SP1203 Foundation in effective communication
/ CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009

SP1203 Foundation in Effective Communication

Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 1
10/8-14/8
Lecture
(Tues11/8
4-6 pm in LT20) / Introduction to the module: (i) an overview of course structure (ii) the role of language and written communication in Pharmacy /
  • Lecture

Week 1
10/8-14/8
Tutorial 1 / Patient education through written communication: A ‘Dear Consumer’ letter from the HSA (DCL).250 to 300-word practice assignment. /
  • Definition of the role of pharmacists
  • Examination of the roles ofthe HSA and the HPB
  • Examination of the format and function of health advisories in the form of letters to the consumer
  • Rhetorical focus:
  • the role of background details;
  • description;
  • explanation;
  • definition
/
  • Identify two possible issues for ‘Dear Consumer’ letter and discuss their feasibility
  • Complete short exercises on rhetorical skills in tutorial worksheet

Week 2
17/8-21/8
Lecture
(Tues18/8
4-6pm in LT20) / An overview of health promotion issues of relevance to pharmacists in Singapore / Guest lecture by content specialist Mr. Lam Pin Woon, CEO of the Health Promotion Board /
  • Do further background reading and identify two potential issues for related writing tasks in the following weeks

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 2
17/8-21/8
Tutorial 1 / Patient education through written communication: Review of ‘Dear Consumer’ letter(DCL). /
  • Language Focus: Clarity in writing
  • Grammatical Accuracy
  • sentence focus – key points
  • Recurrent grammatical slips revisited
  • Avoiding colloquialism
  • Avoiding Singlish in written English
/
  • Bring ‘Dear Consumer’ letterdrafts for tutorial session

Week 3
24/8-28/8
Lecture
(Tues 25/8
4-6pm in LT 20) / ‘Doping in sport’
Followed by:
Patient education through written communication: Pamphlet on a health promotion issue(PHPI). /
  • Guest lecture by content specialist Dr. Patrick Goh, sports physician responsible for doping matters at the Asian Youth Games
  • Guidelines for Assignment 1
  • Language focus: Concise writing
  • Sentence structures
  • Specific vs vague vocabulary
  • Redundant phrases
  • Cohesion between sentences
/
  • ReadFoddy & Savulescu’s ‘Ethics of performance enhancement in sport: Drugs and gene doping’ before lecture.
  • Students to complete short exercises on concise and plain language in tutorial handouts

Week 3
24/8-28/8
Tutorial 1 / Patient education through written communication: Pamphlet on a health promotion issue(PHPI). 1000 words. /
  • Format and function of pamphlets
  • Analysing sample pamphlets
  • Rhetorical focus:
  • description and definition of a problematic situation; explanation of a problematic situation
  • evaluation of a problematic situation
  • stating facts and opinions
  • language of advice and instruction
/
  • Outline individual pamphlets

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 4
31/8-4/9 Tutorial 1 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) 1500-2000 words /
  • Using sources: Rhetorical functions

Week 4
31/8-4/9Tutorial 2 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) 1500-2000 words /
  • Using quantitative data effectively in argumentation
/
  • Submit first draft of PHPI(Hard copies for tutors - Tutorial 2)

Week 5
7/9-11/9
Tutorial 1 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) 1500-2000 words
Focus: Introduction /
  • Format and function of AALP
  • Analysing sample AALPs
  • Rhetorical focus (Introduction):
  • the role of background details
  • problematising an issue
  • framing position statements
/
  • Identify an AALP topic
  • Think about hypothesis and title for AALP

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 5
7/9-11/9 Tutorial 2 / Patient education through written communication: Pamphlet on a Health Promotion Issue (PHPI) /
  • Conferencing on (PHPI)
/
  • Students to submit (PHPI)(final draft) by end of week 6
  • Propose a topic and hypothesis
  • Formulate title to AALP
  • Develop a draft introductory paragraph

Week 6
14/9-18/9
Lecture
(Tues 15/9
4-6pm in LT20) / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP)
Focus: Evaluative Language /
  • Guidelines for Assignment 2
  • Language focus:
  • Cohesion and coherence between paragraphs
  • Assertive and tentative expressions (hedging) expressions of judgment and evaluation

Week 6
14/9-18/9
Tutorial 1 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP)
Focus: Body paragraphs and conclusion /
  • Rhetorical focus (Body paragraph): substantiating an argument through
  • positive evidence
  • negative evidence (conflict resolution);
  • explanation
  • examples
  • case study
  • reinforcing arguments through supporting statements
  • Conclusion
/
  • Submission of PHPI
  • Soft copy through Turnitin
  • Hard copies for tutors
  • Bring an introductory paragraph for class discussion
  • Submit draft 1 of AALP by 23/9/08(Wednesday)

