Academic Research and Communication Skills October 2011 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Academic Research and Communication Skills Module Code AYEL9001

Lecturer Kavita Parwani Contact [email protected]

1. COURSE OVERVIEW 1.1 Aims This unit covers key aspects of research and communication skills in academic contexts relevant to students of design and marketing. Students engage in collaborative learning activities throughout the term in order to develop their teamwork skills.

1.2 Learning Outcomes On successful completion you will be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Explain essential elements of communication including, basic models of communication, features of verbal & nonverbal communication and intercultural communication Explain essential elements of research, using the appropriate terminology primary/secondary, quantitative/qualitative, etc. Access information for research purposes; using electronic media and traditional library resources Read and critically evaluate texts appropriate to tertiary level study Reference work using the Author/Date system Organise and conduct effective primary and secondary research Develop and present research analysis in written form Make formal, professional oral research presentations in clear, concise and appropriate language using effective visual support Work collaboratively with others

5.
6. 7. 8. 9.

1.3 Syllabus Students learn to locate, understand and critically evaluate information from books, journals, the Internet and primary sources in order to do effective research. Using these sources of information, students then produce an extended piece of analytical writing and give oral presentations to their peers. Skills in doing primary research (i.e. conducting surveys, interviews), accessing information, paraphrasing information, using the Author/Date referencing system, applying principles of effective communication, and ensuring the professional presentation of documents are all covered during the development of and preparation for the key assignments and examination. 1.4 How this unit works You will be required to attend one lesson per week. Throughout the semester you will participate in less formal group activities and complete homework exercises. You must attend each session and be ready to participate in group and class activities. You will work in teams of 3 students to create a solution for a chosen problem. Teams must develop a focus on the chosen problem for a chosen client, propose a solution and present this with supporting research in written and oral form. All assignments are based on this client project. Each session will comprise some input from your lecturer and some collaborative workshop activities. In classes 3, 4 and 6 teams will be required to present a proposal in an in-class presentation. In class 8 there is a midterm exam on key aspects of the course. Lesson 10 will be a workshop during which you can get feedback on your final presentation drafts and in lesson 11 teams will present their final research.

2. ASSIGNMENTS & ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

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Homework, Teamwork, Participation and Preparation Exam Assignments 1 Proposal Presentations (5% each) Assignment 2 Final Presentation Assignment 3 Final Research Report Total

10% 15% 15% 30% 30% 100%

2.1 Teamwork and Collusion You are encouraged to work with the members of your team in brainstorming, sharing sources of information regarding your research subject and doing primary research. Team members should collaborate on their Proposals, Final Presentation and Final Report. It is unfair and unethical for one member of the team to do more work than others; each team member should contribute equally. 2.2 Deadlines All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the submission date. If a student has a problem with the deadline he or she should contact his lecturer before the due date. An extension of the deadline may be granted. Assignments handed in after the due date are considered late and receive a maximum pass grade. Assignments more than three days late will not be graded and students receive zero marks for that assignment. 2.3 Proofreading You are expected to have presentations proofread before submission. Marks will be deducted if the assignment does not communicate a clear and coherent message. 3. ASSESSMENT DETAILS 3.1 Exam Students will be tested on the content of the lessons through a series of MCQ. 3.2 Assignment 1 Proposal Presentations (Individual) 15 Marks 15 Marks

Over 3 weeks each member of the team will prepare and deliver a brief proposal (5 minutes) on an aspect of your project. Team members must:

Introduce the research problem and your focus on the problem. Propose the client for whom you are working. Describe the proposed research methodology.

Your lecturer will provide further details regarding the timing of the presentations and the specific aspects to be covered in each presentation. Your presentation will be assessed on: Clarity Interest Credibility Professionalism

Each team member MUST present. Students will be marked individually. You must use PowerPoint visual aids. 3.3 Assignment 2 - Final Research Presentation (Team) 30 Marks

With guidance from your lecturer, your team must present the solution to the problem identified in your proposal presentations. The length of the presentation will vary according to the size of the team, but each team member MUST present for 5-6 minutes each and use both secondary and primary research support. All secondary research should be correctly cited and a list of references provided at the end. Students will be marked as a team and individually. You must use PowerPoint visual aids. Your presentation will be assessed on: Presentation Skills
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Presentation Structure Clarity of ideas and coherence of language Quality of Research Use of Visuals Correctness of referencing 30 Marks

3.4 Assignment 3 - Final Report

Each team must submit a report detailing their research project. The report must be at least 2000 words and use both primary and secondary sources. Student writing will be assessed on: Correctness of referencing Clarity of ideas Coherence of language Quality of Research

4. RESOURCES The following Bibliography provides sources for further reading on communication skills and research methods. The books are available in the school library. APA Style 2011 American Psychological Association. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from http://www.apastyle.org/index.aspx Fowler, RH and Aaron, JE 2010, The Little, Brown Handbook, 11th edn, Pearson, London. Gamble, TK & Gamble, M 2005, Communication Works, 8th edn, McGraw Hill, New York. Purdue Online Writing Lab 2009, Purdue University. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Summers, J & Smith, B 2003, Communication Skills Handbook: How to Succeed in Written and Oral Communication, 5th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Australia. Uni Learning (n.d.). Accessed: March 17, 2010, from http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html Visocky OGrady, K & Visocky OGrady, J 2009, A Designers Research Manual, Rockport, USA. 5. PROJECT BRIEFS Students work in teams of three. Teams must research a chosen problem, focus on a particular example of the problem in action and create a practical solution for a chosen client. Teams must conduct primary and secondary research. 5.1 Water scarcity As populations and the demands of industry and agriculture increase, access to clean water is becoming a contentious issue. According to the United Nations:
The desire for a better lifestyle is arguably one of the most powerful human motivations, and the rapid global rise in living standards, combined with population growth, poses the major threat to the sustainability of water resources and the environment. The production of goods to satisfy these growing human wants is often not possible without the overuse of natural resources. Further, it is accompanied by the production of wastes and other non-useful by-products. Unrestrained fulfilment of the desire for a better lifestyle will be accompanied by environmental stresses, many of them unprecedented. The major challenge is to reconcile human needs and human wants with the ability of nature to provide or replenish the resources to produce them. Global society must address the dual goal of enhancing human well-being and lifestyles while ensuring the sustainability of the ecosystems and environmental conditions that provide the desired goods and services (Water in a Changing World, 2009).

