The Communications Handbook

Transcription

1 The Communications Handbook

2 Table of Contents The Purpose of Communications in the College Curriculum... 3 Georgian College Communications Courses... 3 Essential Skills and Communications Courses... 4 Communications Courses and Transferability... 5 Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR)... 5 Exemption... 5 Communications Placement Assessment (CPA)... 5 Communications Committee (CC)... 6 Criteria for Renewal and New Course Development... 6 New Communications Courses for Ontario Learn... 6 Approval For Communications Courses... 7 Approval Process... 7 Communications Course Development and Faculty Resources... 8 Department T Drive... 8 Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Resources... 8 PLAR Development... 8 Conclusion... 9 Appendix A: Communications Committee Terms of Reference Appendix B: Checklist for Reviewing, Revising, and Renewing a Course Appendix C: Measuring Effectiveness of Communications Course Learning Outcomes Appendix D: Checklist for Writing Communication Course Outlines Appendix E: Course Revision Guide... 15

3 The Communications Handbook This handbook articulates the goals, philosophy, and outcomes of the Communications Department. It outlines the processes for curriculum review, as well as criteria for the development of new courses and course materials, including Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR). The handbook is developed and approved by Communications faculty, and will ensure consistent practice as it relates to Communications at Georgian College. The Purpose of Communications in the College Curriculum The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) defines six skills that are essential for life and workplace success: communication, numeracy, critical thinking and problem solving, information management, interpersonal, and personal skills. These Essential Employability Skills (EES) are skills that, regardless of a student s program or discipline, are critical for success in the workplace, in day-to-day living, and for lifelong learning (Ministry Guidelines, 2005, p. 15). The Georgian College Communications curriculum actively develops five of these six skills. Communications courses complement students vocational studies by developing their written and oral communication skills for multiple environments, including college and workplace. Core skills students develop in Communications courses include information retrieval and literacy, and critical thinking and reading. Technology for communication tasks such as information management, researching, writing, and presentations is emphasized, as is teamwork and crosscultural communication. In addition, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the standard by which Colleges are evaluated and funded, measure a number of essential and employability skills, all of which are embedded in Georgian College Communications courses. For further information about Ministry guidelines, consult the MTCU Framework for Programs of Instruction: Georgian College Communications Courses Georgian College Communications Courses offer students a variety of options to enhance their academic and career goals. They are as follows: COMM 1014: Media Communication COMM 1015: Proposal Writing COMM 1016: Communication Essentials COMM 1017: Work Environment Communication COMM 1019: Virtual Communication COMM 1021: Dynamic Presentations COMM 1020: Technical Communication COMM 1022: Visual World COMM 1023: Cultural & Communications Upon entering into a program, students are placed in COMM 1016: Communications Essentials; however, through equivalency, PLAR, and the CPA, students may be able to bypass COMM 1016, and choose from all courses. Refer to page 5 for information about Communications Courses and Transferability. The Communications Handbook December

4 Essential Skills and Communications Courses On successful completion of their Communication course requirements, students will reliably demonstrate the following essential skills as identified by the MTCU, the Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS) and the Credentials Validation Service (CVS): Essential Skills Learning Outcomes Communication Courses Communication Reading Writing Speaking Listening Presenting Visual Literacy Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Analyzing Synthesizing Evaluating Decision making Creative & innovative thinking Communicate clearly, concisely, and correctly in the written, spoken, and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication Apply a systematic approach to solve problems Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems All Communications courses focus on communication skills and their application in different contexts. All Communications courses, as identified above, support the application of critical thinking and problem solving to complete a task or project. Information Management Gathering & managing information Selecting & using appropriate tools & technology for task or project Computer literacy Internet skills Interpersonal Team Work Relationship Management Conflict resolution Leadership Networking Personal Managing self Managing change, being flexible & adaptable Locate, select, organize, and document information using appropriate technology and information systems Analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of source Show respect for diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and achievement of goals Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects Take responsibility for one s own actions, decisions, and consequences All Communications courses, as identified above, support the development of information management skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and apply information to complete a task or project. All Communications courses, as identified above, support the development and refinement of interpersonal skills in the classroom, and as a function of team interaction to achieve goals and complete projects. All Communications courses, as identified above, require effective management of self and the assumption of responsibility for the completion of tasks and projects completed individually or as a team. The Communications Handbook December