RECESS WEEK 21/9/09 to 25/9/09

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 7
28/9-2/10 Tutorial 1 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster (PoP) /
  • Principles of survey design
/
  • Students work in pairs or groups of three to identify PoP topic
  • Develop first five questions of survey based on principles learnt (survey -10 questions) in Tutorial 1

Week 7
28/9-2/10 Tutorial 2 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) /
  • Conferencing on draft 1 of AALP
/
  • Prepare three questions/ areas of improvement on draft 1 and bring them for conferencing
  • Students to develop survey and administer survey

Week 8
5/10-9/10
Tutorial 1 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) /
  • Conferencing on draft 1 of AALP
  • Note: There are 2 tutorials and a lecture in Week 8
/
  • Students to develop survey and administer survey

Week 8
5/10-9/10
Lecture (Tues 6/10
4-6pm in LT20) / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • The Poster
  • Note: There are 2 tutorials and a lecture in Week 8
/
  • Students to develop survey and administer survey

Week 8
5/10-9/10
Tutorial 2 / Discussing a controversial issue through writing an Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) /
  • Format and function of PoPs
  • Analysing sample PoPs (emphasis on text)
  • Visual and textual communication: typography, layout and style
  • Note: There are 2 tutorials and a lecture in Week 8
/
  • Survey results ready to use
  • Submit final draft of AALP
  • Soft copy through Turnitin
  • Hard copies for tutors

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 9
12/10-16/10
Lecture
(Tues 13/10
4-6pm in LT20) / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • LECTURE: ‘Effective Strategies in Oral communication’

Week 9
12/10-16/10
Tutorial 1 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • Peer review of draft posters
/
  • Bring an A3 colour-printed poster for peer review

Week 10
19/10-23/10
Tutorial 1 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • Oral presentation practice
  • Developing outlines for oral presentation
  • Anticipating audience’s initial questions
  • Anticipating audience bias
  • Asking relevant questions
  • Handling tough questions
/
  • Students prepare two question each to ask PoP presenters
  • Selected groups prepare for practice session

Week 10
19/10-23/10
Tutorial 2 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • Further presentation practice (if required)
  • Outline of how to construct abstracts
  • Review of summaries
  • Overview of a conference to which students might make submission of abstracts for their posters, i.e. the 10th World Congress of Bioethics (Singapore 28-31 July 2010; deadline for submissions: 1 Dec 2009)
/
  • Student groups prepare 300-word summaries of their posters for review in class

SP1203 Foundation in effective communication / CELC –Department of Pharmacy 2009sem1
Time / Title / Brief Content / Related assignment/ preparation
Week 11
26/10-30/10
Tutorial 1 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • Presentation of Posters (in-class presentation – 3 groups)
/
  • Students prepare two questions each to ask PoP presenters

Week 11
26/10-30/10
Tutorial 2 / Disseminating information on pharmaceutical issues through a Poster Presentation (PoP) /
  • Presentation of Posters (in-class presentation - 2 groups)
/
  • Students prepare two questions each to ask PoP presenters

Week 12
2/11-6/11
Presentation / Mass Poster Presentation (Tuesday 3rd Nov 2009, 4-6pm) / 2 best posters from each group will be displayed for judging /
  • Review notes on aspects of language

Week 12
2/11-6/11
Tutorial 1 / Revision /
  • Revision of argumentative writing
  • Aspects of formal written language (worksheet)
  • Argumentative writing – a short exercise

Resources and references

  1. The Craft of Scientific Writing by Michael Alley
  2. The Craft of Scientific Presentation by Michael Alley
  3. Writing in the Sciences by Ann Penrose and Steven Katz
  4. The Plain English Guide by Matin Cutts
  5. Ten Elements of Style by William Strang
  6. Pharmacy Times
  7. Foddy, B. & Savulescu, J. (2007). Ethics of performance enhancement in sport: Drugs and gene doping. In R.E. Ashcroft, A. Dawson, H. Draper & J. R. McMillan (Eds.),Principles of Health Care Ethics (2nd ed., pp. 511-519). Chichester: Wiley.

Assignment 1 Pamphlet on a Health Promotion Issue (PHPI) / 20% /
60%
Assignment 2 Argumentative Article for the Lay Press (AALP) / 40%
Assignment 3a Poster / 15%
Assignment 3b Poster Presentation / 15%
Class participation / 10%

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