COM1 Communicating Business and Technology

• Topics

  COM1 will equip students with knowledge and skills needed for effective communication and comprehension on topics that are relevant for business and technology. The course will lay a critical foundation for the successful mastery of generic skills needed for the entire BEDS programme and for the students' future career.

  COM1 will ensure a common core of knowledge of language and communication, concepts and terminology and the ability to read, speak, write and comprehend at the level relevant for a bachelor study. COM1 orients closely to the course content of BUD1 and SOC1 in that concepts and terms taught in these courses will be focused on through a range of spoken and written exercises and activities.

  COM1 will train and strengthen skills in different genres of business/technical communication. This is achieved by means of a set of activities and cases - drawing especially on the curricula of BUD1 and SOC1. Students will learn how to pitch, present and discuss information relating to the BEDS semester heading "The firm and the role of technology in business". Students will also learn to write technical reports, as well as genre conventions and audience assessment.

  COM1 will also enhance the students more general knowledge and skills in critical reflection, information literacy (the ability to reflect critically on the credibility and trustworthiness of different information sources), and awareness of language models used in AI and their benefits and challenges. Sustainability issues will be the focus of most of the case activities.

• Learning outcome

  Knowledge

  Upon completion of the course, you will have gained knowledge about:

  • central concepts and terminology within business and technology
  • main characteristics of spoken and written genres relevant for business and technology
  • relevant principles for communication within business and technology
  • important strategies for professional communication and interaction

  Skills

  Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

  • give engaging and effective presentations on topics within business and technology
  • handle negotiation and meeting interaction in an appropriate manner
  • assess usefulness of generative AI tools and effectively use them for content production
  • produce purposeful technical reports

  General competence

  Upon completion of the course, you will have the ability to:

  • collaborate effectively in groups
  • carry out case work within and across organisations
  • communicate about tasks relating to sustainability issues
  • assess an audience and adapt messages to an audience
  • critically assess information from different sources
  • reflect on own and others' efforts and to give constructive feedback

• Teaching

  COM1 is a course where communication and interaction are in focus.

  The teaching will consist of case activities, introductions to relevant topics, and written and oral tasks related to communication of business and technology.

  Participation in case activities during class hours will prepare the students for some of the elements in the exam portfolio (presentation, negotiation meeting).

• Credit reduction due to overlap

  None.

• Compulsory Activity

  Compulsory participation in 75% of lectures.

  A group presentation (3-4 students) given as part of the exam in BUD1.

  Completion of a set of self-paced learning modules online.

  A technical report written as a group assignment (3-4 students; feedback given, no resubmission but reflection text must address value of feedback).

  Previously approved compulsory activities (work requirements) remain valid.

• Assessment

  A portfolio consisting of one written and two oral assignments:

  • The oral assessments comprise an individual presentation and a negotiation meeting submitted as video recordings.
  • The written assignment is an individual reflection text.

  The portfolio must be answered in English. All parts of the portfolio must be submitted in the same semester.

• Grading Scale

  A-F

• Literature

  A set of articles available through Leganto

• Retake

  Retake is not offered in the non-teaching semester. The assessment may be retaken the next time the course is offered.

  For detailed information regarding the retake policy, please visit our website: https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/retake-of-exams/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/retake-of-exams/ (copy url).