Modules

Core Module Information
Module title: Psychological Perspectives on Communication and Learning
SCQF level: 07:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: PSY07106
Module leader: Eleanor Drake
School School of Applied Sciences
Subject area group: Psychology
Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added
Description of module content:

In this module you will explore how human communication and learning are understood and studied within the core areas of psychology and how that feeds into applied psychology. This module will appeal to you if you are interested in understanding more about learning and communication and your ability to communicate as a developing professional. It offers the opportunity to make choices about the format of your assessment and to reflect on how these choices relate to your communication and learning strengths and interests.The module will be delivered through seminars facilitated by staff members. Each seminar will focus on communication through the lens of a particular core or applied area of psychology. In the first part of the module, you will explore communication from social, developmental, biological, cognitive and differential perspectives. In the second part of the module, you will build on this learning to consider how communication is a key feature within specific areas of applied psychology (e.g., Forensic Psychology, Work Psychology, and Health Psychology).You will have an opportunity to develop and showcase your own understanding of communication and your skills in this area.
Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Describe how communication and learning can be understood and theorised within core areas of psychology.

LO2: Explore how the psychology of communication is relevant within applied psychological practice.

LO3: Exemplify the application of communication and learning psychology in your own communication design.

LO4: Extend on in-class activity to explore and explain topical research in relevant areas of psychology and related disciplines.

LO5: Develop insight into the nature of interpersonal skills (e.g., empathy, active listening, effective communication).

LO6: Demonstrate an engagement with understandings of communication and learning from a critical psychology perspective.
Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2026/7, Trimester 2, In Person,
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: In Person
Location of delivery: SIGHTHILL
Partner:
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Eleanor Drake
Module Organiser:


Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)NESH Description
Face To Face Supervised time in studio/workshop 10 In supervised workshop sessions you will be supported to work on the development of a communication artefact that will act as evidence of your learning during the module.
Independent Learning On-demand Webinar 9 On-demand webinars provide you with the opportunity to familiarise yourself with core background material at a time and pace that works for you. Each webinar is pre-recorded by a subject specialist, and links to a specific week of teaching; you are expected to engage with the webinar material at some point before attending classes. The webinar material will remain available for you to refer back to as your knowledge, understanding and interests develop over the course of the module.
Face To Face Seminar 21 The module will be delivered through seminars led by specialist staff members, each focusing on a specific core area in theoretical or applied psychology. After each presentation a discussion session will be held to allow you to critically engage with the features and issues relating to the area covered. You will therefore be required to ask questions and contribute to class discussions, having completed reading notes to aid in your identification of relevant questions.
Online Guided independent study 160 Seminar activity and engagement is supported through guided independent learning, including the use of specified readings available via the module reading list. Seminar activity guides further independent study toward producing the relevant assessment artefacts.
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words Description
Learning Log 60 1~3~4~6 Week 7 HOURS= 1000 words An annotated bibliography including a summary of material relating to each of the core areas of psychology. The annotations both log your learning through interaction with the weekly seminars and scaffold the development of your learning. Annotations will take a form of paragraphs that are descriptive and evaluative. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited (you can draw on the particular results, theoretical explanations and methods of the paper).
Project - Practical 40 1~2~3~4~5~6 Week 12 HOURS= 7min/1000words You will produce an artefact to communicate how psychology of communication and learning is relevant to a specific issue within applied psychology. You will select to produce one artefact from a choice (e.g., podcast, video, narrated slides, poster presentation, Conversation style piece, CPD report). The assessment requires you to note the intended audience and how the piece meets potential needs/interests of this audience. The marking criteria are developed from the Learning Outcomes to allow parity of assessment across multiple forms of submission. You will be guided to access relevant training resources. Documenting this training is a core part of the task.
Component 1 subtotal: 60
Component 2 subtotal: 40
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
Psychological Perspectives on Communication and Learning
 

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