GSE855 Communication and Wildlife Management
About this Unit
Semester 2, 2008
Offered: X2 - External/online delivery; Second Half-Year
Convenor: Neil Inall
Prerequisites/corequisites: None
Credit Points: 4
This unit will enable students to develop practical skills in effective communication. These include public speaking, electronic media interviews, facilitation, chairing meetings and writing press statements as well as the development of communication strategies. All these are important tools for wildlife managers.
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Neil Inall
Phone: (02) 9412 1361
Email: inall@iinet.net.au
Classes
GSE855 is offered in a mixed mode through distance education, with much of the content available online through Blackboard.
Unit web page
Login to the unit through Blackboard (http://learn.mq.edu.au/)
Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to enable you to develop the following
Specialist outcomes
- gain knowledge of Australia's media—its plusses and its minuses
- develop an understanding of the value of words and their meaning
- gain an appreciation of different audiences and their needs
- develop the ability to research and structure a speech, lecture, radio talk
- gain insight into why we listen to some people and not others
- appreciate the fundamental importance of writing clearly and speaking simply
- gain an understanding of the impact of voice
- gain an understanding of the role of facilitation in groups
- appreciate why telling stories is the key to capturing audiences
- recognise the value of the "I" word-communicating through the first person
- form an appreciation of what communication tools best suit different situations.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Students are expected to share communication experiences and knowledge with the convenor and other students via the online discussion forum. Students should access related references and websites.
Students will evaluate the media they are daily exposed to and evaluate their effectiveness to communicate key messages.
Schedule of Lectures
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | You the communicator |
| 2 | Information and the media in Australia |
| 3 | Messages Stories Audiences Writing |
| 4 | You the presenter! Making a verbal presentation Story telling |
| 5 | Where to present? How to present? Timing |
| 6 | Writing a press statement and getting published |
| 7 | The interview Editing |
| 8 | A strategic communcations strategy |
| 9 | You as a facilitator |
| 10 | Meetings Consultation Listening Working in groups |
| 11 | Tools to help... The new media |
| 12 | Voices |
| 13 | Let's work through what's bugging you. Networking ...too much? Too little? |
| 14 | Organising and running conferences and workshops. Briefing speakers. Getting the "right" venue. |
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
Assessment is made through exercises in writing and speaking. Students will evaluate communication tools and develope communication strategies. These exercises encourage the development of communication skills and their use.
There are five components of assessment in this unit, full details are provided in Blackboard in the section on Assessment. An overview is provided here:
| Assignment | Max. Length | Marks | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Press statement | one A4 page | 15 | |
| 2. Interpretation signs | Minimal number of words | 30 | |
| 3. Essay | 2500 words | 30 | |
| 4. Oral | 4 mins | 25 | |
| 5. Essay | 1500 words | 30 |
Extensions from due dates are not possible except in cases of serious illness.
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
Recommended
- Wurman R S, Sume D and Leifer L 2001 Information anxiety 2 Que, Indiana.
- Radio National - The Science Show
- ABC Television - Catalyst
- Radio National - Background Briefing
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
In person: Level 2, Lincoln Building (C8A), Macquarie University
Website: http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/equity