Fostering industry relevance in a final year unit Kate Fitch Teaching & Learning Forum 3 February 2005

Industry relevance awareness of current practices and issues awareness of current practices and issues just a marketing tool? just a marketing tool? graduate ready skills graduate ready skills ways in which knowledge and understanding can be used to improve professional practice ways in which knowledge and understanding can be used to improve professional practice

MSC307 Media Planning to prepare students for communication- related careers by examining strategic approaches to public relations and media planning, and developing relevant professional skills. to prepare students for communication- related careers by examining strategic approaches to public relations and media planning, and developing relevant professional skills.

Student responses: unit All topics are industry related which gives them purpose not just a theoretical textbook/analytical purpose. All topics are industry related which gives them purpose not just a theoretical textbook/analytical purpose. In assignments we had to apply what we learned to real life situations instead of simply memorizing everything. In assignments we had to apply what we learned to real life situations instead of simply memorizing everything.

Student responses: unit You learn a lot of theory at Murdoch, which will be relatively no use once you graduate. Kate gives us practical knowledge that we can use. You learn a lot of theory at Murdoch, which will be relatively no use once you graduate. Kate gives us practical knowledge that we can use. This is the most useful unit in my degree. This is the most useful unit in my degree. One of the more practical PR units within the Mass Comm course, which is great, gives students an opportunity to see the theory of PR in action. One of the more practical PR units within the Mass Comm course, which is great, gives students an opportunity to see the theory of PR in action.

Student responses: assessment In assignments we had to apply what we learned to real life situations instead of simply memorizing everything. In assignments we had to apply what we learned to real life situations instead of simply memorizing everything. Too strict with writing style Too strict with writing style Mid-semester test should be one of the assessment tasks. Mid-semester test should be one of the assessment tasks.

Student responses: seminars More seminars!!! They are great. More seminars!!! They are great. More tutorial time to ask questions More tutorial time to ask questions Seminars are very interesting but tutorials should resume as useful despite the 5 weeks of seminars. It would reinforce the learning we got from the seminar. Seminars are very interesting but tutorials should resume as useful despite the 5 weeks of seminars. It would reinforce the learning we got from the seminar.