ØASPR2200 Professional English: Course B Course description

The main purpose of the course is to improve the students' ability to communicate in English both in writing and orally in a professional context. The course is cross-curricular since a large part of the syllabus is related to subjects within business and economics. It will prepare the students to deal with real situations in the business world.

Two internal examiners

No prerequisites.

Knowing how behaviour is influenced by conditions in the surroundings is essential and this knowledge can be used to plan and carry out different change and training measures. Special terminology is used to conduct precise analyses of behaviour and environmental influences.

The teaching consists of about 55 periods.

In addition to lectures there are case studies, group work, assignment review, discussions, student presentations, and written assignments. Regular attendance and active participation in classroom activities are expected. Independent study is required.

The following assignments are obligatory:

- One short (300-500 words) written assignment based on one of the cases (attendance is mandatory for the case the student writes about)

- An essay, approximately 500 words, on an assigned topic

- An individual 7-minute oral presentation

Feedback will be given on all assignments. The essay must adhere to the rules established in -Mal for oppgaveskriving ved SAM- (available on the SAM home pages). In order to take the final exam, all obligatory assignments must be approved by the instructor. Students will be given the opportunity to re-submit obligatory assignments that have not been approved. If assignments are not approved after re-submission(s), students will not be allowed to take the exam.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of the basic assumptions of behaviour analysis
• is familiar with the place of behaviour analysis in psychology
• is familiar with research methods used in behaviour analysis
• has knowledge of reinforcement conditions
• has knowledge of how behaviour is established, transferred and maintained

Skills

The student is capable of

• applying basic behaviour analysis concepts
• defining and using methods to observe and register behaviour

Competence

The student is capable of

• describing behaviour analysis strategies
• conducting and reflecting on their own presentation technique
• conducting and reflecting on discrete trials training
• describing, conducting and reflecting on precision teaching

Students must

• Present three given topics to fellow students
• Identify an area of presentation technique with room for improvement and evaluate this in the students’ own presentations
• Evaluate three presentations by fellow students (both academic content and presentation technique)
• Teach fellow students topics from the syllabus using flash cards (discrete trials training) and establish flow (precision teaching).

The required coursework must be approved before the students can take the supervised written exam.

Portfolio exam comprising four tests and a digital, supervised written exam lasting four hours. All four tests must be approved before the student can take the digital, supervised written exam. All the components must be awarded a pass grade before the exam as a whole can be passed.

If the student fails one test, the student can retake this test. Resit/rescheduled attempts at the four tests can be taken once before the ordinary, digital, supervised written exam. Before the resit/rescheduled digital, supervised written exam, students will be given a third and final attempt at one or more of the tests.

A–F. A grade will be awarded on the basis of the tests taken during the course (60%) and the result of the final written exam (40%). The student has a right to appeal the overall exam grade for the whole portfolio.