5 Communications Courses and Transferability Transferability between programs and between institutions has been identified as a priority both within Georgian College and within the MTCU. Communications courses continue to provide opportunities for students, as courses are transferable between programs, between colleges, and in some cases, from colleges to universities. The Communications Department facilitates these opportunities for students, providing over 1000 exemptions and Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) each semester for qualifying students, thus supporting and encouraging transferability and student success. Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) Students may be interested in pursuing assessment of previous learning (PLARs) if they have any of the following: equivalent skills and knowledge acquired through, life/learning experience; or a number of relevant accredited and recognized credits, semesters or years of postsecondary education or significant relevant life/learning experience For additional information, see PLAR Development. Exemption Students may be interested in pursuing an exemption if they have the following: a course from a recognized and accredited postsecondary institution that matches at least 80 per cent of the learning outcomes of a course; and a course with a grade of 60 per cent (C) or better The result of a transfer credit assessment for either PLARs or exemptions is final and NOT subject to appeal. Resources Communications Placement Assessment (CPA) The Communications Placement Assessment (CPA) is an assessment process developed to aid students in selecting appropriate Communications courses. The CPA is composed of questions that assess students knowledge of sentence structure and reading comprehension. Students who achieve a score of 90/120 or above in both sections of the CPA do not receive a Communications credit. Instead, they have the option to bypass Communications Essentials (COMM 1016), and enroll directly in an industry specific Communications course. It is advisable that all students write the CPA, which can be booked through Testing Services. The Communications Handbook December

6 Communications Committee (CC) The Communications Committee (CC) ensures relevant and quality-based Communications courses. Through collaboration and consultation, the Committee develops, approves, and maintains Communications courses at Georgian College, all campuses. As cited in the CC Terms of reference, the Committee s responsibilities are the following: 1. Assist in the development and delivery of all Communications courses. 2. Review and approve all Communications courses in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the Georgian College Curriculum Handbook, PLAR guidelines, and the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. 3. Act as a resource to the various program areas and macro-curriculum committees regarding Communications courses and issues. 4. Develop criteria for exemptions and PLAR from Communications courses. 5. Recommend and encourage professional development and academic faculty sharing activities regarding Communications. All Communications faculty are members of this committee, which meets regularly throughout the school year. Refer to Appendix A for the complete Terms of Reference. Criteria for Renewal and New Course Development When undertaking course revision or development, Communications Faculty must consider a number of factors. New courses in Communication will be developed at the request of the Associate Dean responsible for Communications; be developed through collaboration with Communications Committee (CC); reflect an area of expertise that can be taught by faculty members within the Communications Department/Portfolio, or faculty hired to teach within the Liberal Arts Department; and, present opportunities for a diversity of delivery modes and instructional approaches. New Communications Courses for Ontario Learn All Communications courses for Ontario Learn will meet the criteria listed for all Communications courses, and must go through the prescribed approval process for new courses, as identified in this document. Ontario Learn Communications courses will be developed as assigned by the Associate Dean responsible for Communications, in collaboration with the Communications Committee; be developed by faculty within the Communications department; and, be developed according to provincial demand, and need to meet requirements for contributing to the balance of Georgian College s Communications offerings. The Communications Handbook December

7 Approval for Communications Courses Communications courses are delivered by a variety of faculty across all postsecondary programs at all campuses. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the Communications curriculum is kept current and consistent. The Communications Department maintains quality, by ensuring curriculum is developed by faculty, the subject matter experts, and approved at the appropriate College curriculum committees. Approval Process In order to be approved, new Communications courses, as well as revisions to existing courses, must be channeled through the following process: 1. Identify the Need Courses may be identified for review or development by individual faculty members, the Associate Dean for Communications, or the CC, as in the case of curriculum review. Once identified, a one page proposal outlining the course/curriculum goals must be presented to the Associate Dean and the Communications Coordinator for review. If approved, the Associate Dean will appoint a working group. 2. Assign Lead Faculty/Working Group This working group is comprised of one or more faculty members who teach Communications courses, appointed by the Associate Dean responsible for Communications. This group will meet regularly to generate or revise a course outline; a curriculum coach may be provided where necessary. Please refer to Appendix C, D, and E. Once an outline is produced, it must be presented to the CC. 3. Approve at Communications Committee This committee comprises faculty who teach Communications courses at Georgian College. The outline will be presented to each member of the committee, where it will be reviewed and approved or sent back for revision. Should revisions be required, work will continue on the outline, which can then be resubmitted at the next meeting. Courses must be approved by this committee before advancing to the Macro Curriculum Committee. 4. Approve at Macro Curriculum Committee Representatives from the broader portfolio are selected to sit on this committee. Courses that meet approval by the Macro Curriculum Committee will be forwarded to the Registrar s Office and be considered official Communications courses at Georgian College. At this stage, the course content can be developed. This includes assessment, lesson, and syllabus development, and development of PLAR. For approval times and deadlines, contact the Macro Curriculum Chair. The Communications Handbook December

