MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning. Handbook 2016/17

Transcription

1 MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning Handbook 2016/17

2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 2 PROGRAMME OVERVIEW... 2 Delivery modes... 2 Programme structure... 3 MODULE SYLLABI... 4 Autumn semester... 4 Spring semester... 5 Summer semester... 6 GRADUATE JOB TITLES... 7 KEY DATES... 8 TIMETABLES FOR ON-CAMPUS STUDENTS... 9 Full-time timetable... 9 Year 1 part-time timetable... 9 Year 2 part-time timetable... 9 GRADING Grading scheme Grading scale Grading policies ETHICS STAFF CONTACT DETAILS AND AVAILABILITY USEFUL RESOURCES

3 Introduction Welcome to the MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning. We hope you enjoy and benefit from the programme in many ways, and we are looking forward to working with you over the coming year/two years. The purpose of this handbook is to provide some essential information about the delivery modes, structure, content, key dates and useful administrative resources. You should bookmark the link to this handbook for easy reference. Programme Overview The MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning has run at the University of Limerick (UL) since 2010, and builds on previous programmes in technical communication and e- learning at UL. This programme focusses on online content development for e-learning and technical/professional communication, and thus emphasises the strengths developed over almost two decades at UL in technical communication and instructional design. The programme equips graduates with the skills needed to design and develop multimedia content and technology-enhanced learning solutions. The need for this type of expertise is expanding consistently as companies and institutions worldwide rely increasingly on information and communication technologies (ICTs). Delivery modes Students can take the programme full-time over one year, or part-time over two years. Both full- and part-time students can choose to attend the on-campus version of the programme or take it in an online/blended mode. In the online/blended mode, most content is delivered through the UL Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Lectures are delivered via podcasts, combined with learning objects and/or other resources. Students participate in online chats, online discussions and peersupported learning activities to complete tutorial work. Students need to be on campus for short periods--two days in August for orientation [Monday and Tuesday, August 29 th and 30 th ] two days in January [for RM6011], and one day in March/April [for EL6072]. Students also have the option to attend an additional *optional* workshop in October for TW5211. Otherwise, the programme runs entirely online. The dissertation module, which runs during the summer, requires a mix of self-directed work and liaison with the project supervisor, and can be undertaken from a distance. 2

4 This is the second year that the programme will run in both an online and on-campus mode, and we are continuing to make the delivery modes very flexible for students. Students can do a combination of on-campus and online classes, as suits their availability, preferences and schedule. Programme structure Below is an outline of the full- and part-time structures. FULL-TIME PROGRAMME Autumn Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester TW5211 Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design EL6041 Instructional Design TW5221 Theory of Technical Communication RM6011 Research Methodologies in Applied Language Studies TW5212 Workplace Issues in Technical and Professional Communication EL6052 E-Learning Theories and Practices EL6072 Interactive Courseware Workshop EL6082 Learning and Collaboration Technologies EL6013 Dissertation/ Project PART-TIME PROGRAMME Year one: Autumn Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester TW5211 Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design EL6041 Instructional Design Year two: TW5212 Workplace Issues in Technical and Professional Communication EL6072 Interactive Courseware Workshop (No modules in the summer semester of year one) Autumn Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester RM6011 Research Methodologies in Applied Language Studies TW5221 Theory of Technical Communication EL6052 E-Learning Theories and Practices EL6082 Learning and Collaboration Technologies EL6013 Dissertation/ Project 3

5 Module Syllabi Following are brief, provisional descriptions of each module. You will receive detailed module outlines for each module at the beginning of each semester. Autumn semester TW5211: Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design Introduction to technical communication. Audience analysis. Writing style for technical communication, focussing on a plain, direct style, accuracy, correctness, coherence, completeness and concision. Information design: typography; colour; graphics and illustrations; space. Technical communication genres: writing technical manuals. Students are invited to attend a software workshop on October 12 th (on-campus students) and October 15 th (online students). TW5221: Theory of Technical Communication The module aims to introduce students to technical communication theory and research methodologies. The module has two principal strands: Theory topics in technical communication: history, definition and rationale of technical communication; information design theory; readability; writing research. Research methods in technical communication: phases of a research project; research strategies; data analysis; ethical considerations; usability studies. RM6011: Research Methodologies in Applied Language Studies The nature of research and formulating a research question. Research methodologies Researching and evaluating information and communication technologies for pedagogical purposes. Ethical issues and good practices in research involving human subjects. Electronic tools: databases and search skills, electronic reference managers. Academic writing: structure, work-plan and presentation. 4

6 Literature review and referencing. Planning and writing a research proposal. Overall structure: from research question to thesis. This module runs as a two-day Winter School on January 19 th and 20 th 2017 for all full-time students and all part-time Year 2 students. EL6041: Instructional Design Brief history of instructional design. Main approaches to instructional design (behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism). Individual learning theorists (including Skinner, Bloom, Gagné, Jonassen, Gardner, Kolb, and Merrill). Needs assessment and front-end analysis (including learner/ audience analysis, technology analysis, task analysis, objective analysis, and media analysis). Course design (including project scheduling, definition of team roles, media specifications, and content structure). Delivery systems for instruction (differences between individualised instruction, small-group instruction, and large-group instruction). The systematic design of instruction (the Dick & Carey model). Spring semester EL6052: E-Learning Theories and Practices Trends and issues in distance education and e-learning. The depth education model. Considerations and procedures for using/ implementing virtual classrooms, learning management systems, MOOCs, flipped classrooms, and other online learning tools. Virtual teams. E-moderating. Interaction and assessment activities. Evaluation of distance education and e-learning programmes. 5

7 EL6072: Interactive Courseware Workshop Students attend a two-hour lab session per week. During the lab sessions, students receive assistance as they work through lab sheets about various software applications. There are no lectures in this module, but students are expected to apply the theories and practices they learn in other modules to the assignments they undertake as part of this module. For online students: This module includes a software component. Students are invited to attend a workshop (date to be confirmed). EL6082: Learning and Collaboration Technologies Introduction to Adobe Captivate. Introduction to MadCap Flare. Introduction to podcasting. Introduction to assistive technologies. Introduction to web-based tools for e-learning and collaboration. TW5212: Workplace Issues in Professional and Technical Communication Ethical issues in professional communication: writing and information design ethics; codes of practice; cyberethics. Legal issues: patent, copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, contracts. Structured mark-up languages for technical communication, focusing on XML. Communication theory, focussing on interviewing techniques. Trends in writing and communication: technology trends; employment trends; language trends; design trends. Summer semester EL6013: Summer Project/Dissertation This is an independent module, with two routes: students either write a dissertation on a research project, or develop a substantial technical communication or e-learning resource and write a report about its usability. This module is linked to RM6011. During the spring semester, students submit a research proposal to complete the RM6011 Research Methodology in Applied Language Studies module. Although RM6011 is a 6

8 pass/fail module (3 ECTS credits), students must submit a substantial research proposal and attend the Winter School in order to pass the module. The RM6011 proposal forms the basis for the EL6013 dissertation or development project which students undertake in the summer semester. The RM6011 proposal is also used as the basis for allocating supervisors to students for the summer semester. In the summer semester, students work full-time on the EL6013 module. Students do not have to attend classes but they must maintain regular contact with their supervisors and take full responsibility for meeting submission deadlines. EL6013 is a normal module (30 ECTS), so students receive a grade letter for the work they submit in early September. Graduate Job Titles Our graduates have an excellent employment record. Many employers contact us directly when seeking to hire technical writers and instructional designers, and when hiring for related roles. Below is a list of some graduate job titles. (Senior) Technical Information development E-learning support specialist writer/author/communicator manager Instructional designer Web master/designer Web content strategist Information designer Information developer Digital editor Content developer Publication manager Documentation manager Indexer Trainer Learning developer Illustrator Content curator Digital project specialist Desktop publisher Content specialist Internet marketer Digital editor Web content strategist Online marketing specialist 7

9 Key Dates The university academic calendar outlines key dates for the academic year: The autumn semester officially begins on Monday, September 5 th and ends on Friday, December 10 th, Classes (both online and on-campus classes) end on Friday, November 25 th. For online students, autumn on-campus dates are as follows: Programme enrolment and orientation: Monday, August 29 th This session is organised by the Graduate School, and includes a one-hour meeting with the Course Director. This is a unique opportunity for all incoming students (part-time and fulltime, online and on-campus) to meet face-to-face. All students must attend. If you cannot attend, you must contact Postgraduate Admissions (postgradadmissions@ul.ie) to organise online enrolment. Orientation for online students: Tuesday, August 30 th. This session is organised by the Course Team. Online students should all attend this session. It is an opportunity to make sure you have access to UL systems, to meet the faculty teaching team, and most importantly to meet your classmates. It is a half-day session from 9.30am to 1pm. TW5211 Software workshop (FT and PT Year 1 students): October 15th [attendance is at students discretion]. RM6011 Winter School (FT and all PT Year 2 students): January 19 th and 20 th, 2017 [attendance is required]. On-campus dates for spring will be advised by module coordinators in early January For students following the on-campus delivery mode, the autumn semester timetable is on the next page. 8

