PHY0000 Communication and Key Skills
2007-2008
Code: PHY0000
Title: Communication and Key Skills
Instructors:
Dr P. Vukusic and TBA
CATS credits: not applicable
ECTS credits: not applicable
Availability: Physics students only
Level: 0
Pre-requisites: N/A
Co-requisites: N/A
Background Assumed: N/A
Duration: 3 days after Semester II exams
Directed Study Time: 21 hours
Private Study Time: 1 hour
Assessment Tasks Time: -
Observation report: awaiting notification
Aims
The ability to communicate and employ other key skills effectively is of paramount importance, not just to
scientists and engineers but to every professional. The programmes of the
School
of Physics reflect this and so students will find themselves needing effective
communication skills to complete many of their modules. After graduation, this
need will intensify and communication and key skills could well prove decisive in
obtaining a job and in performing that job well. The Communication and Key Skills
module
addresses this need and aims to provide all undergraduates with a common
grounding in oral, written and inter-personal skills by the end of their first
year.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, candidates should be able to: keep a neat, accurate
laboratory notebook describing a simple physics investigation; successfully use
the notebook as the basis for writing a condensed formal report; prepare an
impressive CV and letter of application when job-hunting; critically read and
understand a short scientific article and then deliver a concise, intelligible
talk summarising its contents; operate effectively within a team in order to
complete a major problem solving exercise.
Transferable Skills
Accurate and objective record keeping; oral and written presentational skills;
personal presentation skills; the ability to work in small and large teams i.e.
to organise others and to delegate, to accept the direction of others; critical
reading and summarising of a report or other substantive document.
Learning and Teaching Methods
The 3 day course is activity-based. Each new activity is introduced by a course
lecturer, who briefly describes the task and its relevance to the course. The
activity is completed and then followed by a debriefing session in which the
group's (or individual's, where appropriate) performance is reviewed.
Assignments
Completion of a simple experiment and writing a condensed report on it,
delivery
of a 10 minute talk to an audience, production of a plan to solve the energy
requirements of a fictitious island republic.
Assessment
This 'module' is a component of the Stage 1 laboratory modules
PHY1110 and PHY1111. Attendance
and satisfactory performance is mandatory, and enables presentational
marks to be obtained in subsequent modules of the candidate's programme.
Syllabus Plan and Content
DAY 1
- Options and Electives for Stage 2 Physics Students
A brief introduction to the range of programmes and options modules that
will available to Stage 2
students in the next academic year and an explanation of the registration process.
See also Choosing or Changing a Physics Programme of Study
in the School Handbook.
- Lecture: "Speaking to an audience: How to give a good talk.
This lecture describes the best practice for giving good talks and
presentations to small and large group audiences.
- Exercise: Presentation Skills.
A series of short popular science articles are used as the
basis for the production of a 10 minute presentation (using visual
aids).Ê Students will research the chosen topic and will use
appropriate resources to prepare and rehearse their talk. The talk
is delivered on day 2 to an audience comprising a small group of
peers and a postgraduate chairperson.
DAY 2
- Short presentations.
Each student will deliver their presentation. Group members will
receive and provide feedback on each talkÕs effectiveness.
- Lecture: "Team roles and the Belbin Test"
This lecture details how personality types are categorised in the
work environment and how team dynamics helps or hinders the
achievement of team oriented goals. The information in this talk is
useful for the exercises in the afternoon of day 2 and for day 3.
- Lecture: "Writing scientific reports and scientific record keeping"
This lecture describes the best practice for keeping records during an investigation.
- Exercise: Record-Keeping
Each student will conduct a simple investigatory
experiment and apply the principles of best-practice record-keeping.
Ê
DAY 3
- Groupwork: A design and build task.
This is a major problem-solving exercise to understand and develop
the skills associated with working successfully in teams. In groups of 10,
students play the role of design and engineering consultants, who
must design and build a bottle-rocket that will maintain maximum
flight time in the air post-launch. Assessment will be based on the
best finished and tested product and the way in which the team
members cooperated effectively.
- Lecture: "Speaking to an audience: How to give a good talk.
This lecture describes the best practice for giving good talks and
presentations to small and large group audiences.
- Exercise: Presentation Skills.
A series of short popular science articles are used as the
basis for the production of a 10 minute presentation (using visual
aids).Ê Students will research the chosen topic and will use
appropriate resources to prepare and rehearse their talk. The talk
is delivered on day 2 to an audience comprising a small group of
peers and a postgraduate chairperson.
DAY 2
- Short presentations.
Each student will deliver their presentation. Group members will
receive and provide feedback on each talkÕs effectiveness.
- Lecture: "Team roles and the Belbin Test"
This lecture details how personality types are categorised in the
work environment and how team dynamics helps or hinders the
achievement of team oriented goals. The information in this talk is
useful for the exercises in the afternoon of day 2 and for day 3.
- Lecture: "Writing scientific reports and scientific record keeping"
This lecture describes the best practice for keeping records during an investigation.
- Exercise: Record-Keeping
Each student will conduct a simple investigatory
experiment and apply the principles of best-practice record-keeping.
Ê
DAY 3
- Groupwork: A design and build task.
This is a major problem-solving exercise to understand and develop
the skills associated with working successfully in teams. In groups of 10,
students play the role of design and engineering consultants, who
must design and build a bottle-rocket that will maintain maximum
flight time in the air post-launch. Assessment will be based on the
best finished and tested product and the way in which the team
members cooperated effectively.
Core Text
Not applicable
Supplementary Text(s)
Not applicable
Formative Mechanisms
This module is supported by its own set of exercises. Students are able to
monitor
their own progress by noting their performance in the exercises. Students
who do
not complete the course satisfactorily will be informed as such and
required to
re-take the course in the following academic year. Students with specific
problems
with the course should approach one of the instructors.
Evaluation Mechanisms
The module will be evaluated using information gathered via the student representation mechanisms, the staff peer appraisal scheme, and measures of student attainment based on summative assessment.