UCU 3102: COMMUNICATION SKILLS (45 LH)

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

To enable the learner to communicate effectively.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course the learner should be able to:

Efficiently speak
Efficiently write
Efficiently listen
Do information sourcing
Use both verbal and nonverbal communication strategies.

COURSE CONTENT

Communication Theory: Definition and functions of communication. Types of Communication. Interpersonal communication, Intra-personal communication, public communication (group presentations), verbal amd non-verbal communication. Office Communication: memos, minutes, curriculum vitae. Information. Communication process and barriers. Listening Skills: Hearing, listening, and note taking. Effective listening techniques. ,How to follow lectures and instructions Not-taking. IT tool for communication..Presentation skills. Study Skills: Planning and organizing academic activities; Time management; study groups for cooperative learning; Study habits and study aids. . Preparing and taking examinations. Mind maps.;

Reading Skills: Reading concept, SQ3R for selecting relevant sources for reading. Styles of reading- skimming, scanning, intensive and critical thinking. Note making, reflex reading, Trans-coding and interpreting diagrams, tables and graphs; note making., Topic sentence in extracting main ideas from a text. Writing skills: Topic analysis. Preparing a plan for a write up; Academic argumentation in academic essays;, paragraph development. ., In-text referencing styles. Compiling a bibliography and list of references. Library skills: Define Library, Types of libraries. Use of IT, Library classification and cataloguing to locate a source – Call number in library. Accessing Library sources using bibliographic details. Types of authors, Types of reference sources. Project: Setting relevant research topic. Library research, Note-making skills. Conventional skill for writing references for the selected sources. Plagiarism. Compile a bibliography to avoid plagiarism.,