Course Title: Professional Practice

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Practice

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2186	City Campus	Undergraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2008, Sem 2 2009, Sem 1 2011, Sem 2 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 2 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 2 2013, Sem 1 2014

Course Coordinator: Dr Bonny Cassidy (BA Creative Writing); Aaron McLoughlin (BA Interactive Media)

Course Coordinator Phone: 03 9925 3792; 03 9925 9817

Course Coordinator Email: bonny.cassidy@rmit.edu.au; aaron.mcloughlin@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Aaron McLoughlin at Building 7 Level 3 Room 24

Course Coordinator Availability: Please email to make an apointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

You should have satisfactorily completed the following prerequisite courses before you commence this course:

For the Bachelor of Arts (Animation and Interactive Media): Media, Cultures 1 & 2 and Design 1 & 2.
For the Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing): completion of either COMM2410 Screenplay Studio for screenwriting students or COMM2395 Novel Studio for novel students.

Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the pre-requisite courses before enrolling in a course.

   

Course Description

You will build on skills you have developed throughout your program in this course. This course will equip you with resources, research skills, academic knowledge and industry experience to facilitate a successful transition into the work place or further study. 

You will research current industry trends and practice through a variety of sources such as guest lecturers, individual research, industry and cultural events and through the development of a folio of work. This information will enable you to find your place within a highly competitive industry. You will also be exposed to academic practice and methods.

In addition, you will be encouraged to analyse and identify opportunities for yourself within the industry.

NB. This course is a nominated Work Integrated Learning (WIL) course for Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) students only. It includes work integrated learning experiences in which your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/or community is integral to your experience.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program capabilities:
•    develop skills required for successful engagement with industry
•    develop a better understanding of yourself as a practitioner within your field
•    identify where your skills intersect most closely with industry’s needs
•    solve problems effectively and creatively
•    interface effectively in professional contexts such as networking and ’pitching’ your work to the industry (for Creative Writing students only).

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
•    examine and respond to professional contexts to enhance smooth transitions into the work place
•    analyse and identify planning and execution of professional practice
•    critique and analyse current work in the field by developing good verbal and written communication skills
•    examine the current trends within the industry and their relevance to other areas
•    analyse and implement strategies to work in collaboration with colleagues, and
•    explore and examine a facet of the industry through engagement in work practice – real and/or simulated (for Creative Writing students only).

Overview of Learning Activities

Through engagement with the ideas presented in lectures, workshops, tutorials and open class discussion and in work experience (for Creative Writing students only) you will develop a deeper understanding of your potential as a practitioner in the real world of work. Critiques will be incorporated to give you an insight into the industry and how you can best make the transition into it.

During this course you will develop analytical and practical skills to assess current trends within the industry and the resources to equip you for that industry. You will be expected to demonstrate the ability to research, and to critically evaluate information essential for you to apply to your professional practice.

The learning approaches in this course will be both student-centred learning and project based (and work-experience focused for Creative Writing students). Through your participation, you are expected to utilise the processes of analytical and critical thinking, both at an individual and group level.

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

You should make uses of wider university resources such as its libraries, their print and audio-visual collections and, if appropriate, the University’s Learning Skills Unit.

Many of the resources you will be expected to use are computer-based or computer peripherals and these resources will be provided in the school’s computer laboratories (Animation and Interactive Media students only).

You may need to use digital content acquisition tools such as cameras and sound recording equipment: these will be available for student-loan; you will organize the loan of such equipment yourself from the school’s equipment store (Animation and Interactive Media students only).

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities. Assessment in this course will test your skills and abilities and strategies in facilitating your transition into the workplace and/or research practice. You will be assessed on the development and execution of an individual project as well as group work. Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program director or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures.