SAULT COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS & TECHNOLOGY SAULT STE. MARIE, ON COURSE OUTLINE Course Title:  Human Services Communication Code No.: OEL811-3                   Semester: Fall/Winter Program: Various Post-Secondary Author: The Language & Communication Department Date: August 2000                          Previous Outline Dated: August 1999 Approved:  Judith Morris, Dean          June, 2000 Total Credits: 3                                  Prerequisite(s): CMM110-3 Length of Course: 3 hr./week              Total Credit Hours: 48  Copyright ã 2000 The Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology Reproduction of this document by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of The Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology is prohibited. For additional information, please contact Judith Morris, School of Continuous Learning, (705) 759-2554, Ext.516

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course prepares students for employment in the human service professions.  Emphasis is placed on career exploration and the production of a variety of written and oral communications suited for the various purposes and audiences relevant to this profession.  In this course, the principles of writing are taught through the writing process.

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II. LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ELEMENTS OF THE PERFORMANCE:

A. Learning Outcomes:

1. Adapt the format, tone, and diction of a communication to the needs of a specific audience in a given situation.
2. Locate, gather, and apply information during the preparation of written and oral reports using appropriate tools to facilitate the information-gathering process.
3. Demonstrate, in written assignments, the ability to produce clear, accurate, well-organized text in a variety of formats.
4. Give a well-organized, coherent, effective, oral presentation, using visual aids where appropriate.
5. Prepare an effective employment package.
6. Demonstrate, in writing, comprehension of program-related material from professional journals.
7. Employ a variety of editing techniques.

B. Learning Outcomes and Elements of the Performance:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the ability to:

1.  Adapt the format, tone, and diction of a communication to the needs of a specific audience in a given situation.

Potential elements of the performance:

• Utilize the most effective format, taking into consideration the writer’s goals and the expected audiences’ reactions, including agencies and other stakeholders.
• Choose a tone in the communication that will best serve to achieve the desired purpose and to effect the desired reaction on the reader’s part
• Select the most appropriate communication style (sentence type and length, word choice, paragraph structure, etc.)

Potential elements of the performance:

• Use tools such as filing systems, references, interviews, libraries, and technological means to gather appropriate, accurate, and useful information for preparation of a report
• Employ observation techniques and demonstrate the difference between objective and subjective writing
• Select the proper format for the report type needed, and apply the information in the most effective way
• Locate, gather, and apply information using appropriate technological and traditional tools during the preparation of reports
• Use comparative information-checking and other validation techniques to evaluate all sources for reliability
• Prepare for and participate in a career information interview
• Produce a report which outlines career requirements and options.

Potential elements of the performance:

• Within the context of a given scenario, produce well-organized, logical, error-free documents
• Write all submissions so the purpose of the written communication is clear and any required action on the part of the recipient is easily seen
• Produce effective short reports in a limited time frame

Potential elements of the performance:

• Organize a presentation to meet the needs of an audience:  logical development, proper sequencing, prior knowledge of the audience concerning the topic, etc.
• Present effectively in a dynamic manner that achieves the speaker’s purpose
• Use visual aids effectively

Potential elements of the performance:

• Submit an effective letter of application responding to an advertised position
• Submit a resume for the prepared letter of application
• Demonstrate how to research an employment opportunity

Potential elements of the performance:

• Summarize and evaluate articles from journals related to the program
• Use information from program-related journals in reports written for class
• Document sources of information in a suitable format (APA)

Potential elements of the performance:

• Use the technological tools available to assist in editing written material
• Use peer-editing effectively
• Self-edit written work

III. TOPICS:

Note:  These topics sometimes overlap several areas of skill development and are not necessarily intended to be explored in isolated learning units or in the order below.

1. Research and Documentation Skills
2. Editing
3. Email, Memo, and Letter Writing
4. Short Reports
5. Report Writing
6. Log Writing
7. Proposal Writing
8. Employment Package
9. Oral Presentation

IV. REQUIRED RESOURCES / TEXTS / MATERIALS:

1. Handle with Care (2nd ed.), Lucy Valentino, Nelson Canada
2. Language and Communication Guidelines (provided)

V. EVALUATION PROCESS / GRADING SYSTEM:

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTING:
(Refer also to the Language and Communication Guidelines)

The professor will announce which of the following will be completed in class under test conditions (minimum of 20%):
 

1.  Editing skills will be assessed in assignments. 2.  Employment Package:
a) Typed copy of personal resume	10%
b) Cover letter/letter of application
3.  Career Related Documents:
a) Short reports (1-3 pages)	20%
b) A minimum of three of the following:               i) Minutes              ii) Log Writing              iii) Periodical summary evaluation              iv) Information interview              v) Flyer/brochure	25%
c) Career Report (minimum 4 pages):	10%
Three (3) sources in either the Career Report or the Proposal
d) Proposal (minimum 6 pages)
The proposal will include as a minimum:	20%
8-12 pages (from Introduction to Conclusion) Three (3) sources in either the Career Report or the Proposal  One (1) visual aid
4.  Oral report	10%
5.  Research and documentation	5%
TOTAL:	100%

Notes:

1. Professors reserve the right to adjust the course delivery as they deem necessary to meet the needs of students.
2. Professors will deduct marks for any grammar and fundamental errors in final submissions.
3. Marking schemes for assignments will vary from professor to professor and from assignment to assignment.  This flexibility recognizes that professors need to vary their approaches as they assist students with differing levels of competence to meet the learning outcomes of the course and to respond to program areas.

Minimum passing grade is 60%.  Your final grade will be assigned as a percentage. The percentage received on this course will be used to calculate your letter grade based on Sault College Standards only if you wish to apply this course towards a certification/diploma. Otherwise, your home college will determine the letter grade.

TIME FRAME

Human Services Communication OEL811 requires a minimum commitment of twelve hours a week to complete. Students are expected to complete all assignments, whether for grades or not and to participate in the weekly chats.

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VI. SPECIAL NOTES:

Special Needs
Students with special needs (e.g. physical limitations, visual impairments, hearing impairments, learning disabilities) are encouraged to discuss required accommodations with the professor and/or contact the Special Needs Office.

Complementary Activities
To meet course objectives, students should expect to match each scheduled class hour with independent study.

The Learning Centre
Students are encouraged to use The Learning Centre (E1101) for drop-in tutorials, peer tutoring, and other services.

Plagiarism
To plagiarise is to “take and use as one’s own (thoughts [ideas], writings, inventions, etc. of another); especially to take and use a passage, plot, etc. from the work of another writer” (Gage Canadian Dictionary, 1983, p. 861).

Students should refer to the definition of “academic dishonesty” in the “Statement of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities” (on-line Intranet for Sault College).  Also, in order to collaborate on an assignment, students need prior permission from the professor.

Students who engage in “academic dishonesty” will receive an automatic failure for that submission and/or other such penalty, up to and including expulsion from the course.

In order to protect students from inadvertent plagiarism, to protect the material referenced, and to credit the author of the material, it is the policy of the department to employ a documentation format for referencing source material.

Advanced Standing
Students who have completed an equivalent post-secondary course must bring relevant documents to the Coordinator, Language and Communication Department:

• a copy of course outline
• a copy of the transcript verifying successful completion of the equivalent course

Retention of Course Outlines
Students are responsible for retaining all course outlines for possible future use in gaining advanced standing at other post-secondary institutions.

Substitute course information is available at the Registrar’s office.

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VII. PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT

Students who have related employment-centered experience should see the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Coordinator.

Students who have mastered these outcomes should see the Prior Learning Assessment Coordinator to discuss the availability of a Challenge Test for this course.

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