145-126 Effective Communication for Engineering

Formerly available as 145-009. Students who have completed 145-009 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

This subject is available to all first-year engineering students. It is particularly suitable for international and local students from diverse language backgrounds. Students should contact the subject coordinator before enrolling in the subject.

Students will develop their competence in spoken, written and electronic forms of communication; they will develop an understanding of basic communication theory, group dynamics, critical thinking, the role of peer reviewing and teamwork. Tutorials will be held in a multimedia learning environment in order to develop students' knowledge of on-line technologies and electronic communication aids. Lectures and tutorials will be designed around topics that relate Engineering to broader social contexts such as the environment and sustainable development, the impact of computer technology on society and engineering and management issues. Particular attention will be paid to the structure and grammatical accuracy of students' oral presentations and written assignments.

A combination of group and individual assessment will be used. Written work totalling 4000 words comprising a group written project of 800 words, a 2000-word report, a 10-minute oral presentation (equivalent to 800 words) using multimedia and a further 400 words written in class.

• S P Johnston & E Jones, Engineering and Society: An Australian Perspective. 2nd edn, Longman, 1999.