Module FOUD02N1: Communication

Department: Foundation Year (Durham)

FOUD02N1: Communication

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• Project

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Communication is a second-term Foundation Year module that builds on the academic skills you developed in Practice. It focuses specifically on academic communication - helping you recognise and produce different types of academic writing, and apply the conventions of your own discipline effectively. 
• The module runs alongside the Project module and what you learn in Communication directly supports the production of your final assessment in Project.

Content

• Approaches to study in higher education 
• Academic writing genres 
• Academic writing conventions, including miscommunication, academic malpractice, and a range of academic referencing practices 
• How to find and use academic sources to support your work 
• Critical analysis and reflective thinking styles 
• Structured academic communication

Learning Outcomes

• A range of academic communication genres 
• Academic writing conventions and referencing practices 
• How to find and use academic information sources 
• Critical and reflective thinking styles 
• How to communicate in a structured academic way appropriate to your discipline

• Read, analyse and critically evaluate academic sources 
• Extract ideas from sources and use them to construct and support arguments in an appropriate academic format 
• Use academic sources to present and engage with alternative arguments 
• Understand specialist vocabulary and use it appropriately in your writing

• Use academic writing conventions, including clear introductions, well-structured paragraphs and conclusions 
• Construct a coherent, logical and persuasive argument supported by evidence 
• Use grammar, vocabulary and academic style accurately and appropriately 
• Present academic content – such as formulae, data, quotations, paraphrases and references - accurately and correctly, using the Harvard referencing system (Cite Them Right)

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Communication is delivered through seminars and workshops. All sessions are held in discipline-specific groups (streams), and in appropriate teaching facilities, so you will be learning alongside students who share your subject interests. The specific format of each stream’s seminars and workshops, like the content, will differ between streams.   
• In seminars, you will learn about the key concepts, methods and theories of your disciplinary area; engage in teacher-led discussions and group activities.
• In workshops you will be given space to consolidate and apply your learning in a more hands-on, interactive way. This may include problem-based exercises in small groups or individually and include orientation tasks to help you reflect on your own learning, identify your strengths and areas to develop, and plan your future study. The exact content and activities of your workshops will depend on the discipline area of your future degree.
• If you are studying a science-related pathway (for example, Biological Sciences with Foundation), your module may include laboratory workshops. These are designed to help you develop practical laboratory skills, confidence and competency in a science setting.
• As well as timetabled sessions, you are expected to take responsibility for your own learning outside of class. Independent study may include: completing orientation and preparation tasks set by your tutor; undertaking pre-reading before seminars and workshops; answering practice questions and consolidating your understanding; and reading more widely around your subject.
• The module is assessed by portfolio. You will build up a portfolio of work across the module that reflects the conventions and expectations of your chosen degree discipline - so the assessment tasks you will be set, and the way you write and present your work, will be appropriate to your subject area. Assessment assignments such as Essay plan, Essay, Laboratory report, financial impact report, learning log, project blog, presentation may contribute to the portfolio.
• Feedback from each formative and summative assignment is designed to help you improve for future assignments, so it’s important to engage with the feedback you receive.
• Communication runs alongside the Project module. The two modules are designed to complement each other: Communication gives you the skills to write and present academic work, while Project gives you the opportunity to carry out and communicate your own research. Together they form the research-focused part of your Foundation Year.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Throughout the module, you will also complete a range of formative tasks and exercises. The exact type of formative assessment you will complete depends on your chosen degree route, but some indicative examples include essay plans, maths progress tests, literature reviews, learning logs, etc. These are not formally graded, but they are designed to help you develop your skills and build towards each summative assignment. Engaging actively with formative tasks will support your progress and help you perform well in the assessed work.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.