This document provides an overview of the content that will be covered in a communications course at the University of Alberta. It discusses why communication skills are important for students' careers, citing surveys of employers. The course will help students improve their listening, writing, oral, and visual communication abilities. It will cover principles of communication and how culture, language and other factors influence communication. The document outlines the course structure, assignments, tests, grading breakdown and important due dates.

1. Why do I need a
communications
course?
Lecture 1
University of Alberta
ALES 204
1

2. Lecture Outline
1. Introduction
2. Why do you need a communications course?
3. All about ALES 204
2

3. Who am I?
3

4. +
( + + )
4

5. 2. Why do you need a communications course?
5

6. Top 5 qualities
sought by employers
(Source: 2006 survey by US National Association of Colleges and Employers) 6

7. Top criteria for selecting employees
(Source: Graduate Outlook 2007, Graduate Careers Australia)
7

8. What are good communication skills
according to employers?
Listening effectively
Communicating accurately and concisely
Effective oral communication
Communicating pleasantly and professionally
Effective written communication
Asking good questions
Communicating appropriately and professionally using social media
(Source: Crawford et al. 2011)
8

9. Most important abilities students are
NOT learning
“[We need] more practice with public speaking”
- Student
(Source: Crawford et al. 2011)
9

10. Most important abilities students are
NOT learning
“ Writing and communication skills of students in my senior
course are often lower than I would expect”
- Faculty
(Source: Crawford et al. 2011)
10

11. Most important abilities students are
NOT learning
“ Communication skills are lacking more in today’s graduates”
- Faculty
(Source: Crawford et al. 2011)
11

12. Most important abilities students are
NOT learning
“There is a need to communicate findings to people who do not
know anything about what you’re doing.”
- Employer
(Source: Crawford et al. 2011)
12

13. What does this mean for you?
13

14. Agricultural Inspector
14

15. Agricultural
Inspector
1. Reading text
2. Writing
3. Oral communication
(Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada)
15

16. Forestry Professional
16

17. Forestry
Professional
1. Document Use
2. Oral Communication
3. Critical Thinking
(Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada)
17

18. Veterinarian
18

19. Veterinarian
1. Numeracy
2. Oral Communication
3. Critical Thinking
(Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada)
19

20. 3. About ALES 204
20

21. Where we are going
21

22. Course Map
Analyze a communicative situation
Plan an approach
Identify strengths and weakness of your approach
Context Rhetorical Purpose Channel
Interpersonal Informative Oral
Small Groups Persuasive Written
Public
Mass Communication Visual
Online
Define communication and understand a model of communication
Describe the role that culture, hierarchy, perception, language, non-verbal behaviour, and
generation play in communication
22

23. Course calendar
23

24. Calendar
You can add the calendar to your Google calendar
Calendar e-mail address is:
ualberta.ca_a29f62e8hblli17lgqpcljj15k@group.calendar.google.com
24

25. Lectures
25

26. Lectures
26

27. Labs
27

28. Labs
28

29. Lab instructors
Monday - Pamela Bentley
Tuesday - Erin Dul
Wednesday - Nancy Bray
Thursday - Bibaswan Ghoshal
29

30. Readings
Communications Works (11th
edition) by Gamble & Gamble
Other readings available on
eClass
30

31. eClass
31

32. Grade Breakdown
Assignment #1 - E-mail cover letter and
20%
résumé
Assignment #2 - Informative Writing 20%
Assignment #3 - Persuasive Speech 20%
Mid-term test 10%
Final test 15%
Lab Participation 10%
Lecture Participation 5% 32

33. Assignment #1 - 20%
Write an e-mail cover letter to an employer
Write a professional résumé to go with e-mail
33

34. Assignment #2 - 20%
Write a fact sheet
An 8.5x11 document to explain a technical matter to a non-expert
Design your document for readability
Include a visual element
Must complete a due process worksheet, peer feedback
Write a business letter offering your fact sheet to a professional
34

35. Assignment #3 - 20 %
5-minute persuasive speech
Persuade someone to change their opinion or to act on something
Presentation aids
Must complete a due process worksheet, peer feedback
Write a business e-mail to your boss outlining your oral
communication experience and training needs
35

36. Mid-term Test - 10%
30 multiple choice questions
Will cover material in the lectures, the labs, and in the readings
36

37. Final Test - 15%
Long answer questions
Will cover material in the lectures, the labs, and in the readings
37

38. Participation - 5% and 10%
Lectures - 5% Labs - 10%
38

39. Participation
What to do! What not to do!
39

40. Important Due Dates
Assignment #1 - Cover letter and résumé Sunday, January 27
Assignment #2 - Informative Writing Sunday, March 3
Assignment #3 - Persuasive Speech Begin March 18 in labs
Mid-term test Wednesday, February 27 at 11 am
Final test Friday, April 12 at 11 am
40

41. Important Course Policies
Late arrival to lecture - liberty seats!
Plagiarism
Late assignments = minus 10% per day, zero after 3 days
Make-up tests = must sign statutory declaration of illness
41

42. For next class
Read Course Guidebook
(eClass)
Read Chapter 1 in textbook
42

43. Why this image?
Can you figure out what this image has to
do with communication?
43

44. Photo Credits
Slide 1 - The Tower of Babel by Peter Bruegel the Elder. From Wikicommons
Slide 2 - South Park figure from http://www.sp-studio.de/
Slide 3 - Conversation by Ame Otako from flickr
Slide 6 - Ag Inspector by agriculturede from flickr
Slide 7 - Ag Inspector by CIMMYT from flickr
Slide 8 - Forester by WI Dept of Natural Resources from flickr
Slide 9 - Forestry by the poss from flickr
Slide 10 - Vet by Army Medicine from flickr
Slide 11 - Vet by scott* from flickr
Slide 18 - Lecture by uniinnsbruck from flickr
Slide 19 - Lecture hall by sholeh!! from flickr
Slide 20 - Classroom by Lynn Dombrowski from flickr
Slide 21 - Students studying from UBC Library from flickr
Slide 27 - Student studying in grass from UBC Library from flickr
Slide 28 - The Tower of Babel by Peter Bruegel the Elder. From Wikicommons
44