Undergraduate Course: Working and Relating: Developing Your People Skills (SCWR08007)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course emphasises the importance of developing positive and respectful working relationships. This course will be an introduction to the skills and principles involved when working with people, in a voluntary or paid capacity. It is a requirement that students have work experience to draw upon. |
| Course description |
a) Academic Description
The course explores the development of effective communication skills in the workplace. Based on the premise that self-understanding is the foundation of developing effective working relationships, this course will act as an introduction to the skills, knowledge and principles involved when working with people in a voluntary or paid capacity. Whilst this is a Social Work course, the learning will be highly relevant for students from other disciplines who are working in a range of settings involving people. The course will assist all students in developing their professional skills for future employment.
b) Outline Content
The course comprises of one lecture and two tutorials per week. This emphasis of learning within the tutorial context reflects the applied nature of the course¿s pedagogical principles.
Topics covered:
* Presentation of Self
* Communication: Skills, Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
* Electronic Communication in the Professional Context
* Transactional Analysis
* Power in Communication
* Gender and Use of Self
* Race Culture and Ethnicity: Communication and the Difference Dynamic
* Communication through the Life Span
* Creative communication: Social Work Practitioners share examples of innovative methods of communication
c) Student Learning Experience
Students are expected to be active learners. The aim of tutorials are twofold: to provide an opportunity to explore the content of the lecture and the weekly reading and secondly for each student, via an individual presentation to provide an analysis of their own experience in relation to workplace communication. The presentations will include the integration and application of course themes to the student¿s specific work setting. During the tutorials, students will be encouraged to engage in reflecting upon their own and others¿ experiences. Skill awareness will be developed through participation in group learning based around the presentations and discussion. The course reading and a weekly lecture will provide the theoretical underpinning to learning.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 80 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Tutorial participation (10%); Individual presentation (10%); Essay (80%). The essay component must be passed in order to pass the overall course. |
| Feedback |
Tutorial participation is a crucial element of the course experience. Students are expected to be active participants and to contribute to their own learning and that of other students.
Guidance regarding participation and details of the assessment criteria are provided within the course booklet.
Formative Assessment ¿ the tutorial presentation is the formative assignment for this course. Students will receive immediate, verbal feedback from the course tutor on the standard and content of the presentation. Brief, written feedback will be provided at the end of the course.
Guidance for the delivery of the presentations and details of the assessment criteria are provided within the course booklet.
Summative assessment - the essay is the summative assignment for this course. Students can choose to draw upon the material they used for the tutorial presentation to inform the design of their essay and are encouraged to make use of the verbal feedback received from the course tutor to develop their analysis of communication within their workplace setting. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will be able to evaluate their own interpersonal skill.
- Articulate key values underpinning contact and work with individuals.
Understand and demonstrate the basic tenets of effective communication and dialogue.
- Demonstrate familiarity with underpinning theory.
Know how to read, interpret, and analyse different types of communication.
- Demonstrate familiarity with regards to the importance of body language.
Recognise the special circumstances of working with children and older people.
- Recognise the special circumstances of working with people with disabilities and sign language.
Have awareness of the importance of responding to challenging behaviour and communication.
Understand the cross-cultural elements of communication.
|
Reading List
Indicative Bibliography:
Berne, E. (1998) Games People Play: the Psychology of Human Relations
Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Honey, P. (2001) Improve Your People Skills
Thompson, N. (2009) People Skills
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
1 lecture and 2 tutorials per week for 10 weeks |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Anna Chiumento
Tel: (0131 6)51 1785
Email: achiumento@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ewen Miller
Tel: (0131 6)50 3925
Email: Ewen.Miller@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage