Overview

This unit enhances students' writing and communication skills for success in tertiary education. It introduces the core principles of academic writing and research, enabling students to develop clear, well-structured, and academically rigorous written work and to communicate ideas clearly and confidently in academic settings.

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
HE Block 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
14-June-2026
Last self-enrolment date
02-March-2026
Census date
24-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
24-March-2026
Results released date
14-July-2026

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply academic language skills to create a range of oral and written texts relevant to tertiary studies
  • Apply appropriate communication skills to present research in line with academic conventions in both written and oral form
  • Work independently as active learners to undertake individual and collaborative tasks
  • Understand the expectations and structure of university study, assessment types and cycles

Teaching methods

All applicable locations

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)

Face to Face Contact (Class )

 48  weeks 48
Unspecified Learning Activities (Independent Learning) 72  weeks 72
Unspecified Learning Activities (Various) 30  weeks 30
Total     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
Assignment Individual  %0 1,3,4
Assignment Individual  %0 1,3,4
Assignment Individual  %0 1,2,3,4

Content

  • Expectations and structure of university study, assessment types and cycles
  • Introduction to the types of oral, written and blended communication skills required in the tertiary context
  • Techniques for working independently as an active learner undertaking individual and collaborative tasks
  • Support structures available for continuing to develop academic writing and communication skills

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.