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 experientially 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.

Recommended 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 - ANU Library Online Text

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.

Other Information

Support of students: The University offers a number of support services for students. Information on these is available online from http://students.anu.edu.au/studentlife/.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to Communication and Evidence Based Practices	No tutorial
2	Communication Foundations - Frameworks	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
3	Communication Skills - Interviews and persuasive presentations	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
4	Communication Skills - Listening and Meetings	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
5	Communication Skills - Effective Business Writing I	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
6	Communication in Organisations - Power, Leadership and Teams	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
7	Communication Skills - Negotiation and conflict management	Assessment 2: Strategic Brief due this week
8	Communication Skills - Personal	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activities
9	Communications Skills - Emotions and delivering bad news.	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activitiesAssessment 4: Presentation due in class (if scheduled for this week)
10	Communication Skills - Effective Business Writing II	Assessment 1: Weekly In class communication activitiesAssessment 4: Presentation due in class (if scheduled for this week)Exam preparation
11	Communication in Relationships - Customer Engagement and Service Delivery	Assessment 3: Major Report due this week
12	Review	ReviewFurther exam preparation
13	NO TEACHING / End of semester examination period	Assessment 5: Final examination; details to be provided by the Examinations officer

Tutorial Registration

Interactive workshops will be held weekly (starting from week 2). ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse it, and self-allocate to small teaching activities/tutorials, so they can better plan their time. Tutorial registration will be available two weeks before the beginning of the semester and will close at the end of week 1. More details can be found on the Timetable webpage. https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/timetabling

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
In class communication activities (Individual - 20%)	20 %	*	6
In class Strategic Brief (Individual - 10%)	10 %	*	2,3,5
In class Essay (Individual - 10%)	10 %	*	2,3,5
In class Presentation (Individual - 10%)	10 %	*	4,6
Final Exam (Individual - 50%)	50 %	02/07/2026	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 weeks 10 and 12 lecture.

Assessment Task 1

In class communication activities (Individual - 20%)

Details of the 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 about 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 2-6; 8-10, 2.5 marks per tutorial)

Assessment Rubric: Marking criteria and rubric will be available on Canvas from two weeks prior to Week 1 of the semester.

Late submission: Late submission is not accepted. Consideration for an Extenuating Circumstances Application or Request for Extension should be submitted via ANUHub.

Feedback Date: An interim mark for communication in class for Weeks 2-5 will be provided by 31 March. A final mark for all relevant Weeks will be provided by Week 12.

Assessment Task 2

In class Strategic Brief (Individual - 10%)

Details of the task: This is an in-class written assignment. Students will be required to produce a strategic brief about business communication based on a case study and a question that will be provided in the tutorial in week 7. Please note that each tutorial will have a different case study. The students will have to create a response to the case in the same tutorial, which will be marked by tutors, and feedback will be provided in two weeks time. No written notes or smart devices will be allowed. The assessment will be invigilated by the tutor.

Assessment Rubric: Marking criteria and rubric will be available on Canvas from Week 1 of the semester.

Value: 10%

Submission requirements: In the tutorial, as a pen and paper assessment. Paper will be provided.

Due Date: Week 7 tutorial

Late submission: Late submission is not accepted. Consideration for an Extenuating Circumstances Application or Request for Extension should be submitted via ANUHub.

Feedback: In tutorials in two weeks time.

Assessment Task 3

In class Essay (Individual - 10%)

Details of the task: This is an in-class written assessment. Students will be provided with 4 topics for an essay in the lecture in week 7. One of these topics will be the actual assessment in week 11. Each tutorial will be randomly allocated one of the 4 topics. Students should prepare for all 4 topics, but will not be allowed to bring in any written notes or a smart device on which they can search for information. The assessment will be invigilated by tutors.

Assessment Rubric: Marking criteria and rubric will be available on Canvas from Week 1 of the semester.

Value: 10% report

Submission requirements: In the tutorial, as a pen and paper assessment. Paper will be provided.

Due Date: Week 11 tutorial

Late submission: Late submission is not accepted. Consideration for an Extenuating Circumstances Application or Request for Extension should be submitted via ANUHub.

Feedback: Marks will be returned with final grades

Assessment Task 4

In class Presentation (Individual - 10%)

Details of the 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 (the tutor will stop a presentation that goes beyond 3 mins) and will be presented in class during tutorial time in Weeks 9 and 10. Please note that students in the audience are expected to ask questions or give comments to receive their participation points for the week.

Assessment Rubric: Marking criteria and rubric will be available on Canvas from two weeks prior to Week 1 of the semester.

Value: 10%

Submission requirements:

• Slides are to be uploaded to Canvas by 23:59 on Friday of Week 8.
• Presentations will be video-recorded, in order to enable later validation and verification of the assessment if required, in accordance with point 7 of the ANU Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy.

Referencing: The Harvard Referencing system is required if applicable

Late submission: Late submission is not accepted.

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. Consideration for an Extenuating Circumstances Application should be submitted via ANUHub. If you foresee any issues with presenting, please contact your tutor in advance.

Assessment Task 5

Final Exam (Individual - 50%)

Details of the 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: 50%

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

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

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

Referencing 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 Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Canvas 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