ECM1419 - Interpersonal and Foundation Skills (2023)

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MODULE TITLEInterpersonal and Foundation Skills CREDIT VALUE15
MODULE CODEECM1419 MODULE CONVENER Victoria Thomas (Coordinator)
DURATION: TERM 1 2 3
DURATION: WEEKS 11 0 0
Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) 15
DESCRIPTION - summary of the module content

***DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS ONLY ***

In this module you will develop your interpersonal and foundation skills, which are the `transferable` skills, knowledge and understanding that all professional employees require to be productive and effective in the workplace.  These skills include:

  • Communication: Digital and Technology Solutions professionals work closely with colleagues in a variety of different organisational roles and their effectiveness is partially dependent on their ability to communicate well.
  • Leadership and collaboration: Digital and Technology Solutions professionals need to be effective collaborators and inspiring leaders.
  • Negotiation: Digital and Technology Solutions professionals require strong negotiation skills.
  • Analytical and critical thinking, including creativity: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills are a foundation for many activities that Digital and Technology Solutions professionals undertake.
  • Mathematical foundations: Digital and Technology Solutions professionals require a solid foundation in mathematics. These needs will vary depending on your chosen specialty.
AIMS - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to ensure that you can demonstrate the following competences:

  • Communication
  • Leadership and collaboration
  • Negotiation
  • Analytical and critical thinking, including creativity
  • Use of mathematics
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Fluent in written communications, with the ability to articulate complex issues, taking into account the reader’s viewpoint and have demonstrated competence in this.

2. Able to make concise, engaging and well-structured verbal presentations, arguments and explanations of varying lengths by using various methods, with and without the use of media, taking into account the audience viewpoint at all times.

3. Use a range of virtual collaboration tools (such as wikis, blogs, shared collaboration spaces, etc.)

4. Understand how to gain insight into the preferences, motivations, strengths and limitations of other people, from a variety of diverse backgrounds and demonstrate how they use these insights to work more effectively with and to motivate others in group situations.

5. Competent in active listening and in leading, influencing and persuading others, understanding the implications of defensive behaviour and personal strategies to overcome it, demonstrating knowledge of appropriate techniques and the ability to use them effectively in realistic situations.

6. Able to give and receive feedback constructively, demonstrating how they incorporate it into their own development and life-long learning.

7. Work effectively in diverse teams

8. Able to put forward, demonstrate value and gain commitment to a moderately complex technology-oriented solution, demonstrating understanding of business need, using open questions and summarising skills and basic negotiating skills.

9. Negotiate with managers about priorities, resources, estimates of time etc.

10. Negotiate with providers about service levels, quality and performance of deliverables

11. Facilitate negotiations between competing internal interests

12. Creative, self-motivated and self-aware and able to reflect on successes and failures in ways that strengthen their positive attitude and develop their self-reliance through an understanding of their own personal preferences, styles, strengths and weaknesses.

13. Solve complex problems using structured problem solving techniques

14. Able to investigate the context of complex problems using a variety of resources (professional, academic, crowd-sourced).

15. Use quantitative analysis techniques appropriately and effectively

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

16. Statistics and probability.

17. Algorithmic thinking

18. Discrete mathematics.

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and  Knowledge:

19. Organise your own work

20. Work to a deadline

21. Make decisions

22. Conduct independent research

 

SYLLABUS PLAN - summary of the structure and academic content of the module

Communication (2 weeks)

•          Written communications

•          Oral presentations; use of media

•          Adapting delivery to suit your audience

•          Interviewing; active listening; using open questions; summarising

•          Virtual collaboration tools (wikis, blogs, shared collaboration spaces, etc.)

 

Leadership and collaboration (2 weeks)

•          Working effectively in diverse teams

•          Understanding others’ preferences, motivations, strengths and limitations

           o          Using insights to work effectively with and motivate others

•          Giving, receiving and acting on feedback

•          Leading, influencing and persuading others

           o          Persuasion skills

           o          Making a case for an IT solution

           o          Defensive behaviour and strategies to overcome it

•          Role-plays in realistic situations

•          Negotiation

           o          Basic negotiating skills

                       - Negotiating with managers and providers

           o          Facilitating negotiations

 

Analytical thinking, critical thinking and creativity (2 weeks)

•          Personal attributes

           o          Self-awareness

                       - Understanding own personal preferences, styles, strengths and weaknesses

                       - Reflecting on successes and failures

           o          Self-motivation; positive attitude and self-reliance

           o          Critical thinking

           o          Being creative

•          Using analytical thinking to address complex problems

           o          Using structured techniques

           o          Investigating problem context using a variety of resources (professional, academic, crowdsourced)

           o          Computational and abstract thinking

 

Mathematics (5 weeks)

•          Revision of elementary maths concepts

•          Elementary statistics and probability

•          Logic; algorithmic thinking

•          Sets and matrices

•          Algebra and linear equations; graphs

•          Using quantitative analysis techniques appropriately and effectively

LEARNING AND TEACHING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities 22.00 Guided Independent Study 128.00 Placement / Study Abroad 0.00
DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Category Hours of study time Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 18 Online learning activity, including virtual workshops, synchronous and asynchronous virtual lectures and other e-learning.
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 2 Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 2 Group workshops
Guided independent study 128 Coursework, exam preparation and self-study

 

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade
Form of Assessment Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
Contribution to class discussion N/A 1-22 Verbal
       
       
       
       

 

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)
Coursework 50 Written Exams 50 Practical Exams 0
DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Form of Assessment % of Credit Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
Business Report Assignement 50 3000 words 1-14, 19-22 Written
Written exam 50 1.5 hours - Summer Exam Period 15-21 Written
         
         
         

 

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)
Original Form of Assessment Form of Re-assessment ILOs Re-assessed Time Scale for Re-assessment
Business Report Assignment (50%) Essay Assignment (3000 words) 1-14, 19-22 Completed over summer with a deadline in August
Written exam (50%) Written exam (1.5 hours) 15-21 August assessment period
       

 

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

RESOURCES
INDICATIVE LEARNING RESOURCES - The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

 

Reading list for this module:

Type Author Title Edition Publisher Year ISBN Search
Set Thomas, P, Paul, D. Cadle, J. The Human Touch: Personal Skills for Professional Success 1st BCS 2012 9781906124915 [Library]
CREDIT VALUE 15 ECTS VALUE 7.5
PRE-REQUISITE MODULES None
CO-REQUISITE MODULES None
NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) 4 AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING No
ORIGIN DATE Tuesday 10 July 2018 LAST REVISION DATE Wednesday 08 February 2023
KEY WORDS SEARCH Interpersonal, foundation, skills