8 Communications Course Development and Faculty Resources When undertaking course revision or development, faculty should map MTCU mandated Essential Employability Skills and the Conference Board of Canada s Employability Skills to content and assessment where possible. Faculty must also ensure they are operating from the most up-to-date course outline, and that the evaluation methods and weights allow for the use of multiple and varied assessment techniques that measure several levels of learning. A variety of resources are available to assist faculty in the creation and revision of course materials. Department T Drive Resources for all Communications faculty can be found on the department T Drive. Posted here are sample syllabi, weekly schedules, and assignments available for use. It is expected that these documents will be adapted by the individual professor to suit his or her background and approach to the course. All materials should be cross checked to the current course outline; minor changes, such as evaluation methods may not yet be incorporated in the course materials on the drive. Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Resources The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers numerous resources for faculty and course development. The following are some useful links: CTL website CTL Pedagoggles for Assessment and Syllabus development: Professional Development (PD) sessions, as well as one-on-one work with CTL faculty are also available. PLAR Development PLARs are developed for each course offered through the Communications Department. This does not include Ontario Learn Courses hosted by other Colleges. PLARs are developed by individual faculty or a small working group who teach the course, assigned by the Associate Dean for Communications. Depending on the course, PLARs are either a portfolio or challenge exam, both of which may include a presentation and/or interview. When creating PLARs, faculty must ensure the content covers 80% or more of the Course Learning Outcomes; and, map the content and assessment to the MTCU essential employability skills and the Conference Board of Canada s Employability Skills where possible. The Communications Handbook December

9 Conclusion The Communications Department aims to convey a consistent message integral to student success. While the first point of contact for students may be the Program Assistant(s) and/or Communications Coordinator, all members of the Communications Team should be aware of those processes that will help to provide the best service possible. The Communications Handbook should assist faculty in understanding pathways available to students such as PLAR, exemption, and the CPA, as well as the processes of curriculum review, revision, renewal, and design. All of this will ensure that Communications Courses maintain their relevance to support student needs and promote skills development for student success in the workplace. If additional information or guidance is necessary, please contact the Associate Dean, Communications Coordinator, or Macro Curriculum Chair. Contact details can be provided by the Program Assistant for the Communications Department. The Communications Handbook December

10 Appendix A: Communications Committee Terms of Reference Mandate The mandate of the Communications Committee is to ensure relevant and quality-based Communications courses. Through collaboration and consultation among all stakeholders, the Committee develops, approves, and maintains Communications courses at Georgian College, all campuses. Specifically, the Committee s responsibilities are the following: 1. Assist in the development and delivery of all Communications courses. 2. Review and approve all Communications courses in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the Georgian College Curriculum Handbook, PLAR guidelines, and the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. 3. Act as a resource to the various program areas and macro-curriculum committees regarding Communications courses and issues. 4. Develop criteria for exemptions and PLAR from Communications courses. 5. Recommend and encourage professional development and academic faculty sharing activities regarding Communications. Membership Representation on the CC will include, but not be limited to: Two co-chairs (two year term) All Communications faculty, on all campuses Communications faculty representative or designate from the Liberal Arts Macro Curriculum Committee Communications Coordinator(s) Library Commons representative IT representative Student Services Representative Guests from other areas of the College such as the Student Administrative Council and Marketing may be invited on an as needed basis. Co-chairs The co-chairs are communications faculty, selected by the committee and the Associate Dean responsible for Communications. The co-chairs set meeting dates and agendas, after consultation with the Committee, and facilitate the meetings. The co-chairs are responsible for re-scheduling or cancelling meetings where necessary. If, due to emergency or illness, the co-chairs become unavailable to chair a meeting, they will assign a faculty member from the CC to chair the meeting in their place. Meetings Meetings of the Committee are scheduled a minimum of three times per year and are open to all members of the College. Every effort will be made to have a minimum of one Communications faculty representative from each campus. The Communications Handbook December

11 Reporting The Committee makes recommendations to the Liberal Arts and Access Programs Macro Curriculum Committee and reports to the Dean (or Associate Dean). Minutes Minutes are taken by administrative support for consistency and circulated to all Committee members within one to two weeks after a meeting. Workload The Committee is recognized on faculty SWFs. The hourly meeting rate is paid to Non Full-Time faculty for attending. The Communications Handbook December