Choose a particular aspect of the problem and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to your programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client. 5.2 Animal exploitation Animals are used in a variety of ways: as food, clothing, scientific test subjects and even entertainment. Many people think that this is unfair exploitation and needs to be stopped. According to Animals Australia, a national animal protection organisation that actively exposes animal abuse and promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle:
Animals are often regarded as commodities, and their well-being is considered important only insofar as it affects productivity and profit. But they are sentient beings, and they require greater consideration (Animals Australia Fact Sheet n.d.).

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Choose a particular aspect of this problem and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to you programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client.

5.3 Waste of material resources

Humankind is using up the worlds finite resources (for example, forests and minerals) at an alarming rate. If we do not carefully control and radically reduce our consumption, we will be faced with the complete collapse of our environmental, economic, social and cultural systems. If developing countries were to match countries in the developed world, such as the US, in levels of consumption we would soon be in crisis. According to Leonard:
The US has 5% of the worlds population but consumes 30% of the worlds resources and creates 30% of the worlds waste If everybody consumed at U.S. rates, we would need 3 to 5 planets (2008).

Choose a particular aspect of this problem and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to you programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client. 5.4 Carbon footprint Most of the worlds electricity comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Converting these into electrical power releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. According to the UK-based, not-for-profit company Carbon Trust:
A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product (2010).

Research something which contributes to the planets carbon footprint and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to you programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client.

5.5 Human exploitation All over the world, in developing and developed nations, people are being exploited by manufacturing, services and agricultural industries in order to cut expenditure and maximize profits. People, sometimes children, work in terrible conditions with little or no pay in order to produce cheap products and offer low cost services. For example, In October 2007 there were allegations of child labour at a factory in India that was working on a product for the GapKids line while in 2008 an Australian TV news report alleged that dormitories at Hytex, a supplier to Nike, were overcrowded and unhygienic. Migrants from Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar were found to be living in the dormitories and endured other abuses, including deductions from wages and the withholding of identity papers. (Global Compact, 2009). Choose a particular aspect of this problem and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to you programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client. 5.6 Toxicity The things we produce and buy often contain chemicals. These chemicals are often highly dangerous and cause a range of diseases, from cancer to birth defects. According to Annie Leonard, there are over 100,000 manmade chemicals commonly used in commercial products (including clothing, food, furniture and cosmetics) but very few of these have been extensively tested for their impact on human health. For example, PVC, commonly used to make the soft casings for iPods and mobile phones, contains phthalates, substances which have been linked to liver and reproductive system damage (Greenpeace 2006). Choose a particular aspect of this problem and choose a relevant client. The focus and the client should relate to you programme of study. Your team must research the problem and propose a practical solution to help alleviate the problem for your chosen client.

References Animals Australia, n.d. Animal Exploitation Fact Sheet. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://www.animalsaustralia.org/documents/factsheets/AnimalExploitationFactSheet.pdf Carbon Trust, 2010 Carbon footprinting. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reducecosts/calculate/carbon-footprinting/pages/carbon-footprinting.aspx
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Global Compact, 2009 Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://humanrights.unglobalcompact.org/case_studies Greenpeace, 2006 Hazardous Chemicals in your Home. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/chemicals-out-of-control/chemicals-in-your-home/ Leonard, A 2008 The Story of Stuff - Fact Sheet, The Story of Stuff Project. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://storyofstuff.org/ Our Common Future 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm United Nations, 2006 Water in a Changing World: United Nations World Water Development Report 3. Retrieved 4 June 2010 from http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/pdf/WWDR3_Water_in_a_Changing_World.pdf

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Appendix

Course Outline and Schedule

Course Outline Class 1 2 Assignments & Assessment Introductions Introduction to Research Presenting Research 1 Preparing & delivering research presentations Assignment 1 - Proposal Presentations Research Methods 1 Secondary research Research Methods 1 Secondary research (In-class project) Assignment 1 - Proposal Presentations Research Methods 2 Primary research Research Methods 3 Primary research contd. Assignment 1 - Proposal Presentations Presenting Research 2 Ethical Scholarship Exam Presenting Research 3 Preparing & delivering research Workshop FD/FM (Wednesdays) Dates 5 October 12 October VC / ID (Thursdays) Dates 6 October 12 October

19 October

20 October

22 October (Saturday)

27 October

2 November 16 November
(no class on 9 Nov)

3 November 17 November
(no class on 10 Nov)

23 November

24 November

26 November
(Saturday)**

26 November
(Saturday)**

9 10

30 November 7 December

1 December 8 December

11

Assignment 2 Final Presentations

14 December

15 December

12

Assignment 3 Final Report

19 December (Monday)

19 December (Monday)

FINAL EXAMINATION DATES / TIMES:

Course Fashion Design + Fashion Marketing Visual Communication Interior Design Date / Time / Room Saturday, 26 November, 9:15am @ SR3 Saturday, 26 November, 10:30am @ SR3 Saturday, 6 November, 11:30am @ SR3

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