Unit Synopsis
This unit offers the foundational communication skills, expectations, and ethical considerations that shape the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals, also called digital professionals. Through hands-on activities, you will learn to communicate professionally, both in written and verbal forms, fostering clear and persuasive communication. The unit delves into strategies for effective interpersonal communication within team settings, promoting collaborative teamwork and conflict resolution. It equips you to develop and deliver effective oral presentations underpinned by critical thinking. In addition, this unit strongly emphasises ethics and codes of conduct in the ICT profession. You will apply ethical principles to real-world ICT scenarios, demonstrating ethical, legal, and societal decision-making competencies. Through a blend of theory and practical in-class activities, you will be well-prepared to navigate the multifaceted landscape of ICT professionalism.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 8 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Anti-requisite: COIT20233 Professional Skills for Information and Communication Technology. Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2027
Term 3 - 2027 Profile
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: Unit Coordinator's Reflection
The use of generative artificial intelligence for professional communication has left students uncertain about how to effectively utilise this technology, raising questions about genuine interactions.
Consider introducing an in-class activity or assessment about GenAI use that prompts reflection.
Due to changes in Unit Coordinators across successive terms, this recommendation has not yet been adequately actioned. It will therefore be carried forward to the next term for consideration and implementation, with a focus on helping students critically reflect on the appropriate and ethical use of GenAI in professional communication.
Source: Unit Coordinator's Reflection
Currently, feedback on assessments is provided without the use of marking rubrics, which may reduce clarity around expectations and assessment criteria.
Introduce marking rubrics for assessments to make expectations more transparent, ensure consistency, and support higher-quality feedback.
Marking rubrics have been introduced for assessments to provide clearer expectations and assessment criteria, improve consistency in marking, and support more transparent, constructive and actionable feedback to students.
Source: Unit Coordinator's Reflection
Students often face uncertainty regarding the appropriate and ethical use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments, particularly in understanding acceptable levels of GenAI assistance, maintaining academic integrity, and ensuring that submitted work reflects their own knowledge, skills and critical thinking.
Introduce an in-class activity or assessment component that encourages students to critically reflect on the responsible use of GenAI in assessments, including acceptable AI assistance, academic integrity and independent thinking.
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator's Reflection
More opportunities to apply ethical theories to practical scenarios, particularly when navigating complex ethical dilemmas, would enhance understanding and ethical decision-making skills.
Introduce more scenario-based tutorial activities involving contemporary ethical dilemmas, encouraging students to apply relevant theories, consider alternative perspectives and justify their decisions.
In Progress
Source: Student Evaluation Feedback
Students appreciated the clear explanations, supportive teaching approach and practical examples that helped them understand unit concepts and their relevance to professional practice.
Continue using clear explanations, practical examples and interactive teaching approaches to maintain student engagement and support effective learning.
In Progress
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.