COMM 2: Communication Skills 2

COURSE GUIDE

COURSE GOAL
COMM 2: Communication Skills 2 aims to develop the students’ skills in academic reading
and writing in English, particularly in the preparation of the documented report, critical essay,
and the research proposal.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

1) Differentiate the three types of academic discourse;

2) Select, use, and cite sources of information for particular types of academic writing
appropriately and responsibly; and
3) Write a documented report, critical analysis, and research proposal.

COURSE OUTLINE
The course covers the following topics:

Introduction: What is Academic Writing?

Unit 1. The Report

Module 1. Selecting Your Sources
Module 2. Recording Information
Module 3. Writing the Report

Unit 2. The Critical Essay

Module 4. Developing a Critical Stance
Module 5. Writing the Critical Essay

Unit 3. The Concept Paper

Module 6. An Introduction to the Concept Paper
Module 7. Conceptual Frameworks

COURSE MATERIALS
The main text for this course are the Communication Skills II modules written by Dr. Patricia B.
Arinto, supplemented by selected readings and resources. All materials will be made available
on the course site.

In addition to these, you may also visit the following websites to further your learning:
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Advice on
Academic Writing - http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice
STUDY SCHEDULE
Week Topic Activities

Week 1 Class introductions

∙ Introduce yourself in the introductions forum and
meet your classmates.

Week 2 What is
Academic ∙ Watch the video and read the resource on
Writing? academic writing.

Module 1. ∙ Read Module 1.

Selecting Your
Sources ∙ Post your answer to Exercise 1: Selecting,
Evaluating, and Annotating Sources.

Week 3 Module 2.
∙ Read Module 2 and the given resource.
Recording
Information ∙ Post your answer to “Exercise 2: Summarizing and
Paraphrasing.”

Week 4 Module 3. Writing

the Report ∙ Read Module 3.

∙ Work on Tutor-Marked Assignment (TMA) 1.

∙ Submit TMA 1.

Week 5 Module 4.
∙ Read Module 4 and the given resource.
Developing a
Critical Stance ∙ Post your answer to Exercise 3: Developing a
Critical Stance.

Week 6 Module 5. Writing

the Critical Essay ∙ Read Module 5.

∙ Work on TMA 2.

∙ Submit TMA 2.

Weeks 7-8 Module 6. An

∙ Read Module 6 and the given resource.
Introduction to
the Concept
∙ Post your answer to Exercise 4: Clarifying
Paper
Concepts.

Weeks 9-10 Module 7.

∙ Read Module 7 and the given resource.
Conceptual
 Frameworks
∙ Join the discussion forum.

Break
∙ Rest and recharge.

∙ Enjoy your time with family and loved ones.

Week 11-12 Module 7

∙ Continue reading Module 7 (research
(continuation)
proposal). ∙ Join the discussion forum.

∙ Work on Assignment 3.

∙ Submit TMA 3.

∙ Take the final exam.

NOTE: In case there will be changes in our schedules over the semester, I will post
immediately in the ANNOUNCEMENT board. Please make sure to always check.
2
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

Requirement Weight
Writing exercises and forums 20%
Tutor-Marked Assignments (3) 60%
Final examination 20%
100%

The grade in percent will be converted to the UP grading scale with the following
equivalents:

Percent UP Grade
97-100 1.0
93-96 1.25
89-92 1.5
85-88 1.75
81-84 2.0
76-80 2.25
71-75 2.5
66-70 2.75
60-65 3.0
50-59 EXT*
< 50 5.0
EXT (“Extended”) is the UPOU equivalent for “incomplete,” and is given when a student is
able to satisfactorily complete at least 50% of course requirements by the end of the term. To
clear the EXT and get a numerical grade, the student has to complete all requirements within
one year and apply for completion on the student portal.

Overview of requirements:
1. Writing exercises and forums. Since this is a writing course, we will be doing exercises to
hone your skills. Your tutor will monitor your work and provide needed feedback.

2. Tutor-Marked Assignments. These are three major assignments that will demonstrate your
grasp of the modules and how well you are able to apply what you have learned. You will be
writing a report for TMA 1; a critical essay for TMA 2; and a research proposal for TMA 3.
Assignment guides are provided for each of the assignments.