10 Timetables for On-campus Students Full-time timetable TW5221: Theory of Technical Communication Lecture: Monday LCB-012 Tutorial: Monday B1005 (from Week 3) TW5211: Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design Tutorial: Tuesday 9 10 LCB-012 (from Week 3) Lecture: Tuesday LCB-012 Full-day software workshops on October 12 th (on-campus students) and October 15 th (online students) EL6041: Instructional Design Lecture: Tuesday LCB-012 Tutorial: Tuesday LCB-012 (from Week 2) RM6011: Research Methodologies in Languages and Cultural Studies Two-day workshop on January 19 th and 20 th, 2017 Year 1 part-time timetable TW5211: Principles of Professional and Technical Communication and Information Design Tutorial: Tuesday 9 10 LCB-012 (from Week 3) Lecture: Tuesday LCB-012 Full-day software workshops on October 12 th (on-campus students) and October 15 th (online students) EL6041: Instructional Design Lecture: Tuesday LCB-012 Tutorial: Tuesday LCB-012 (from Week 2) Year 2 part-time timetable TW5221: Theory of Technical Communication Lecture: Monday LCB-012 Tutorial: Monday B1005 (from Week 3) RM6011: Research Methodologies in Languages and Cultural Studies Two-day workshop on January 19 th and 20 th,

11 Grading This section contains some useful information on grading. Further information is available in the Student Handbook, available online at: Grading scheme Unless otherwise stated in the assignment brief, the UL Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Scheme of Grade Descriptions is used to grade assignments. This grading scheme is outlined below. Grades are subject to review by an External Examiner, who has the final say on grades awarded for assignments and exams. A1 First 4.00 Outstanding. In-depth knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts related to the topic. Integrates information into a wider context. Excellent analysis and interpretation. Evidence of a significant amount of outside reading. A logically structured and clear approach. Answer is original and reflective. A2 First 3.60 Excellent. A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts. Excellent analysis and interpretation. Evidence of a significant amount of outside reading. Answer may have neglected to deal with one or two minor aspects of the issues involved. A logically structured and clear approach. B A substantial but not totally comprehensive knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts. Shows a very good competence in the subject without being outstanding. Very good analysis and interpretation. Some gaps in knowledge. Student can argue the key issues in an intellectually organised manner. A logically structured and clear approach. B A competent and organised approach to the subject matter. A reasonable knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts. Very good analysis and interpretation. Student is very familiar with the material covered in lecture notes, but may show limited evidence of wider reading. Answers may be organised rather than inspired. 10

12 B Shows evidence of having put significant work into studying the subject. A reasonable level of knowledge. Good analysis and interpretation. Some gaps/oversights in either knowledge, or in the approach taken. Limited evidence of wider reading. Reasonable analytical and interpretative skills. The work is still of sufficient standard to merit an honours award. C Shows a familiarity with the subject material covered in the question. The approach taken to answering the question is rather limited Focuses on material covered in lecture notes. Little or no evidence of wider reading. A basic knowledge of key principles and concepts only. Limited analytical and interpretative skills. C2 Third 2.40 Conversant with the subject area. A good average answer, which does not stray beyond the basics. Some significant gaps in knowledge. Limited analytical and interpretative skills. C3 Third 2.00 A basic pass. Shows a basic knowledge of key principles and concepts. Significant gaps in knowledge or understanding. May have omitted to answer part of the question. Answer is basic and factual with some errors. The standard of work is sufficient to obtain a passing grade. Limited analytical and interpretative skills. D1 D2 Compensating fail Compensating fail 1.60 A poor answer, unsatisfactory in some significant ways. Student is unable to correctly recall important material related to the question at hand. Little evidence of analytical and interpretative skills. Answer is disorganised and lacks intellectual depth Very poor answer. The student either has very little knowledge of the subject area, or lacks the ability to express their knowledge in an organised fashion. Student may have shown some small knowledge of the area. Little evidence of analytical and interpretative skills. F Fail 0.00 An outright fail. The work is completely unsatisfactory and shows very little evidence of effort. Little or no evidence of knowledge of key principles and concepts. No evidence of analytical or interpretative skills. 11

