Credit Points 10

Coordinator Myra Gurney Opens in new window

Description Understanding of the complexities of human communication is an important part of professional practice in all communication and creative industries. In this subject you will explore both theoretical and practical elements of professional communication and how these can be applied to understanding and solving real world communication problems. Subject content provides you with a range of communication contexts necessary for academic work and professional success. It also asks you to learn and practise a variety of professional writing styles and give class presentations with particular attention to how these vary according to the audience, context and medium.

School Humanities & Comm Arts

Discipline Communication and Media Studies, Not Elsewhere Classified.

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Equivalent Subjects COMM 1026 COMM 1032 COMM 1033

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this subject, students will be able to: 

1. Identify the wide range of variables which impact human communication.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the range of factors which affect both oral and written communication within professional contexts.
3. Describe how language operates to generate meaning.
4. Demonstrate appreciation of cultural impacts on communication.
5. Apply a range of critical perspectives   to mediated communication from a written, interpersonal and organisational perspective. 
6. Write effectively using a variety of professional formats especially emails, reports and persuasive texts.
7. Demonstrate effective oral presentations.
8. Undertake research including use of library catalogues, databases and the internet.
9. Apply communication skills through participation in workshops and the importance of consideration of a variety of personal views, perspectives and styles.

Subject Content

1. Importance of communication in personal and professional encounters: the notion of interpersonal competence, interpersonal communication, face to face interaction, communication involving reciprocal creation of meaning rather than linear message transmission.
2. Factors influencing human communication: perception, observation, inference, effects of personal experience, cultural experience and context.
3. Language as a factor in the social creation of meaning.
4. Non-verbal communication: proxemics, paralanguage, kinesics, interpreting non-verbal communication, Influence of culture on non-verbal communication, ambiguity of verbal and non-verbal messages.
5. Electronic/mediated communication and the factors which influence its use and impede its effectiveness: writing email, problems of lack of social presence, organisational problems arising from use of electronic media.
6. Principles of effective professional writing style: importance of identifying audience and purpose, elements of plain English style: importance of word choice, ordering, clarity, parallel construction, use of inclusive language, clear sentences, types of paragraphing 
7. Common genres of professional writing: email, business reports, reviews, newsletters.
8. Introduction to principles of visual communication including document layout and design which convey meaning.
9. Oral reports and presentations: how to prepare and present effectively, the importance of oral organisational strategies, developing appropriate and readable a/v, consideration of the differences between writing and speaking, the implications of non-verbal aspects to message effectiveness.
10. Principles of effective library research: using the catalogue, databases, internet, and applying appropriate academic referencing conventions.