The primary aim of this course is to provide students with the skills and knowledge of communication in the business environment. These skills will contribute to professional graduate attributes and assist with the transition to, or back to, the workforce. There is a strong focus on the understanding the theory of communication in the business context and it's application to effective business writing at a high level, persuasive and appropriate verbal and non verbal communication, and interpersonal skills across teams and cultures.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1.  define communication and identify the key aspects of fundamental communication theories
2. identify business communication issues and find solutions based on communication theory
3. produce effective professional documents; 
4. apply communication theory in delivering an effective business presentation
5. implement basic critical thinking and analytical skills
6. demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate ideas and answer questions verbally in-person to a group.

Research-Led Teaching

This course allows students to develop communication skills experimentally and to understand communication in useful research-based analytical frameworks. The course introduces students to the latest scholarly research on business communication, and illustrates ways in which evidence- based strategies can be developed to improve business communication.

Field Trips

There are no field trips in this course.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional course costs to complete this course.

 

Examination Material or equipment

A closed book examination will be held at the end of the semester during the formal examination period. More details will be given during the week 10 lecture.

Required Resources

Dwyer, J, 2021, Communication for Business and the Professions: Strategies and Skills, Pearson Australia (7th edition), Frenchs Forest, ISBN-13: 9781488620782. Available for 2 day and 2 hour reserve from the Chifley Library.

Recommended Resources

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to Communication and Evidence Based Practices	No tutorial
2	Communication Foundations - Frameworks	Weekly In class communication activities
3	Communication Skills - Interviews and persuasive presentations	Weekly In class communication activities
4	Communication Skills - Listening and Meetings	Weekly In class communication activities
5	Communication Skills - Effective Business Writing I	Weekly In class communication activities
6	Communicationin Organisations - Power, Leadership and Teams	Weekly In class communication activities
7	Communication Skills - Negotiation and conflict management	Weekly In class communication activitiesStrategic Brief Due this week
8	Communication Skills - Personal	Weekly In class communication activities
9	Communications Skills - Emotions and delivering bad news.	Weekly In class communication activitiesPresentation due in class
10	Communication Skills - Effective Business Writing II	Weekly In class communication activitiesPresentation due in classExam preparation
11	Communication Relationships - Customer Engagement and Service Delivery	Weekly In class communication activitiesMajor Report due this week
12	Review	Review

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

This course will run with a large 1-hour lecture and a smaller 2-hour tutorial format. Both lecture and tutorials will be run in person. Recordings of the lecture via echo360 will also be available. Please note that attendance in expected and you should not enroll in this course if you do not believe you can attend your classes.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
In class communication activities	20 %	*	*	6
Strategic Brief	10 %	17/04/2025	02/05/2025	2,3,5
Major Report	20 %	16/05/2025	26/06/2025	2,3,5
In class Presentation	10 %	*	*	4,6
Final Exam	40 %	*	26/06/2025	1,2,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation in all learning activities and assessment is expected in line with "Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning", clause 2 paragraph (b). This course is expected to be delivered in an in-person format.

Examination(s)

A closed book examination will be held at the end of the semester during the formal examination period. More details as to when and where will be released when the examination timetable is finalised by the university. Details as to the format will be given during the week 12 lecture.

Assessment Task 1

In class communication activities

Details of task: Communication in class will be assessed during tutorials with tutors evaluating how students communicate. Students will also be called on throughout the semester to answer questions or speak to an activity. Activities may also include short writing activities. Please note that this assessment is NOT attendance. While attendance is required to communicate (you cannot communicate in class if you do not attend the tutorial) just attending a class will not give you any marks

Value: 20% (For period Week 2-11 inclusive, equally weighted, 10 opportunities in total, 2 marks allocated per assessed tutorial)

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 1)

Feedback Date: Feedback on communication in class from 2-6 will be provided at the end of week 6 (out of 10). Feedback for week 7-11 will be provided in week 12 (out of 10).

Assessment Task 2

Strategic Brief

Details of task: Students will be required to produce a strategic brief about business communication based on a case study and question that will be provided on wattle at least two weeks prior to the due date. The document will be a maximum of 750 words. It should be formatted as follows: Times New Roman 12 font double line spacing, and 1-inch margins all around. The use of artificial intelligence will be allowed for this assessment.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 5)

Word limit: 750 words. Penalties for exceeding the word limit may apply - see the marking rubric for more details

Value: 10% report (See marking rubric for more details).

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle. You must keep a copy of your assignment for your records.

Due Date: 11.59 pm 17 April 2025

Referencing: Harvard Referencing system is required

Feedback: 2 May 2025

Assessment Task 3

Major Report

Details of task: Following on from the strategic brief, students will be required to produce a report about business communication based on a case study and question that will be provided on Wattle at least two weeks prior to the due date. The document will be a maximum of 1500 words. It should be formatted as follows: Times New Roman 12 font double line spacing, and 1 inch margins all around. The use of generative AI will be allowed for this assessment. Students must acknowledge its use where this has occurred.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 7)

Word limit: 1500 words. Title Page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, Executive Summary and Reference List are not included in the word count. Penalties for exceeding the word limit may apply - see the marking rubric for more details

Value: 20% report (See marking rubric for more details).

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle. You must keep a copy of your assignment for your records.

Due Date: Time: 11.59 pm 16 May 2025.

Referencing: Harvard Referencing system is required

Feedback: Marks with be returned with final grades

Assessment Task 4

In class Presentation

Details of task: Students are required to give a presentation about an assigned topic (that will be provided before the mid-semester break). The presentation will be a maximum of 3 minutes and will be presented in class during tutorial time in Weeks 9 and 10.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 6)

Value: 10%

Submission requirements: The presentations will be recorded for review purposes.

Referencing: Harvard Referencing system is required if applicable

Feedback Date: Feedback will be given in week 11 tutorials.

Please note: Due to the nature of this assessment (presenting in front of a live audience) extensions will NOT be given. If you do not present in a given week, you may not be able to present at any other time. If you foresee any issues with presenting, please contact your tutor in advance.

Assessment Task 5

Final Exam

Details of task: A final exam will be held during the formal examination period.

Duration and format: 2 Hours. The examination will be a closed-book exam held on campus. More details as to the format will be given during the week 10 lecture.

Value: 40%

Feedback Date: Feedback will be given when marks are formally released at the end of the semester

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

All requests for Assessment Adjustment (including Requests for Extension and for Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances) should be submitted via ISIS.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Wattle approximately 2 weeks from the due date of submission

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

You are allowed to resubmit your assignments before the specific deadlines. No submission will be allowed after the deadline. If a student submits the wrong file or an incomplete assignment, this will be taken as a student's final submission. For this reason, it is recommended that students check and double check their submission very carefully before submitting their assignment.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students