Submit your assignment on or before the deadline in the designated submission bins.
You should submit your assignments as a Word file, using the following naming
convention: COMM2 TMA<No.> <Surname Initials of first name> (e.g. COMM2
TMA1 Barcelona ALM)

3. Final examination. This will be a timed exam administered via our course site on MyPortal.
While it is scheduled on the 7th, per the university calendar, the exam will be available from
(TBA) and will be extended to accommodate those who are not able to take the exam on the
due to work or other important and urgent engagements.

COURSE ROLES
COMM 2 is a very large class, so there are three roles in this course: the Student, the Tutors,
and the Faculty-in-Charge (FIC). Since many of you are new to distance learning, I will
underscore certain points here that you need to understand to make the most of your
experience.

Student. Your role as a student is to study the materials and complete the activities and
assignments according to the given guidelines and deadlines.

Take note that distance learning in UPOU is different from the remote learning now being
conducted by “regular” colleges and universities, where much of the instruction is still delivered
by the professors via video conferencing. In UPOU, the course content is delivered via the
resources provided on the course site; as an independent learner, you are expected to study and
understand these materials on your own, complete the activities on your own, and submit
the materials on your own.

Yes, in many ways, it is more challenging than the traditional setup where the student just sits
there and listens to the professor. Because here, you are actually in the position of both teacher
and student—you need to learn the material so you can “teach” it to yourself. This
can be quite challenging, especially for courses or topics that are unfamiliar; but once you are
able to do this, it will also open up your mind and your horizons to the vast expanse of what you
can learn outside the confines of classroom walls. So think of how you learn most effectively,
and find ways on how you can harness that for your studies now.

Tutor. The tutor’s role is to help you through the course. They will engage with you on the
forums, review and mark your exercises and assignments, and provide feedback to help you
improve your skills.

For this term, I will be working with one tutor, who will be assigned to oversee a few sections.
The rest will be under my supervision. Our class is divided into six sections, now named as
Sections A to F.

Faculty-in-charge (FIC). In smaller classes, the FIC is the one in charge of designing the
course, preparing the course site, monitoring the students’ progress and participation,
marking activities and assignments, and submitting the final grades.

As this is a writing course with over 100 students, however, the monitoring, marking, and
feedback will be done by the assigned tutor, so she can provide closer supervision to the
students. The FIC, meanwhile, will be closely working with the tutor as she guides you
through the course.

The course FIC is Assistant Prof. Anna Liza M. Barcelona from the UPOU Faculty of
Education.

I understand the importance of the FIC’s presence on the course site in a distance learning setup.
This time, however, as the class I am handling is very large, I may not be able to engage with all
of you individually on day-today class activities, however much I would want to do so.

That said, I will be closely monitoring the course, and will be joining the forums from time to
time. If you have concerns that other class members may also have, you can reach me via the
FIC’s Desk on the course site. For individual concerns, you may message me on MyPortal. In
cases when MyPortal is down, or you need to submit attachments, you may reach me via
email through [email protected]

HOUSE RULES
1. Study the course guide and follow the course pacing and deadlines.

2. Log into MyPortal regularly (at least twice a week) and watch out for announcements both on
MyPortal and in your email (including your spam folder). There may be new readings,
activities, or events posted as the course progresses.

3. Do all the exercises and assignments yourself, observing scholarly ethics. Reference all
 ideas from other sources. Keep in mind that plagiarism is a serious offense and can be
grounds for the suspension and expulsion of students.

4. Follow academic conventions and proper netiquette in all posts and forum discussions.
Write clearly, cite all sources that you use for your responses, and always be courteous
and respectful.

5. Be mindful of your privacy, and do not share private or sensitive information on the forums.
Do not share any materials or information intended for the class, or your section, outside of
it.

6. Keep to the stated deadlines. Since you are enrolled in this course, you are expected to have
the time, focus, and commitment to work on, and satisfactorily complete, all course
requirements.

7. Do your best. COMM 2 is a very important course, as it develops skills needed for higher
learning and professional life. Maximize your experience by learning as much as you can
and doing your best in all exercises, discussions, and assignments.