| Unit name | Language and discourse: teaching effective communication |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MEEDM0023 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Ms. Tricia Thorpe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of the TLHP Certificate or equivalent from another institution. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Good communication is at the heart of professional relationships in education and health settings. Research demonstrates the importance of good communication skills in providing effective health care and also highlights the need for the explicit teaching of these skills in the health professions.
Drawing on the research bases of medical education and linguistics, the unit will help the you improve your own communication skills and your knowledge of language in order to develop your ability to teach effective communication in the health professions. The unit will also highlight research in this multi-disciplinary area and will offer you an introduction to the use and practical application of language analysis in research.
This unit will appeal to participants with an interest in language, communicating to a range of audiences (including patients and fellow professionals) and in the teaching of and research relating to communication skills.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit contributes to the TLHP programme's overarching objectives to:
In addition, the unit has links to Research Methods in its introduction to language analysis used in research.
Your learning on this unit
You will review literature relating to communications in the health professions and how to develop these skills in learners. This will be
supported by a closer look at technical, linguistic elements of communications. You will have a choice of assignments one of which entails devising a communications teaching session based on your learning from the unit. You may, however, choose your own assignment topic and style to meet the ILOs.
An overview of content
Starting from thinking about your own linguistic background and influences, you will look at speech and written texts including choice of words, turntaking in conversations, written versus spoken communication covering e.g.emails, letters and phone consultations. You will engage in analysis of conversations, official written documents and your own use of jargon and acronyms as well as the role of language and visual images in the hidden curriculum.
You will also be introduced to the analysis of social interactions, focusing on their linguistic element and, in particular, how language use by professionals might reveal power inequities often revealing hidden determinants of social relations, as well as hidden effects they may have upon that system. You will also be introduced to the analysis of social interactions, focusing on their linguistic elements and, in particular, how language use by professionals might reveal power inequities or other hidden determinants of
social relations, as well as hidden effects upon that system.
How students' will be different as a result of the unit
Building on your awareness of planning teaching, you will attain new insights into how language affects relations between NHS staff, between patients and healthcare professionals and between educators and learners. These new insights will help you both to devise appropriate communications teaching sessions and to enhance your own communication skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
Teaching and learning will be consistent with current best pracice in education and will include pre-day 1 preparation, interactive tasks and discussions, group work, presenting and formative peer feedback as well as teacher and resource-led learning, including use of asynchronous on-line resources.
Between study days you will observe linguistic elements of your workplace to report back on day 2 as well as completing associated reading and starting to think about your choice of assignment.
Formative assessment will include:
Peer and tutor feedback on individual, written and oral in-class tasks. These tasks will help to prepare you for skills and the level of analysis required in your summative assignment.
Summative assignment:
3000 - 3500 words (or equivalent) written assignment. Choose one of:
When assessment does not go to plan:
In the event of your assignment not achieving a pass at first submission, you may be given the opportunity to resubmit depending on previous unit results. In the event of a resubmission, you will be offered a one to one tutorial to support you and ensure that you understand what you need to do in order to meet the criteria with your resubmission.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MEEDM0023).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
