Handbook home
Analysing Professional Communication (MECM20012)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5Not available in 2019
Overview
Fees | Look up fees |
---|
Effective communication is the key to successful practice in many disciplines. This subject details how talk is managed in a range of professional settings, including: education (e.g. teacher-student interactions); medicine (e.g. doctor-patient consultations), psychology (e.g. counselling), law (e.g. question design in courtrooms), and journalism (e.g. radio interviews).
This subject will introduce students to interactional practices that are common to all workplaces: negotiation and resolving conflict; sources of misunderstanding; aligning with other speakers; managing topics; and different cultural practices in making sense of talk at work. Students will learn how interaction is organized based on the fundamental tenets of conversation analysis: turn-taking, repair and the sequential organization of talk. Students will develop an understanding of how these rules are managed in a range of settings, understanding talk as collaboratively achieved and fundamental to professional development.
On completion of this subject, students will be able to evaluate practices of effective communication in a range of professional settings, develop their own communication skills, and identify practical solutions to communication problems in the workplace.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this students should be able to:
- Identify verbal and non-verbal features of talk, using conversation analysis transcription;
- Identify and explain the structural ‘rules' of talk;
- Demonstrate key understandings of how communication is (mis)managed in professional settings;
- Analyse specific communication practices used in different professional contexts;
- Demonstrate how research evidence can provide solutions to communication issues in the workplace.
Generic skills
- Research skills through effective use of library resources and electronic databases;
- Critical thinking and analysis through reviews of the research literature and workshop discussions;
- Creative thinking through conceptualising theoretical problems, forming judgements and arguments from conflicting evidence and by critical analysis;
- Communicating knowledge effectively through workshop discussions and assessment tasks;
- Written communication skills through assignment preparation;
- Public speaking skills through workshop discussions;
- Attention to detail through assignment preparation and writing;
- Time management and planning through managing and organising workloads for class participation, recommended reading, and assignment completion.
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Assessment
Additional details
- Short written reviews (8 x 250 words) due throughout the semester (50%)
- Professional development assignment (2000) due in the examination period (50%)
Hurdle requirements:
- Transcription taskdue mid semester
- Minimum of 80% attendance at all scheduled lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops.
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Dates & times
Not available in 2019
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 19 March 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Sidnell, J. & Stivers, T. (2012) The Handbook of Conversation Analysis. Chicester: Wiley. (E-book)
All weekly subject readings available on LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Breadth Track Deafness and Communication - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 19 March 2024