Course coordinator
Dr Natalie Collie
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
WRIT1200 introduces the fundamentals of creativity, writing and storytelling for communication professionals and media producers.
WRIT1200 is a coreﾠcomponent of the first year of the Bachelor of Communication. The course is compulsory for bothﾠPublic Relations and Digital Mediaﾠmajors. It is also a compulsory course for the Professional Writing and Communication major in the Bachelor of Arts.ﾠStudents are introduced to fundamental principlesﾠand practices of writing, including creativity & design, reader engagement, storytelling, and the editing process.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Natalie Collie
Tutor
Mr David Forrest
Mr Wolfram-Jaymes Keesing
Dr Umme Salma
Mr Shaun Stephen
Mr Pierce Wilcox
Ms Rhiannon Ratcliffe Wilde
Dr Shannon Horsfall
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
This course is designed to introduce students to a range of concepts and practices fundamental to their development as communication professionals and to the production of creative and effective writing.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
understand writing as a creative, problem-solving process
LO2.
work with the elements of story and other strategies to produce engaging, persuasive, & reader-focused writing
LO3.
design and produce a creative and well-written response to a project brief
LO4.
understand the importance of regular writing, reading, and reflection for your development as a communication professional
LO5.
analyse how written texts are constructed and evaluate their effectiveness
LO6.
identify and address common writing problems in your own and others' work
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notebook/ Logbook, Project, Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Writing exercises
|
20% |
3/03/2025 - 29/05/2025 |
| Presentation, Project |
Writing project proposal - poster presentation
|
20% |
14/04/2025 - 1/05/2025 |
| Project |
Writing project: Final submission
|
30% |
9/06/2025 4:00 pm
Submit to Blackboard a scanned copy (PDF) of the project. Please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard for further instructions on how to do this. |
| Examination |
Exam
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
Assessment details
Writing exercises
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook, Project, Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
3/03/2025 - 29/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Tutorials will include a variety of writing and reading tasks that will need to be completed before or during class. For further details on what is required and how it will be assessed, please refer to Blackboard.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Work is hand-written and submitted for checking/assessment to tutors during class.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
If you miss a tutorial due to illness or other serious circumstance, please contact Nat (n.collie@uq.edu.au) and your tutor as soon as possible.
Writing project proposal - poster presentation
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Project
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
14/04/2025 - 1/05/2025
Task description
The major piece of assessment - the writing project - involves two stages. Stage one is the proposal, to be submitted in the form of a poster presentation. Students will be required to present their proposal to the class in either Week 8 or 9 (the presentation schedule will be determined by tutors earlier in the semester).
For further information please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard. We will also discuss both stages of the project in-depth in the lectures and tutorials.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)
Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.
Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of:
- Moderation of marking
- Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or
- Re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
Submission guidelines
This piece of assessment requires you to present your proposal in class. No Turnitin submission is involved.
For further detail on submission requirements, please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Writing project: Final submission
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
9/06/2025 4:00 pm
Submit to Blackboard a scanned copy (PDF) of the project. Please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard for further instructions on how to do this.
Task description
In stage two of the writing project, students incorporate feedback on their proposal and further develop the project. The final product will be produced by hand and then scanned and submitted as a PDF for assessment.
For further information about this assessment item and how it will be assessed, please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard. Tutorials will include opportunities to discuss and work on the project.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04, L06
Task description
The end of semester exam will involve: short answer questions; editing and proofreading exercises. The short answer questions will require students to reflect on their writing project and explain their creative choices.
Please refer to the Assessment page on Blackboard for further details. Advice and examples of what can be expected from the exam will also be provided in tutorials after the mid-semester break.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Materials | Laptop compatible with Inspera |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
UQ is presently rolling out a new assessment tool, Inspera Assessment. Inspera Assessment provides additional functionality to complement the existing suite of digital learning tools at UQ with a greater range of question types and accessibility provisions.
Inspera Assessment will be used for this invigilated on-campus digital assessment and students in this course will complete this using their own device. Details about Inspera Assessment, including an introduction to Inspera functionality and where to go for support, are available here: https://elearning.uq.edu.au/student-guides-original/inspera-assessment-original
Further information will be provided on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
There is no set text required for this course. Learning resources will be provided via the 'Learning Resources' page on Blackboard.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Writing, reading, and creativity No tutorials this week Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Engaging your reader: Context, medium, & format |
Tutorial |
Getting started Cancelled tutorials were held in Week 3 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Engaging your reader: POV, voice, & tone |
Tutorial |
Dear reader.... |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Engaging your reader: Persuasion |
Tutorial |
Persuading your reader |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Writing stories: People, places, problems |
Tutorial |
Developing a story |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Writing stories: Visual strategies |
Tutorial |
Developing your visual design |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Writing stories: Show, don't tell |
Tutorial |
Proposal presentations, Session One |
|
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
No lectures or tutorials |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Writing well: Structure and drafting Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Tutorial |
Proposal presentations, Session Two |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Not Timetabled |
No lecture or tutorial Monday is a public holiday - use this week to work on your draft |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Writing well: The revision process Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L06 |
Tutorial |
Revising content and structure |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Writing well: Editing Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L06 |
Tutorial |
Editing Learning outcomes: L04, L06 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Writing well: Proofreading & publishing Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Tutorial |
Proofreading Learning outcomes: L04, L06 |
Additional learning activity information
Many tutorials in this course will involve hands-on activities. You will need lined paper and a pen/pencil to write with each week. Some weeks you will also need to bring your own scissors, glue stick and plain, unlined paper, in addition to whatever pens and/or pencils you enjoy using to write, plan, doodle, and draw. No special equipment or artistic talent is required, just your willingness to play on the page! We will provide collage materials when required but you are also welcome to find more and share with the class as your project progresses.
For further details on tutorial activities, how to prepare and what to bring, please refer to the Learning Resources page on Blackboard.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
Course guidelines
Communication Expectations
While you are a student at UQ, all communication must be conducted according to the UQ Student Code of Conduct. The UQ Library has a helpful Communicate and collaborate online module.
- Email is the primary way for you to send messages to, and receive information from, the School and our staff.
- You must use your UQ email address (not a private address) to communicate with staff.
- You should add a clear subject line, including course code, and a 2-3 word statement.
- You can send email at any time, however please do not expect responses outside normal working hours (Monday to Friday from ~8am to ~5pm).
- Emails that constitute bullying, harassment or discrimination against staff contravene the Student Code of Conduct. Emails like this will be reported to the University, and the matter will be pursued as misconduct.