ENG4102 - Professional Writing 1

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate practical awareness of the skills required to work as an individual and as part of a team on a pre-designed project.
Complete a group project, on a topic related to their degree, requiring data gathering and information formatting, and to pitch the results, to pre-agreed professional standards within a given time-frame.
Demonstrate an ability to understand and evaluate the requirements of the appropriate sector of the media.

Content:

This module is designed to develop a foundational awareness of the theoretical and practical nature of group work. It is also designed to explore the basic processes of working to a brief and pitching an idea. The module provides an initial formal and theoretical introduction to the nature of group work and the range of skills and roles it requires. Pre-specified projects and tasks on a range of creative and professional writing briefs are offered for selection. Groups will be supported through the design and initial implementation of their project strategy. Sessions provide basic information, advice and support about completing project work in an appropriate medium (such as film, poster, presentation or magazine) and pitching it to editors or agents.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Seminars will combine tutor input with structured learning activities and discussion based on guided independent study. The whole group will work to pre-define general standards for the project and each group will be required to produce a plan to meet those standards. Once the project is underway there will be group tutorials to monitor and support progress and individual tutorials to monitor and support understanding of and performance in individual roles and responsibilities.

Workshops
Hours: 12
Intended Group size: 30

Group Tutorials
Hours: 12
Intended Group size: 6

Individual Tutorials
Hours: 2
Intended Group size: 1

Guided independent group work
Hours: 174

Further details relating to assessment
Assessment 1 – Directed activities: these consist of weekly tasks that must be completed and submitted for inspection at timetabled sessions each week. The assessment will be assessed on a pass/fail basis with a pass requiring at least 75% of all weekly tasks to be completed successfully. A pass will lead to the full award of 10% towards the final module mark. A fail in directed activities will contribute 0% to the final mark.
The project comprises a response to a given brief and is presented as a ‘pitch’, outlining and proposing that response to an editor, agent (or equivalent). The group will be expected to vary the format of their ‘pitch’ according to their particular way of responding to the brief. Sample formats include a report, a film, a presentation or web material.
The project report will include a short reflective study of the specific team-role practice identified and put into practice, along with an evaluative study of how effective it proved in practice, and finally a prospective analysis of how behaviour and theory might be better aligned in future.

Assessment:

001 Directed Activities semester 1 10%
002 Group project 3000 word equivalent end of sem 2 70%
003 Project report 1000 words end of sem 2 20%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Nathan Uglow
Level - 4
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4S2

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