
12 Communicating Your Professional Brand: Social Media, Résumés, and Cover Letters
Case Study: Communication Skills for Personal and Professional Development: The Seven Challenges Approach
Project paper Discussion
TEACHING-LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Teaching-learning of the professional education courses are done inside and outside the classroom. Taught courses will be delivered by a combination of formal lectures, tutorials, problem-based learning, seminars, workshops and project work.
The usual course delivery methods are outlined as follows:
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- Lectures – used to transmit information, explain theories and concepts, and illustrate methods of analysis. For most lecture courses tutorial sheets are provided to enable participants to develop their understanding.
- Tutorials and assignment classes – run for individuals, small groups or a whole class to help participants with their understanding and to resolve problems in their subject materials.
- Problem-based learning – participants are presented with a problem and asked to work in groups to find solution to the problem. The lecturer acts as facilitator to guide participants’ enquiry and investigative method, and probe and provide input where applicable.
- Seminars and workshops – participants organize or participate in seminars / workshops.
- Project work – participants complete an extended English, literature or communication-related research project
Course Textbook:
Business and Professional Communication: Plans, Processes, and Performance, Books a la Carte, 6th Edition
James R. DiSanza, Idaho State University
Nancy J. Legge, Idaho State University
Link: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Di-Sanza-Business-and-Professional-Communication-Plans-Processes-and-Performance-Books-a-la-Carte-6th-Edition/PGM2058279.html
Feedback Given to Participants in Response to Assessed Work
- Individual written feedback on coursework
- Feedback discussed as part of a tutorial
- Individual feedback on request
- Model answers
Developmental Feedback Generated Through Teaching Activities
- Feedback is given at presentations and during tutorial sessions
- Dialogue between participants and staff in tutorials and lectures
GRADING AND SCORING
The course grade will be based on a final project presented by the participant and graded by the instructor. Participants much achieve a passing grade of 70% or more to be awarded a certificate of completion of the course.
