There are no tricks to catch you out! This support/guidance must be used in conjunction with Mary Bell’s template from your assignment tutorial session and also the Panopto recording of the session. This can be found in the assessment folder on the module site on blackboard.

Assessment Strategy

Summative Assessment

Module Title:                                       Communication and Study Skills (Module HS3001)

Module Size:                                       20 Credits

Assessment Level:                              Level 3

Method of Assessment:                      2,000 Word Essay

Date:                                                   21^st January 2020

Assessment Format / Structure

The summative assignment will enable you to articulate your understanding of your own personal communication and study strengths; and to formulate a plan for continuing to develop the skills required to support your progression within the Healthcare Foundation Year Programme, and provide a solid basis for future study within health-related disciplines.

For your summative assessment you are expected to write a 2,000 word reflective essay about your development as a communicator within a health care context.

You are expected to demonstratehow you have met the Learning Outcomes for the module; you should draw on the topics and techniques covered in the module to illustrate how you have met the Outcomes.

You are also expected to structure your work correctly for an academic assignment paying attention to grammar and referencing using the Northumbria Harvard referencing style.

Performance Criteria

• Write a reflective essay demonstrating academic writing skills. This will include the structure, grammar and punctuation and referencing of your work. 20%

• This covers what you are going to do when you write your assignment. [This is not a separate section to write about.] The marks are allocated to how you write and present your assignment.
• So, you will need to structure your assignment with an Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion. Your reference list should start on a new page at the end of your assignment.
• You can write in the first or third person. The first person is allowed because you are writing about your personal reflection.
• You must use the Northumbria Harvard referencing style. This can be accessed via your library site or in hard copy in the library [The online version is the most up to date version. Take care with hard copies as they may not be the most up to date]. Make sure that the reference name/names and dates are correct and that your text says the same as your reference list.Make sure that you use the correct grammar, punctuation and spelling [UK not American]. This means you need to proof read
• We do not expect diagrams or pictures within your text.
• You can use a reflective model to help you structure or provide a framework for your writing such as Gibbs or Johns [you tried out one of these of you own choice in a simple exercise in the reflection lecture].
• Refer to the module reading list, PowerPoint slide references and complete a library search for journals and books to provide you with the background reading you need to complete and reference the assignment.Choose good quality sources that are academically rigourous.
• Access the study skills support available on the library site.
• Make a plan for your assignment. Check that you are going to meet all the assessment criteria.
• Reflect upon your communication skills at the present time and discuss how they have developed during the course of the module. 60%
• You can use the ‘Where am I as a Communicator’ self-evaluation questionnaires to provide you with ideas of topics /issues that you may wish to include. If you have completed more than one you will be able to see how far you have progressed [you were asked to complete one of these at the start of the course, the middle and end of the module.A copy can be found in the Tutor Guided Independent Learning folder on the module site].
• Look over the PowerPoint presentations and your notes for the module and the Tutor Guided Independent learning for a guide to relevant topics, theoryand literature.
• When you have identified the topics/issues you are going to write about through your self-reflection go to the sources that your literature search has provided you with and find some evidence/support for what you are going to write about. You can use the literature to develop and support your discussion around your personally chosen issues/topics. Remember you are writing about yourself in this assignment and your personal communication development.
• These topics/issues may include:You are not expected to cover all of these. Your word limit will not allow you to.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Listening skills [SOLER , Egan 2002; SURETY, Stickley2011]
• Responding skills
• Assertiveness
• Verbal and non-verbal communication
• Communication through academic writing/how you are developing these skills
• Professional communication
• Collaboration
• Group work/team work and communication
• Presentation skills
• Personal beliefs and values
• Being non-judgemental, stereotyping, stigmatising
• Emotional communication
• Empathy
• Miscommunication
• Tanner and Weavers model of communication
• Self-confidence
• Critical thinking
• Self-understanding and self-awareness
• Emotional intelligence
• Resilience
• Delivering and receiving feedback
• Body language
• Respect
• Professional boundaries
• Reflection [Schon, 1983; Gibbs, 1998;John’s model of structured reflection, 2000
• Ethical principles
• Writing skills. Academic writing is professional communication so this applies to your assignment. How have your academic writing skills developed? How have your information retrieval skills developed? What have you learnt?

• Discuss how you are going to further develop your communication skills for your future practice within a healthcare context. 20%.
• This section is about ‘where do you go from here?’
• You will be guided for content here by your discussion in criteria 2.
• How are you going to move forward with the development of your communication skills?
• What strategies are you going to adopt in the future to help you develop these skills? You may choose reflection and the use of a reflective model.You might keep a reflective diary.
• As you progress through the programme you may use the ‘Where am I as a Communicator’ self-evaluation questionnaire again to evaluate your progress and guide your learning.
• You may choose to follow feedback in class or from assignments.
• How will you continue to develop these skills in the future?
• Think about your own learning style and what strategies etc. would suit you.
• Do you need to think about widening your approach to learning and try new approaches?

You must also make sure that the module outcomes are reflected in what you write:

Module Learning Outcomes

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Demonstrate, understand and apply methods of effective communication skills (written, electronic, and oral presentation).

Criteria 2 covers this outcome. Include your written, oral and electronic and presentation skills. Group presentations in class are relevant here.

Answering questions, speaking up in class?

2. Explain an understanding of the purpose and structure of different types of professional communication.

You will cover this with your reflective discussion in section 2.

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:

3. Show insight into personal communication abilities.

This will be covered by discussing the outcome of your personal reflection and development of your self-awareness. Criteria 2 and 3.

4. Demonstrate an ability to identify, retrieve and re-present relevant sources of information pertinent to professional practice.

This is covered by your literature search, information retrieval, choice of what to include and exclude as supporting material for your discussion [quality of source, academic rigour].

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

1. Identify a personal framework or plan for ongoing commitment to developing academic learning and professional skills.

Criteria 3 your plan for your future development.

You do not have to refer to each out come directly, we will relate your content to them when we read your work.