ITECH5401 Professional Communication
School of Engineering and Information Technology
Assignment 2: Group Assignment 2014 Semester 2
Part A. Oral Presentation with supporting written artefacts for a workplace scenario;
Part B. Description and justification of communication strategy for the workplace, with references.
Worth: 20% Type A
Due date: Refer to Course Description.
Objective:
The purpose of this assignment is to:
• enable students to collaborate to plan and effectively implement a workplace communication strategy;
• enable students to demonstrate their ability to speak effectively in public and to present to audiences such as peers, lecturers or tutors or potential clients
• allow students to demonstrate the use of different conventions for communicating orally and in written form - such as posters, case studies or reflective journals etc.
Research the topic using books, journals and reputable websites (except Wikipedia).
There should be at least five (5) references. Each student must individually contribute at least one reference.
Description of assignment:
Students will prepare a poster, report and/or other written artefacts for distribution to staff within the context of their created scenario. Students will also demonstrate their chosen strategy for oral communication using role-play within an oral presentation of 10 minutes + 5 minutes for question time. The assignment is to be completed in a group and will be marked as a group. In addition to the material created for the scenario, students will outline and describe their chosen communication strategy and write a justification of their communication strategy outlining how it suits their chosen target audience. This justification will include citations and references. The reference material should support the chosen strategy and provide examples where these strategies have been shown to be successful. Please refer marking criteria for more detailed breakdown of marks.
Group composition:
You must choose your team from within your own tutorial group. Group sizes will be limited to 3 students per group unless circumstances preclude this.
Assignment topic:
Implementing change in the workplace: communicating to manage cultural change
Consider a workplace environment in which a technological change is about to be introduced. For instance, it may be that all employees are about to be issued with an ipad to take to meetings, or a smart phone. The manager is forward thinking and wants to ensure that this cultural change toward more technology is managed well. The manager hopes that all employees will embrace the new technology. You have been tasked with the responsibility to manage the introduction of this change. You need to consider how best to do this. It is important for you to encourage uptake of the new technology and also manage the usage so that employees do not use the technology inappropriately.
As a group, you will imagine a workplace scenario built on the above paragraph. You will choose two(2) different employee groups and for each a different strategy for communication. One strategy you choose must be based around written work (e.g. poster, email, report or other). The other strategy you choose must be based around an oral presentation (e.g. run a meeting, conduct interview/s, give a presentation, or another oral-based situation). You will design and demonstrate by role play the oral strategy chosen. This will be presented to the class. Additionally, you will submit written supporting material.
Assignment tasks:
I. Create a workplace scenario in which you will work on this task. Describe the employees and the work environment. Provide an organizational chart that describes at least 3 roles in the workplace (e.g. manager, floor supervisor, receptionist, assembly production-line worker).
II. Choose a technology to be introduced and describe the existing culture in the workplace relating to this technology. For example, you might construct a scenario where a workplace is accepting the usage of personal IT devices in the workplace or introducing mobile devices into the workplace to facilitate virtual meetings across different geographic locations. You can create your own scenario. Talk to your tutor to confirm that your scenario is appropriate.
III. Discuss within your group possible strategies for addressing how communications may occur in your imagined workplace around the proposed change. Research appropriate strategies that you could use. Collect references to support your chosen strategies. You may script some mock interviews with key staff to demonstrate how these would occur (and to highlight issues you think may be relevant), or you might plan and run a meeting with an agenda and demonstrate how they present a proposal to the CIO at their meeting, or conduct a less formal staff meeting. Think about various audiences and the appropriate communication styles that would fit and then the medium – is it a presentation, a poster, a report tabled or presented at a meeting?
IV. Choose two(2) different employee groups/roles that you will focus on for this task.
V. For each employee group, consider how best to communicate information to staff in that group/role. Consult reference material to inform your decision. You may choose to (for example):
a. hold a staff meeting; or
b. create posters for the staff room;
c. send an email;
d. other…
For your chosen audience, write a justification of your chosen communication strategy. Ensure you appropriately cite and reference material as evidence to support your choice.
VI. Design a communication strategy to effectively manage and inform the employees in each of your chosen roles about the workplace change. This may result in a written report and/or become part of your presentation. Consult reference material to inform your strategic planning. Your strategy might
involve, for instance:
a. conduct a survey of current workplace habits, then use that data to support the need for change;
b. conduct a pilot trial where one division uses the new technology and then makes recommendations before it is rolled out to all staff;
c. focus group or individual interview with employees on their current behaviour and try to then convince them of the benefits of change possible with the new technology;
d. presentation/training sessions;
e. other?
In your ‘workplace’ presentation and written artefacts, address the following aspects:
• Benefits and opportunities provided by the new technology;
• Protocols to govern how staff will use (and not use) the new technology;
• Any consequences for inappropriate use of the new technology; • How the change will be managed (e.g. timeline of introduction and adoption of the new technology).
Part B.
