Students
LING8800 – Accessible Communication
2021 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer and Unit convenor
Loy Lising
Administrator
Margaret Wood
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MAccComm or MAppLing or MAppLingTESOL or MTransInter or MAdvTransInterStud
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides an overview of linguistic and other barriers to communication, as well as interventions to minimise or remove these barriers to full and equitable access to and participation in communication in society at large. The unit will provide an introduction to the concept of accessibility from a range of disciplinary perspectives including second language teaching and learning, translation and interpreting, editing and publishing, intercultural communication, and disability studies. The unit focuses first on the nature of barriers to accessible communication before examining them in detail in specific contexts. Throughout the unit, students are encouraged to explore, research, and reflect on language and communication barriers, and how these can be overcome to facilitate equitable access to and participation in communication. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical principles and recent developments in accessible communication in a variety of institutional contexts.
- ULO2: Critically evaluate relevant literature in the field of accessible communication.
- ULO3: Identify and analyse different language and communication barriers to full and equitable access.
- ULO4: Critique and report on data relevant to language and communicative aspects of access to socio-economic participation.
- ULO5: Communicate to a professional audience advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant issues in accessible communication.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring Accessible Communication | 20% | No | Week 5 |
| Quizzes on key concepts | 40% | No | Weeks 4, 8, & 12 |
| Oral presentation of the plan for their critical analysis | 10% | No | Week 11 |
| Critical analysis of a resource | 30% | No | Week 14 |
Exploring Accessible Communication
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 20%
Students are asked to write a 1500 word report which discusses their preliminary understanding of accessible communication using multiple resources from industry and academia and to describe how accessible communication is addressed in their home country. This assessment is designed so students have the opportunity to explore how accessible communication is conceptualised in industry materials, scholarly work, and government policies.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical principles and recent developments in accessible communication in a variety of institutional contexts.
- Critically evaluate relevant literature in the field of accessible communication.
- Communicate to a professional audience advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant issues in accessible communication.
Quizzes on key concepts
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 4, 8, & 12
Weighting: 40%
Students will sit up to five quizzes scheduled across the semester. These quizzes are intended to assess students' understanding of key concepts introduced in the lectures and the recommended readings.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical principles and recent developments in accessible communication in a variety of institutional contexts.
- Critically evaluate relevant literature in the field of accessible communication.
- Critique and report on data relevant to language and communicative aspects of access to socio-economic participation.
- Communicate to a professional audience advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant issues in accessible communication.
Oral presentation of the plan for their critical analysis
Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 10%
Students will be asked to do a 10 minute narrated PowerPoint presentation on their plan for their critical analysis (Assessment 3) project.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical principles and recent developments in accessible communication in a variety of institutional contexts.
- Critically evaluate relevant literature in the field of accessible communication.
- Identify and analyse different language and communication barriers to full and equitable access.
- Critique and report on data relevant to language and communicative aspects of access to socio-economic participation.
- Communicate to a professional audience advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant issues in accessible communication.
Critical analysis of a resource
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 14
Weighting: 30%
Students are asked to write a 2000 word critical analysis of a resource such as a website, an online teaching material, and the like through a description and critique of its accessibility. Students will be asked to choose either an online teaching material, a website, a public space that has significant number of signage and the like. They will have to describe what measures are in place to ensure communication is accessible to all potential clients. Using theories and approaches learned in the seminars, students will need to make recommendations with regards to strategies that can be put in place to improve access to the form of communication being investigated.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical principles and recent developments in accessible communication in a variety of institutional contexts.
- Critically evaluate relevant literature in the field of accessible communication.
- Identify and analyse different language and communication barriers to full and equitable access.
- Critique and report on data relevant to language and communicative aspects of access to socio-economic participation.
- Communicate to a professional audience advanced knowledge and understanding of socially relevant issues in accessible communication.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
The unit is taught in 13 weeks of 2 hours of seminar.
This unit is delivered in blended mode, which means that both internal and external students are expected to work through the online materials. Special Circumstances are also applied to this unit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means you are welcome to attend this unit remotely until such time this arrangement changes.
Prior to the scheduled seminar meeting, students are expected to have read the assigned chapter and/or journal article.
iLearn
Full details of the reading list and the assessment tasks are available in the unit’s iLearn site. You are expected to familiarise yourself with the site and access the resources available to you for this unit. There are 2 folders, in particular, that you need to access regularly: Weekly Plan and Assessment Tasks.
READINGS
There is no set textbook for this unit. There are assigned readings, which are available in Leganto. It is important that you read the assigned reading(s) for each week. Quizzes will be based on weekly lectures, tutorial discussions, and assigned readings.
Unit Schedule
The unit covers 4 main topics: accessibility and inclusivity, inclusive language, inclusive design and its principles, and their application to various contexts. The 13 weeks in S1 are organised so that by the end of the semester you would have a fundamental understanding of the main concepts of accessible and inclusive communication, and how they can be applied in specific contexts.
Week 1 Introduces you to accessible communication and the assessment tasks
Weeks 2 Introduces you to the methodology in researching accessibility
Weeks 3 to 6 Introduce you to inclusive language, inclusive design, and POUR principles
Weeks 7 to 13 Introduce you to the various contexts where accessibility is necessary
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Changes since First Published
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 15/02/2021 | The schedule of delivery has been revised to match what is in the CMS. |
| 15/02/2021 | The schedule of class originally listed no longer applies. |
Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook