Sample Unit of Work a - Business Communication and Technologies 2012
Sample unit of work A
Two sample units of work are available for Business Communication and Technologies 2012:
- Unit of work A: How can a retail business use social media to improve business profitability?
- Unit of work B: Women face significant challenges and obstacles in the workplace that men donot.
The sample units of work incorporate the objectives described in the dimensions of the syllabus. They offer flexibility to cater for a variety of learning styles and school contexts. They are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.
The sample resources demonstrate:
- organisation and development of course content
- teaching and learning supporting the syllabus
- learning experiences that support achievement of the objectives described in the dimensions
- alignment between content, learning experiences and assessment.
Sample unit of work A
Unit focus: How can a retail business use social media to improve business profitability?Context / Retail
Topic/s of study / Social Media
Underpinning practices / Business Communication
For example:
- preparation of different types of written communication
- preparation of types of spoken and multimodal communication
- research skills.
For example:
- selection, use, management and manipulation of technologies and applications.
Suggested hours / 30
Semester / 3
Dimensions and objectives
Knowing and understanding business / This dimension, Knowing and understanding business, involves the retrieval, comprehension and the use of information and skills associated with selected topics of study and underpinning practices, to develop an understanding of underlying business knowledge.
This dimension encompasses the ability to define, describe, use and explain business terms, facts, concepts, principles, processes and practices.
Explaining involves communicating a meaning with clarity, precision and completeness and is enhanced by the use of examples.
Technology application skills refer to the use of a variety of technology skills that follow identified business policies and procedures resulting in purposeful applications. / By the conclusion of the course of study, students should:
- define, describe and usebusiness terms, facts and concepts
- explain business principles, processes and practices
- use technology application skills for apurpose.
Investigating business issues / This dimension, Investigating business issues, involves exploring and dissecting business data and information to identify and analyse business issues.
Information and data needs to be purposely selected, sequenced and organised to allow an effective analysis of business issues.
Business data and information needs to be interpreted to identify and explicate relevant business issues.
Analysis refers to dissecting business data and information to ascertain and examine constituent parts and/or their relationships. / By the conclusion of the course of study, students should:
- select, sequence and organise data and information
- interpret business data and information to identify and explain issues
- analyse data and information relating to business issues.
Evaluating business decisions / This dimension, Evaluating business decisions, involves communicating and synthesising understandings gained to make judgments about the performance of businesses. This dimension involves drawing conclusions, making decisions, providing recommendations to solve problems and justifying solutions and/or actions.
Evaluating refers to assigning merit according to criteria.
Justifying refers to providing sound reasons or evidence to support a statement. Soundness requires that the reasoning is logical and, where appropriate, that the premises are likely to be true.
Communication involves using mode, genre and language conventions relevant to the business issue to suit the identified audience and purpose. Language conventions include effective use of paragraphing, structure, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Correct use of technical terms relevant to business contexts and consistent use of accepted genres and conventions of referencing and in-text citations are essential. / By the conclusion of the course of study, students should:
- evaluate information using criteria, to draw conclusions, decisions and recommendations
- justify conclusions, decisions and recommendations
- use mode, genre and language conventions to suit audiences and purposes.
Subject matter
- Types and uses of social media in retail businesses
- Traditional vs. social customers
- Identifying customer needs and wants
- Features of social media
- Benefits and drawbacks of using social media in retail businesses, e.g. security issues and management
- Marketing communication, e.g. influence of customers on product design, business profitability and advertising.
Learning experiences
/ Research and summarise the different definitions of social media.
/ Using a variety of reference materials, investigate the different types of social media channels and their uses in retail industries. Select and organise the information into a simple multimodal presentation, e.g. podcast, vodcast, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Deliver your presentation to the marketing department of an identified retail business for their consideration.
/ Identify and describe the various features (e.g. layout, content) of social media tools. Use an appropriate visual organiser to represent the different features.
/ Using case studies, research and analyse how social media has affected the way people in the retail industry discover, read and share news, information and content. Gather data on customer use to support your analysis. Select, sequence and graphically organise your data analysis using an appropriate software application to present to the marketing department of a retail business for their consideration, e.g. Microsoft Excel.
/ Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between traditional and social customers. Present findings in a comparative diagram or table using an appropriate software application, e.g. Microsoft Word, Inspiration, Adobe Illustrator.
/ Using a retail business case study, examine the different ways customers need (and want) to access information about the business’ products.
/ Examine the role of the customer as an ‘active agent’ in purchasing a product.
/ Using a retail social media site such as eBay, analyse how the customer can use social media to influence a business’ profitability and guide the development and design of products.
/ Analyse a number of ‘group buying’ social media sites (e.g. Groupon, Cudo, Scoopon) to examine how this form of advertising affects retail sale rates, retention of clients, profitability and image. Tabulate and present the data and information using an appropriate software application, e.g. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel. Using the analysis, prepare a fact sheet for publication on the Australian Retailers’ Association website.
/ Select two different social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, virtual game world, blog) and identify what information does and does not appear on the sites. Evaluate their suitability for use in a retail business.
/ Gather research and analyse findings to debate and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using social media in businesses, e.g. security issues and management.
/ Prepare a booklet or brochure for new retail business owners, which describes the challenges and opportunities that social media can present for a retail business.
/ Using invited guest speakers from retail businesses, analyse and evaluate the ways a business could successfully integrate social media tools into their marketing strategies. Develop criteria to judge the success. Using evidence, present the justified recommendations in a report.
/ Undertake a field trip to a retail business to observe how the business markets their products. Design and implement a survey of customers to examine how they currently use social media channels. Prepare a report for the business which provides justified recommendations for improved use of social media channels.
Possible assessment
Dimensions / Knowing and understanding business
Investigating business issues
Evaluating business decisions
Assessment technique / Extended response
Assessment conditions / Multimodal, 5–7 minutes
Assessment task / Using retail business case studies and social media research, analyse and evaluate how retail businesses can effectively use social media to improve productivity.
Based on this analysis and evaluation, create a podcast/vodcast training clip for publication on a social media site. The podcast/vodcast should provide justified recommendations and/or tips.
Resources
- Definitions of social media and social media technologies, QUT
- Practical tips: Using social media for conversation and reflection, QUT
- Social media links from the Australian Government
- Kaplan, AM & Haenlein, M 2010, ‘Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media’, Business Horizonsvol. 53,no. 1, pp. 59–68:
doi10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003 at
ISSN 0007-6813
PDF version
- Keitzmann, JH, Hermkens, K, McCarthy, IP & Silvestre, BS 2011, “Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media”, Business Horizonsvol. 54 no. 3,
pp. 241–251:
doi10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005 at
ISSN 0007-6813.
Business Communication and Technologies 2012
Sample unit of work A / Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
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