ENGG1863: Semester 1, 2021

University home

Library

Current students

Staff intranet

Find an event

Give

Current students

Units ENGG1863 Semester 1 2021 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ENGG1863: Effective Project Communication

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Project management is a rapidly growing profession applied across all industries. This subject provides an overview of project management and its relationship to program and portfolio management and the broader business context. The Unit introduces students to variations in project management as interpreted and applied in different industries. It will cover the nature of the project management profession, project career paths and the graduate qualities sought by employers. It introduces the primary professional standards and project management terminology. Projects are constructed and progressed through communication. Effective communication can save a poor project just as much as poor communication can undermine previously successful implementation. This Unit of Study covers the essential skills of effective project communication and sets students up to exercise influence through interpersonal skills and construct patterns of communication suitable to the demands of different projects. This unit will help students develop critical thinking and source and use information in their decision making. Students will focus on personal integrity and reliability as well as self awareness.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ENGG1863
Academic unit	Project Management
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ken Chung, ken.chung@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Tutorial quiz	Online quizzes	15%	Multiple weeks	-
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Individual essay	25%	Week 07	-
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Individual video presentation	25%	Week 11	-
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group assignment	35%	Week 13	-
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Individual essay: Students will use the guide provided in the lecture/workshop to write a comprehensive essay on a topic related to communication and/or project management.
Individual participation: Students will be assessed on their participation in lectures/workshops.
Group assignment: Student groups (5-6 members in each group) will develop a communication plan for a project of their choice.
Online quizzes: Students will be quizzed on preliminary readings for lectures/workshops from week 3 to week 10. All quizzes will be in a multiple choice format, delivered in-class.
Individual video presentation: Students will create, record and edit a video presentation of themselves in front of a small group (eight or more people). The presentations will be assessed based on the student’s ability to use the material taught in lectures/workshops.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to communication in projects	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Communication theory and project management	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	The fundamentals of written communication	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Influencing others	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Nonverbal communication & presentation skills	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Creating a project communication plan	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	The importance of empathy and active listening	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Facilitating open communication & leadership skills	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Building a personal brand	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Informal and formal communication in projects (social network analysis)	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Effective communication in project teams (virtual, cross-functional, and multicultural)	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Communication barriers: managing internal and external conflict	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Your communication style	Workshop (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. develop a communication plan including emphasis on risk and quality, adapting communication to the needs of the audience
LO2. construct and nurture networks and alliances
LO3. provide clear and structured information to others and verify their understanding
LO4. facilitate and promote open communication, demonstrate empathy and listen effectively
LO5. promote project vision and goals to gain engagement and commitment
LO6. communicate effectively with virtual teams
LO7. consciously develop a personal brand
LO8. exercise influence through personal skills
LO9. analyse infrastructure, processes and systems for document management and information flow - introduce configuration management.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Some changes have been made since this unit was last offered to increase the assessment rigour.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect