Written Communication Skills
Version 0.3
This table is a working version of the latest OER toolkit. We are working to iron out some technical issues and in the meantime if you would like to begin mapping further modules, please use the template below and Anna and Darren can upload into the tool once the technical issues are resolved.
Element / Field menu type / Your Content
Overview Section
Module title / Free text / Learning and Employability
Author / Free text / Julia Owen and Paula Ierston
Institution / Free text / Manchester Metropolitan University
Description / Free text / The Learning and Employability Unit was devised to support students in the development of skills and abilities which are important not only to academic success but to personal development. Through academic study students acquire knowledge and a good understanding of their subject however the University provides opportunities to develop many other attributes and qualities. These additional skills and qualities increase academic learning, enhances employability and will be of benefit in other areas of life. These 'skills beyond subject knowledge', as often described by employers, are increasingly referred to as Employability.
Credit weighting / 10/15/20/25/30 / 20
Level / F4/F5/F6/F7 / F4
Relationship to programme course / Mandatory / elective / Mandatory
Offered within joint or combined programme? / Yes / no / No
Mapping to JACS code / A controlled list of options of JACS codes TBC
Name of syllabus or programme / Free text / Sociology, Criminology, Cultural Studies (SCCS)
Description / Free text
Meta-tags / Free text
Pedagogy
Rationale / Free text / Structured Reflection
Providing students with the opportunity to undertake some structured reflection on how to learn, make decisions and respond to new situations. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon the success or failure of plans and strategies devised to improve skills and learning; and progress and personal development against targets and goals.
Self Evaluation
Providing self evaluation tools and exercises to enable students to assess abilities, skills and understanding. Students build habits of evaluating their own performance and development independent of others.
Skills Development
Providing activities and exercises to enable students to develop skills and qualities which will increase learning and employability.
Improving Learning and Increasing Employability
Offering guidance on how to relate the processes of PDP to academic study, to improve learning and academic performance. Focus will also be given to increasing understanding of what is meant by employability, and the need to be able to demonstrate to future employers a range of skills relevant to the world of work.
Personal Development Planning
Supporting and offering guidance on planning, formulating strategies and setting targets and goals for personal development and then evaluating, reflecting, and recording achievements against these.
Indicators / Free text
Subject Benchmarks
Benchmarks / *please paste any from the separate benchmarks document under the headings / Sociology
The module is benchmarked to Sociology, Criminology and Cultural Studies subject areas. Students will devlop:
- Written communication skills
- Analytical skills
- ICT skills
- Presentation skills
- Negotiation
- Time management
- Understanding of the work environment
- Team working
- Adaptability
- Self confidence
Outcomes and Assessment
Learning outcomes / Knowledge and understanding; / K1- An understanding of how the processes of personal development planning (PDP) provide structured opportunities for the development of skills and personal qualities that will be of benefit to study and work.
cognitive and intellectual skills; / C1 - Develop abilities, competences and key skills as defined in QAA benchmark statements for Sociology, Criminology and Cultural Studies, with particular attention given to the cognitive skills of critical and analytical thinking and making reasoned arguments.
professional and subject specific; / P1 – Development of academic skills necessary to support engagement with the chosen discipline, particular focus will be placed upon effective reading, listening and note taking, referencing, essay writing and understanding and responding to assessment feedback.
transferable skills / T1 - Understand the advantages of working with others in relation to academic learning and problem solving and the skills developed through group work.
Assessment type /
- Timed essay
- Essay
- Examination
- Multi-choice test
- Group presentations
- Individual presentations
- Critical review
- Research proposal
- Portfolio
- Open-book test
- Group project
- Self-assessment
50% weighting
Testing – C1
2. Group Research Project – Students will be assigned a group and given the choice from a range of subject related projects. They will have 8 to 9 weeks to work on this and then have to present/showcase the end product in front of other class mates in weeks 16 and 17. There are three components to this assessment:
- part one is a mark awarded by the tutor,
- part two is a mark awarded by peers
- part three requires students to undertake an individual review of their experience as working as part of the group and assess their own performance in the group project.
Testing P1 &T1
3. Self-evaluation of academic development - The final assessment requires students to undertake an exercise whereby they assess and evaluate their own academic development based upon looking at assessments (essays) they will have undertaken for other first year units.
20% weighting
Testing – K1
Content
Unit 1
Title / Free text / Week One Introduction
Description / Free text / Introduction to course specifically three core subjects, expectations of academic life, centrality of self reflection and managing own learning.
Time / Free text (Hours) / 1 hour
Learning Activities / Free text
Add item / *Please indicate one or more in the next column.
- Document
- Powerpoint
- Spreadsheet
- MP3
- JPG
- WMA
- MPG
- Quicktime
- Learning Object
Unit 2
Title / Free text / Week Two lecture
Description / Free text / This covers: Skills – Problems in terms of categorisation and the skills that future employers expect of graduates and their consistency to academic development.
Time / Free text (Hours) / 1 hour
Learning Activities / Free text
Add item /
- Document
- Powerpoint
- Spreadsheet
- MP3
- JPG
- WMA
- MPG
- Quicktime
- Learning Object
Unit 3
Title / Free text / Week three lecture
Description / Free text / This covers: Listening Skills – different lecturing styles and approaches. How to listen and take notes.
Time / Free text (Hours) / 1 hour
Learning Activities / Free text
Add item /
- Document
- Powerpoint
- Spreadsheet
- MP3
- JPG
- WMA
- MPG
- Quicktime
- Learning Object
Unit 4
Title / Free text / Week four lecture
Description / Free text / This covers: Effective reading. How to reference the words and ideas of others and how to use and discuss important texts and publications specific to a subject area or critical discourse.
Time / Free text (Hours) / 1 hour
Learning Activities / Free text
Add item /
- Document
- Powerpoint
- Spreadsheet
- MP3
- JPG
- WMA
- MPG
- Quicktime
- Learning Object