ENGGEN 204 : Professional Skills and Communication
Engineering
2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
From an engineering perspective, the ability to collaborate is crucial to developing effective integrated solutions to complex multidisciplinary problems. There can be no collaboration without communication. Similarly, and maybe less instinctive to many, there can be no communication without a certain degree of collaboration of minds.
Throughout the ENGGEN series of courses through to your Year-4, and in fact throughout your undergrad training, effective communication and collaboration will be increasingly expected from you. Thus in this course you will learn and apply the principles of communication, with the aim to make each of you skilled in the art of effective collaboration.
There are three parts to this course. First is on modes of discourse, reflective practice, and giving and receiving effective feedback. These are all part of the skills needed for communication. Second is on the social skills of participation, perspective taking, and social regulation. These are key ingredients to any successful collaboration. Third is practicing and contextualising these skills on discussing current important topics, such as those around health and safety, sustainability, ethics, and people and culture.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the modes of discourse, and to construct sound arguments. (Capability 4.2)
- Be able to 2. Give and receive feedback constructively and effectively. (Capability 4.1 and 6.1)
- Describe the meaning of participation, and distinguish how it is measured in terms of its three elements. (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
- Demonstrate a good understanding of perspective-taking, and illustrate perspective-taking in action. (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 6.1)
- Explain effectively the four aspects of social regulation, within the framework of collaborative problem-solving skills. (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate technical knowledge to a lay audience. (Capability 4.2)
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate in relation to the learned social skills. (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 45% | Individual Test |
| Assignments | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Workshops | 20% | Group Test |
| Tutorials | 5% | Individual Coursework |
| 5 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Coursework | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
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Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 22 hours of lectures and 7 tutorials. We recommend that you attend every lecture in order to not only benefit from the direct engagement, but to also contribute to the learning environment. Attendance to tutorials are compulsory as they involve group work. The workload to expect consists of about 2 hours of reading and thinking each week about the content, and this may include 3 hours a week of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Learning Resources
Learning resources and course materials will be made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.