Write a formal description of your task – include your workplace description, organizational chart and a brief outline of the scenario. Outline your chosen communication strategy. In this academic writing, use references to support and justify your choice of communication strategy. Consider the target audience profile, the number of people in the target audience as well as the mechanisms for communication of the message. Each student should contribute to this document by providing an annotated bibliography for a relevant reference (submit these as appendices).
Submission requirements
Part A. You are required to submit all your written artefacts as well as your presentation notes/script. You must also submit a short profile description of your intended audience (each employee groups).
Part B. Submit a written report that describes your situation and your chosen communication strategy. The report should provide your academic justification of why your chosen strategy is the appropriate form of communication to these groups of employees. Use appropriate reference material to support your justification.
Also submit a contribution statement to indicate how each group member contributed to each piece of submitted work.
Plagiarism
It is important to learn from the work of others and you are encouraged to explore the library, World Wide Web resources and have discussions with other students. However, work for the assessment must be entirely your own work.
Plagiarism is the presentation of the expressed thought or work of another person as though it is one's own without properly acknowledging that person.
You must not allow other students to copy your work and must take care to safeguard against this happening. In cases of copying, normally all students involved will be penalised equally; an exception will be if you can demonstrate the work is your own and you took reasonable care to safeguard against copying.
Plagiarism is a serious offence. As set out in the University Regulation 6.1.1., students who are caught plagiarising will, for a first offence, be given a zero mark for that task. A second offence will result in a failing grade for the course involved and any subsequent offence will be referred to the Student Discipline Committee.
University Referencing/Citation Style Guide:
The University has published a style guide to help students correctly reference and cite information they use in assignments. A copy of the University’s citation guides can be found on the university’s web site.
http://federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/164121/FedUni-GeneralGuide-to-Referencing-2014.pdf
It is imperative that students cite all sources of information.
References
Mohan, T., McGregor, H., Saunders, S., & Archee, R. (2008). Communicating as
Professionals (2nd Ed.).
South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning.
Archee, R., Mohan, T., & Gurney, M. (2013). Communicating as Professionals (3rd Ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning Australia.
WRITTEN ARTEFACTS /30 Student ID Grade
(15 marks)
Artefacts produced: High level of skill in presenting relevant ideas appropriate to the target audience. Ideas are well informed. Selection of artefacts are appropriate, based on references. Writing is of a high standard, is clear and well expressed. Most of the writing is written in your own words. Appropriate artefacts produced. 14 – 15
Executive summary ort for CIO
Report for distribution taff
Email to staff
Training guide
Poster
Other:
Artefacts must be contextually appropriate consistent with chosen
communication strategy.)
rep
Ideas are adequately presented. Most of the content is appropriate to the target audience. Some references have been used to inform the content.
Writing is acceptable. Appropriate artefacts produced. 11-13
to s
The purpose of the written artefact is not clear, content is not well planned or not based on reference material. Content of some writing is too similar to the original source or it is not concise, clear or accurate. There are a number of sentence structure and expression problems evident. The artefact partially addresses the requirements. 8-10
(
and
Poor understanding of the purpose of the document. Inadequate reference to an appropriate background reference. Writing is unclear, inaccurate or hard to follow. Spelling, sentence structure and expression are problematic and/or the document is incomplete. 0 - 7
Annotated bibliography and Referencing
(5 marks) Artefact includes a full citation which complies with the general guide. All artefacts that should contain references include appropriate references and correct citations.
5
An artefact which is clearly based on reference material does not include a full citation and/or the full citations mainly comply with the general guide. 4
The full citations are partially complete and only partly comply with the general guide. 2 - 3
The citations are incomplete and do not comply with the general guide 0 - 1
Outline of communication strategy and
Justification of chosen communication strategy
(10 marks) Clear evidence that students have considered the target audience as well as consulted appropriate reference material in order to choose communication strategy. The communication strategy is clearly articulated. Artefacts presented are consistent with the strategy. Justification of the communication strategy is clear with appropriate citations to support it. 9-10
Some evidence that students have considered the target audience. Some indication that reference material has informed the content of the written artefact. The communication strategy seems appropriate. More in depth content would improve the overall content. 7-8
Minimal justification of the communication strategy or justification is based on informal opinion rather than supported by appropriate references. 5-6
STUDENT PRESENTATION /30 Group Student ID
0-1 2 3 4-5
Organization Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information. Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around. Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow. Student presents information in a logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Subject Knowledge Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject. Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions. Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate. Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by
answering all class
questions with explanations and elaboration.
Graphics Student uses superfluous graphics or no graphics Student occasionally uses graphics that rarely support text and presentation. Student's graphics relate to text and presentation. Student's graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
Mechanics of supporting material Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors. Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors. Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors. Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact Student reads all of report with no eye contact. Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report. Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes. Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.
Elocution Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear. Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members
have difficulty hearing presentation. Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members
can hear presentation. Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation
of terms so that all
audience members can hear presentation.
Mark Summary Student Name ID
Item Group Mark Individual
Mark Total Mark
Written work /30 /30 (Scaled to /20)
/20
Oral Presentation /30 /30
Total /60 /60
NB. Individual student mark may be less than group mark if contributions of all team members are not equal.