12 Appendix B: Checklist for Reviewing, Revising, and Renewing a Course Course title: Faculty: Step 1: Identify the Need for a Review or Revision of an Existing Course Yes Does the CC support reviewing or revising the outline? Could the need for improvement be accomplished by adjusting teaching and learning strategies or modifying the course syllabus? Have you consulted with other faculty teaching the course? the Communications Committee? Have you explored the opportunity for alternative modes of delivery? Does the Dean support a proposal for alternative delivery modes? Step 2: Determine Type and Impact of Change Are you contemplating a change to Non-basic elements: evaluation categories and weightings? editorial adjustments? Basic course elements: description? title? significant change to the learning outcomes? Yes No No Other (not specified above)? Explain: If the proposed changes are significant (greater than 25% of the course content or significant changes to basic elements), will there be enough time to meet the deadlines. Consult the Macro Curriculum Chair. Step 3: Determine Feasibility Has the Dean been informed of the extra costs that will be incurred if a nonfull-time faculty member is involved in revising the course? Yes No The Communications Handbook December

13 Appendix C: Measuring Effectiveness of Communications Course Learning Outcomes Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Outcome 3 Outcome 4 Outcome 5 Structure / Form Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No The outcome describes a skill learners 1. would be expected to achieve by the end of the course. The outcome includes all three parts: 2. verb, context, and connection to measurable learning. 3. The outcome is clear, concise, and specific. The outcome begins with one verb. 4. Where two are a possibility, use the higher order verb. The order of the outcomes moves the 5. students toward higher levels of learning. Intention / Meaningfulness 6. The outcome is purposeful and achievable. 7. The outcomes meaningfully connect to essential and employability skills. 8. The outcomes meaningfully connect to a variety of program areas. Connection to Assessment 9. The outcome clearly describes performance expectations. The performance expectations are 10. observable and measurable. The outcome is achievable given 11. learning conditions such as time, support, skills, etc. Each outcome applies to a number of 12. course content areas. The performance expectations can be 13. measured using a variety of teaching and assessment methods. The Communications Handbook December

14 Appendix D: Checklist for Writing Communications Course Outlines Course Title Yes No 1. Title is no more than 30 characters including spaces 2. If title is longer than 30 characters, a preferred short title is included (no longer than 30 characters including spaces) Course Description Yes No 3. Course description is 75 words or less 4. Description focuses on what students do in the course 5. Description is written in the present tense 6. Learning outcomes are not included in the description 7. Acronyms appear only after the term has been written in full with acronym in brackets 8. Description does not begin with This course provides Courses can t do anything 9. Students is the preferred term (as opposed to the learner, the student, individuals, etc.) Course Content 10. Content areas relate to the course outcomes 11. Content provides guidance and consistency across multiple sections, but is not so prescriptive as to limit delivery styles and material choice 12. Content is limited to approximately 5-8 points. (If there is a need for excess, consolidate items where possible.) Evaluation 13. Evaluation methods and weights provide opportunities for assessing several levels of learning 14. At least two categories of evaluation are included (e.g. Presentations 30%; Assignments 70%) 15. The weighting in any one category does not exceed 75% of the final mark Where a weighting category value exceeds 30%, more than one instance of 16. the activity occurs (excluding exams). The evaluation method is written in the plural (e.g. Assignments 60%) 17. To indicate that an evaluation method can occur once or multiple times, an s in parentheses has been added (e.g. Test(s) 20%) The Communications Handbook December

15 Appendix E: Course Revision Guide 1. Put the Course in Context Think about the relationship between students and the subject matter in terms of essential employability skills. 2. Create Outcomes Develop 4 to 6 outcome statements that reflect the context of the course and focus on developing communication skills in practical ways Focus on the process in terms of the skills students need to demonstrate to be successful. Design measurable outcome statements that apply across as many areas of content and skill development as possible. 3. Determine Appropriate Assessment Strategies Consider how skills can be developed and which active learning or formative assessment strategies would be appropriate. Develop assessment tasks that effectively measure students achievements of the outcomes. 4. Build in Skills and Content Determine the appropriate order for presenting the content and developing essential skills. Determine the skills that the students will need and how they will be measured. Determine the tasks that will lead students to achievement of the learning outcomes. Resources Articulate Your Learning Objectives: Applying Principles of Good Practice for Assessment: The Communications Handbook December