13 Grading scale We use the University Grading Scale on Technical Communication and Instructional Design modules. This scale is shown in the matrix below: A1 A2 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 F <30 Below are breakdowns to help you mark smaller elements of assessment < < < < < < < < < < < < <1.5 Grading policies There are no end-of-semester examinations on any modules on this MA programme. Instead, students submit assignments as specified in each module outline. Students repeating TW and EL modules must submit one or more assignments at the lecturer s discretion. There are no repeat examinations. Assignment submission policy: Assignments must be submitted as specified in the assignment brief. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that all relevant files/folders are submitted, in the correct format, and that they work as per the assignment guidelines. If students submit incorrect files/formats, they will NOT be contacted. If we cannot grade work due to incorrect submission, the student will fail the assignment. All assignments must be submitted on or before the date and time indicated in the brief. 12

14 Assignments submitted after the deadline will be capped at a C1, unless the student has agreed an extension with the lecturer in advance of the deadline (C1 is the highest possible grade, but the work may be awarded a lower grade). Assignments submitted more than seven days after the submission deadline will NOT be graded. Students must keep a backup copy of all assignments. Feedback: We provide detailed individual feedback on some assignments during the semester. All other feedback is returned at the end of the semester. It should be noted that we do not re-mark papers based on individual queries about grades. As stated in the Student Handbook (p. 31), grades are approved by the university and discussion/negotiation of grades awarded with academic staff is not appropriate when seeking feedback. If students feel there is a genuine error in their grade, they should contact the lecturer or module coordinator. If a student is unhappy with the final grade in a module, he/she may request a grade recheck through official university channels as outlined on pp of the Student Handbook. Academic cheating, plagiarism and copyright: Plagiarism, using others words or ideas without clearly acknowledging the original source, is not permitted. Incidents of plagiarism in individual assessments will be awarded zero marks and can lead to the award of an F for the whole module. See also the University Code of Conduct. It is important to note that academic cheating in all its forms is deemed to be a major disciplinary offence under the university's code of conduct (see Appendix 1 in section 10). Please also note that copyright in all assessment, project and thesis work is the property of UL. For guidelines on plagiarism at college, see Appendix 3 in section 10 [Extract from Section 6 of the University of Limerick Student Handbook available online]. 13

15 Ethics Any assignments that involve research with human subjects need to have approval from the AHSS ethics committee. Guidelines and an application form are available at this web site: For some modules, we request blanket ethics approval for the whole module (for example, for the TW5221 research assignment). For others, such as the RM6011 proposal which forms the basis of each student s final project/dissertation, and for the final EL6013 project, students must apply for approval (with guidance from the supervisor/module coordinator). It is important to take time early in the programme to become familiar with the guidelines and application form. We will discuss ethics in several modules throughout the programme. Note that the AHSS Ethics Committee does not meet in July or August each year, so students (FT or PT Year 2) need to apply by June 2017 at the latest for approval for the research for the EL6013 development project/dissertation. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that he/she applies for ethical approval on time, as documentation needs to be approved by the relevant module leader/supervisor in advance of the ethics deadline. Staff Contact Details and Availability Faculty members work Monday to Friday 9h00 to 17h00, and each faculty member has one research day each week when she is not available online or on-campus. Dr Yvonne Cleary (Course Director) Yvonne.Cleary@ul.ie Office: LC2-012 Office hours: Mondays 12h00 to 13h00 and Tuesdays 15h00 to 17h00 Dr Darina Slattery Darina.Slattery@ul.ie Office: LC1-014 Office hours: Mondays 15h00 to 17h00 and Tuesdays 12h00 to 13h00 Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn Ann.Marcus.Quinn@ul.ie Office: LC2-007 Office hours: Mondays 09h00 to 12h00 14

16 Useful Resources Student Academic Administration (SAA): This is the main administration office of the university. This office deals with queries relating to registration and student supports. Online Records System: This is the main records site of the university. In Week 1 of each semester, you MUST register online for your modules. To register online, go to: log in using your UL ID number and password, and follow the online instructions.you also use this site to access exam results. Student Handbook: This handbook is issued by SAA. It contains information relating to university processes and policies and we recommend familiarising yourself with the key content. Sulis: We use the UL Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), called Sulis, extensively on this programme. You will need to start using Sulis from the start of the programme. NB: You need to register online for your modules before you have access to them on Sulis. School of Culture and Communication: The university department in which the MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning is situated is the School of Culture and Communication. You may occasionally need to contact the administrators in the School. Academic Calendar: The calendar outlines key dates for both semesters, and this site is worth bookmarking for reference. UL Library: This link takes you to the main library portal, from which you can access the catalogue and log in to access resources, including online journals, from home. 15