Unit Information

HND in Computing Level 4

UNIT NAME UNIT CODE

Professional Practice Unit 3
PREREQUISITES SEMESTER or SESSION and YEAR
Nil Spring 2022
CREDITS COURSE TYPE REVIEWED
15  Required  Elective  Other (Specify): Self-Improvement --
INSTRUCTOR Ryda Simon CLASS MEETINGS Tuesday and Thursday
PHONE -- TIME 11:00 am to 12:40 pm
EMAIL r.simon@acuq.ae LOCATION D7
Thursday 9:00 am to 10:00
OFFICE HOURS OTHER INFORMATION Course Materials on Moodle
am
COURSE DELIVERY (SEQUENCE) Level SEMESTER
Specify the year and semester this course is normally
offered, consistent with the BAC Study Plan. 4 1

Unit Schedule • Unit 3 Professional Practice

LEARNING ASSIGNMENT,
WEEK TOPICS
OUTCOMES HOMEWORK, ETC.
Course Introduction and Syllabus Review

Topic: Effective communication Sample activities:

● Group discussion on types of verbal and non-
verbal communication and their effectiveness in
different environments.
● Group activity: Finding examples and situations
where each type is most and least effective.
● Show footage of effective and non-effective
communication (YouTube clips ranging from
interviews and more formal communication through to
1 different presentation styles and presenters, news 1
readers, and comedy sketches on communication).
● Introduce ‘tells’ and how they can be used as a
form of non-verbal communication. Look at other non-
verbal types (body language, smoke signals, Morse
code etc.).
● Mind map of the verbal communication and how it
is influenced by local dialect, culture and language,
tone of voice, occasion and formality, target
audience/stakeholders etc.
● Activity: How can IT be used to enhance
communication – benefits and drawbacks?

1
 LO1 Topic: Interpersonal skills
Sample activities:
● Introduce the importance of interpersonal skills.
Produce a list and get students to order in terms of
importance and then discuss as a group.
2 ● Review job applications to compare the types of 1 Problems
technical and interpersonal skills required for certain
positions/careers.
● Activity: Students to review their own skill base and
produce an audit of required skills for future careers
and personal development
LO1 Topic: Interpersonal skills
Sample activities:
● Introduce the importance of interpersonal skills.
Produce a list and get students to order in terms of
importance and then discuss as a group.
3 ● Review job applications to compare the types of 1
technical and interpersonal skills required for certain
positions/careers.
● Activity: Students to review their own skill base and
produce an audit of required skills for future careers
and personal development
LO1 Topic: Time management
Sample activities:
● Identify and provide examples of effective time
management activities.
4 ● Discuss the importance of setting objectives and 2 Problems
explore short, medium and long-term objective
setting.
● Activity: Designing a time plan/schedule for a given
scenario.
Project workshop
● Independent workshop for students assignment
5 work. 2
● Workshop can either be a facilitated session or an
independent self-study session.

2
 LO2 Topic: Problem solving
Sample activities:
● Discuss the various stages involved with problem
solving.
● Activity: Compare different problem solving models
and the stages involved.
● Explore complex problems and the theories of:
Dietrich Dörner and Joachim Funke.
● Provide an outline problem definition statement for
analysis, and review possible outcomes.
● Activity: Produce a problem definition statement for
a given scenario – link into a guest speaker that is
6 able to discuss issues within a department or 2 Problems
problems with an existing system.

Sample activities:
● Explore a range of tools, techniques and methods
used for problem solving. Discussion of the
effectiveness of each given certain
conditions/environments, for example GROW, OODA
(observe, orient, do, act) and PDCA (plan, do, check,
act).
● Activity: Engage students in using and applying
different problem solving tools and techniques to
different scenarios
Topic: Solution methodologies
Sample activities:
● Explore a range of problem solving strategies that
can be applied as a solution methodology, examples
include: brainstorming, abstraction, analogy,
research, lateral thinking, root cause analysis.
● Discuss solution implementation – criteria to be
considered/factored (e.g. timescales and resources).
● Introduce students to CPA (critical path analysis).
● Activity: Students to develop a CPA for a given
scenario.
7 3
Topic: Problem evaluation
Sample activities:
● Discuss criteria for measuring the success of a
solution based on: increased profit, greater efficiency,
higher yield/productivity, higher levels of customer
satisfaction, fully operable system.
● Activity: Students to undertake research to examine
the feasibility and sustainability of desired outcomes
for a given problem (could be a college-based IT
problem or another real-life organisation problem)

3
 LO3 Topic: Dynamics of team working
Sample activities:
● Introduce the characteristics of basic types of
groups.
● Discuss the concept of group behaviour and
8 exchange theory. 3 Problems
● Activity: Students to complete the Belbin team role
task to determine which one of the nine group types
they are. From this groups can be determined based
on selecting students from each Belbin category (or a
range of categories).
LO3 Topic: Team building
Sample activities:
● Discuss the formal and informal settings of groups
and the purpose/function of working as a team.
● Activity: Complete a team building activity that
demonstrates the importance of working together and
supporting team members. (Use a design activity or
an opportunity for an off-site team building day.)
LO3 Topic: Group types
9 3
Sample activities:
● Introduce students to Tuckman’s stages of group
formation (forming, storming, norming and
performing).
● Discuss group norms types and classes.
● Activity: Group debates. Topics can be selected by
each group, researched and debated by each team
member. The debate should follow a clear
methodology as set out by Tuckman
LO3 Topic: Team working culture
Sample activities:
● Group functions, discuss task, maintenance and
self-interest behaviours.
● Discuss employer and employee responsibilities:
personal responsibility, direct and indirect
relationships and adaptability.
● Activity: Research an organisation where team
working and the employer approach to employees
being treated as partners builds identity and promotes Problems
10 a commitment to shared beliefs. 4 Assignment
Handout
Sample activities:
● Introduce students to a range of employment
legislation, discuss employment rights and
responsibilities.
● Discuss the need to learn and develop within a
work role.
● Activity: Case study of employment rights and
responsibilities (including legislative implications) and
development routes.

4
 LO4 Topic: Importance of CPD
Sample activities:
● Discuss the importance of continuing professional
development: lifelong learning, training and
development, personal development and professional
development.
● Activity: Students to identify and set objectives for
future needs, identifying opportunities and threats to
11 career or higher level learning 4 Problems

Topic: Application of professional development

planning (PDP)
Sample activities:
● Human resources guest speaker to discuss the
importance of the PDP and the mechanisms that can
be used to measure achievements.
● Activity: Students to design their own PDP
LO4 Topic: Evaluating CPD
Sample activities: ● Introduce students to a range of
CPD evidence criteria such as production data,
personnel data, judgemental data and rating
methods, for example: ranking, paired comparison,
checklist, management by objectives, skills audit
(personal profile using appropriate self-assessment
tools), evaluating self-management, personal and
interpersonal skills. ● Activity: Research different
ways that performance can be measured and the
tools and techniques used for CPD evaluation

12 LO4 Topic: Motivational theories 4

Sample activities:
● Introduce a range of motivational theories (to
include McGregor Theory X and Y, Herzberg and
Maslow).
● Activity: Produce a comparative analysis between
differing motivational theories.
● Discussion on the correlation between motivation
and work performance.
● Introduce the application and appraisal of
motivational theories and techniques, rewards and
incentives; the manager’s role and selfmotivational
factors