Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

The Health discipline generally consists of people-based professions with many positions involving not only understanding and assessing people, but also communicating with them. More broadly, within both your professional and personal relationships it is useful to possess effective interpersonal skills and a well-developed ability to understand and conceptualise interactive processes. The communication micro-skills presented in this unit will therefore form the foundation for developing successful personal and professional relationships.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to encourage you to draw links between research, personal insight and the development of practical skills. Upon completion it is aimed that you can analyse and intervene in both intra- and interpersonal interactions and that you have developed a set of basic interpersonal skills.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of relevant theories, applying models and concepts of relating to analyse a particular situation


2. Demonstrate appropriate use of basic communication skills including responding to process as well as content


3. Demonstrate awareness of your own interpersonal style


4. Participate effectively in small group interactions


5. Apply analysis to intra/interpersonal change

Content

The topics you will study throughout semester will include:

• Principles of effective communication


• Perception of self and others


• Culture and communication


• Communication in intimate relationships, friendships and families


• Communicating in times of stress


• Trauma, loss, grief and communication


• Active listening


• Conflict resolution


• Group processes


• Technology and communication

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Participation in this unit involves your attendance at a weekly lecture and fortnightly tutorial program. Lectures run for two hours each week and begin in Week 1. You should aim to attend as many lectures as you can and remain up to date with your reading. The lectures cover the theoretical aspects of the unit content and provide you with additional material to supplement the textbook readings. The tutorials for PYB007 run for two hours every second week and begin in Week 2. Tutorials are based on the principals of problem-based learning and are experiential in nature. A proportion of your assessment will be conducted within these tutorials.

Assessment

In order to best assess your grasp of both the theory and skills aspect of this unit, the assessment consists of both written work and a practical stills demonstration. The assessment is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply the theory and core skills presented in the unit to your own experiences, thus integrating your university experience with your 'real world' experience. In addition to submitting hard copies of your assessment to Assignment Minder for marking, you will also be required to submit all written work to the 'SafeAssign' upload feature on Blackboard.This unit has adopted the principles of criterion-referenced assessment therefore a large part of the feedback you receive will be in the form of a completed marking criteria sheet for each assignment. This sheet will give you detailed information about how you have addressed each of the criteria set for that piece of assessment and the areas of improvement you might want to focus on in future. The criteria for the assignments are aligned with the learning outcomes for the unit; as a result, the feedback you receive gives you an indication of how you are progressing with meeting these outcomes. The Blackboard site for this unit also provides you with unit-wide feedback.

Assessment name: Comm. Skills Audit & Demo
Description: Assessment name: Communication skills audit and demonstration

Description: Two-part assessment that incorporates a written skills audit/analysis and a practical skills demonstration

Communication skills audit - Part A (theory)

Referring to the practical skills that you will demonstrate later in the semester, you will conduct a written audit of your capacity to communicate effectively. This audit will include both a theoretical/research component and a personal reflection component which together will constitute a 1250 word submission.

Relates to learning outcomes: 1, 3 and 5
Weight: 25%
Due date: Mid Semester

Communication skills audit - Part B (practical)

This part of the assignment requires you to submit a 5 minute video recording where you demonstrate your use of active listening skills in a real-life situation. You will also submit answers to a series of reflection questions that ask you to analyse your use of the skills you wrote about in your earlier written skills audit.

Relates to learning outcomes: 2, 3, and 5
Weight: 25%
Due date: End of Semester
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid & End Semester

Assessment name: Case Study Presentation
Description: Assessment name: Tutorial case study presentations

Description: In your tutorial groups you will discuss, prepare and present a series of case formulations. You will complete three presentations across semester, two of which will be marked; only your highest mark will be counted towards your final grade. Your final mark for the presentations will also incorporate peer assessment regarding your contribution to the presentation.
Relates to objectives: 1 and 4
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Throughout Semester

Assessment name: Final Exam
Description: Assessment name: Final Exam
Description: Your final examination will be held during the University's formal examination period. It will be 90 minutes in length and will consist of 80 multiple choice questions assessing the theoretical aspect of lecture and tutorial content, as well as material from the text and other readings.
Relates to objectives: 1 and 2
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Hazelwood, Z., & Shakespeare-Finch, J. (2011). I'm listening: Communication for health professionals. Brisbane, Australia: Inn Press.

Shakespeare-Finch, J. (2010). A guide to formatting in psychology (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education.

Risk assessment statement

It is possible that activities could distress you if sensitive issues are discussed. If you find any of the situations distressing, you are advised to discuss them with a member of the University Counselling Service which is provided at no cost to QUT students.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 03-Dec-2012