Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Professional Communication Skills I
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
If you wish to arrange a tutorial with your teacher, you may arrange it after class or contact her via email.
Monica Clua - mclua@uic.es (coordinator)
Noelia Navarro - nnavarro@uic.es
Introduction
Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN) today is the overarching framework for professional nursing practices. It is a 3-pillar model that brings together 1) experience, 2) patient participation and 3) evidence from scientific research into best practices. Health science research is largely published in English, so by building on English for Nursing 1, this course focuses on exploring the evidence pillar in greater depth in English. Evidence is presented in scientific publications and in conference paper presentations, amongst other means.
The course will help students understand the structure, function and the particular language of full scientific articles in English. Students will also have the opportunity to develop their academic speaking skills through interactive tasks and an oral presentation. In this course Vitamin Supplementation will be the ongoing topic through which basic concepts of experimental research are developed.
Students who complete this course successfully will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to bring evidence from research into professional conversations, and therefore be agents of critical thinking and positive change.
Pre-course requirements
No English language proficiency level is stipulated for this course
The Department of Nursing in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has agreed that it is compulsory for all students taking a Bachelor's degree in Nursing, when participating in online classes, to turn on their camera and remain visible to lecturers and professors at all times.
If there are students in self-isolation due to the COVID-19 health and safety measures, who cannot physically attend class at the University like their peers, teaching staff will carry out online teaching during this isolation period only so that the student(s) in question can attend their classes online. The rest of the students will have to attend their classes in person in the classroom.
Objectives
The overarching aims are to equip the emerging nursing professional with:
- Research and related linguistic knowledge to access the scientific literature
- The communication skills to proactively participate in their professional community of practice.
- Knowledge of vitamins, vitamin supplementation and research related to vitamin supplementation.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 21. B - Oral and written communication.
- 22. G - Use and management of information and research
- 23. B - Ability to analyze and synthesize.
- 24. G - Ability to work autonomously.
- 25. E - Knowledge of the field of study
- 29. B - Know the scientific terminology in another language (English).
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Discern important information from less important
- Categorize and organize information
- Describe aspects of a vitamin
- Explain a biological process (the metabolic process of a vitamin)
- Find relevant research through research portals
- Describe features of RCT
- Explain the rationale of RCT features
- Present a scientific article orally in English
- Integrate and synthesize scientific information
- Describe how the information from the article can be applied to nursing practices
- Pronounce key terms correctly
Syllabus
Course Program: Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8-9:50h
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TUESDAYS |
THURSDAY |
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Sept 7 General Course Orientation ‘Nutroceuticals’ and Evidence-based practices. Class-generated glossary of expressions for collaborative work |
Sept 9 Introduction to Vitamin D and its metabolic processes |
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Sept 14 Exploring other vitamin supplementation related to human health - group work |
Sept 16 Non-experimental research into vitamin D and other nutrient supplements in healthcare |
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Tuesday, Sept 21: 8-9:50h Does correlation equal causation? Introduction to clinical trial design. |
Thursday, Sept 23: 8-9:50h Class article on vitamin D and Parkinson’s disease - a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Group work - Assignment of RCT on vitamin supplementation |
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Sept 28: Examining the structure of a full article |
Sept 30 Exploring the features of an RCT |
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Oct 5 Analysing the structure of the introduction section of an RCT article. |
Oct 7 Analysing the composition of the methods section of an RCT article. Introduction to the CONSORT checklist |
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Oct 12: Holiday |
Oct 14 Analysing the composition of the methods section of an RCT article |
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Oct 19 Analysing the composition of the results section of an RCT article |
Oct 21 Analysing the composition of the discussion section of an RCT article |
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Oct 26 Presentation skills and rehearsal |
Oct 28 Oral Presentation of group articles |
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The classes are designed to maximise student participation in which small group work is a fundamental aspect of each session. The teacher in these sessions will ‘walk’ the students through texts and activities and then provide a self-directed learning space for students to complete the research-related tasks in English.
Through engaging in these tasks students integrate research and related language knowledge. Authentic (unmodified to simplify language) material is used to develop the four main linguistic skills (reading, writing, listening comprehension, and oral communication) in the area of nursing research. The tasks are designed around the materials (published research) to produce relevant, meaningful and authentic professional interaction in the students.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
|
Activity |
% final grade |
Competencies |
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Final exam
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35%
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29. B - Know the scientific terminology in another language (English). 24. G - Ability to work autonomously. 25. E - Knowledge of the field of study
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|
Coursework:
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25%
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21. B - Oral and written communication 25. E - Knowledge of the field of study 24. G - Ability to work autonomously 29. B - Know the scientific terminology in another language (English).
|
|
Group project:
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40%
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21. B - Oral and written communication. 22. G - Use and management of information and research 23. B - Ability to analyze and synthesize. 24. G - Ability to work autonomously. 25. E - Knowledge of the field of study 29. B - Know the scientific terminology in another language (English).
|
Passing grade
The passing grade for the course is an overall score of 5 (50%)
It is not mandatory to pass the exam to pass the course, but you cannot pass the course by only passing the exam!
Online quizzes
Online quizzes have open and closing dates. If you fail to complete the quiz within the assigned time, you may participate in class discussions but you will not have access to the quiz.
There will be many online and in class task. We will include the best 80% in your evaluation. For instance if you have completed 10 tasks, we will take the best 8 to include in your continuous evaluation assessment.
Second sitting
The second sitting will consist of an examination, which may include a written component and / or an oral presentation. The grade will replace up to 50% of the course grade, however only for components with the same competencies (ie. a reading cannot replace an oral presentation grade)
Students who failed the course must contact the teacher at least a month before the second sitting exam date to make arrangements for other tasks or preparation for which they may be responsible.
Bibliography and resources
- Professional Communication Skills 1 Student dossier 2021-22 (Dept. Applied Linguistics)
- Published research articles on vitamin supplementation.
- CONSORT statement
- Internet for online searches and access to collaborative work spaces.
Evaluation period
- E1 18/11/2021 08:00h
- R1 10/12/2021 10:00h
- E2 23/06/2022 08:00h
- R2 04/07/2022 10:00h