COSK 1003

Essential Professional and Academic Skills for

Masters Students

Tasks report

Name
Fatema Alam

ID
001246895

Programme of Study
MSC Data Science
 Contents

Table of Contents
Table of Figures.................................................................................................................iii
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................iv
2. Task 1: Effective communication via forum and video.....................................................v
2.1 Part A - Add a photograph of yourself to your profile in MS Office and Moodle....................v
2.2 Part B - Contribute to My Home Country Forum...................................................................vi
2.3 Part C - Use Panopto to record a formal video......................................................................vi
3. Task 2: Professional and academic writing...................................................................vii
3.1 Part A - Quiz........................................................................................................................vii
3.2 Part B - Write an academic essay.........................................................................................vii
4. Task 3: Effective communication via email and report.................................................viii
4.1 Part A - Email to tutor........................................................................................................viii
4.2 Part B – Tasks report..........................................................................................................viii
5. Tutor’s feedback............................................................................................................ix
6. Conclusion.....................................................................................................................ix
References........................................................................................................................ix

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 Table of Figures

Figure 1. MS Office profile picture……………………………………………………………1

Figure 2. Moodle profile picture………………………………………………………………2

Figure 3. Screenshot of the post on My Country Forum………………………………………3

Figure 4. Screenshot of the reply to another student’s post on My Country Forum…………..4

Figure 5. Screenshot of the Quiz result………………………………………………………..6

Figure 6. Screenshot of tutor’s feedback………………………………………………………7

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 1. Introduction
The comprehensive course COSK 1003, Essential Professional and Academic Skills for
Masters Students, was created to give postgraduate students the wide variety of fundamental
abilities needed to succeed in both academic and professional settings. Academic writing,
business emailing, report writing, and video communication are just a few of the topics
covered in the course.
Any postgraduate student must possess strong communication skills, and COSK 1003 strives
to help students improve their communication skills. Students will learn the fundamentals of
academic writing, how to write brief and clear emails, and how to organise and deliver
reports through lectures and hands-on exercises. Students will be able to build effective
communication skills in a variety of scenarios thanks to practical exercises throughout the
course that include video communication and presentation skills.

The training also addresses critical thinking, time management, and stress management in
addition to communication skills. Since postgraduate students frequently have to handle
complex work and juggle difficult schedules, these abilities are essential. Students will be
better able to face the difficulties of postgraduate study and succeed in their academic and
professional endeavours by developing these skills.

Overall, the course offers a thorough and all-encompassing approach to the development of
professional and academic skills. The essential abilities required to excel in academic and
professional pursuits will be developed by students through a variety of hands-on activities,
lectures, and seminars. Students will have a strong foundation for success in any career path
thanks to the course's transferrable abilities.

2. Task 1: Effective communication via forum and video

iv
 2.1 Part A - Add a photograph of yourself to your profile in MS Office and
Moodle

Figure 1. MS Office profile picture

Figure 2. Moodle profile picture

2.2 Part B - Contribute to My Home Country Forum

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 Figure 3. Screenshot of the post on My Country Forum

Figure 4. Screenshot of the reply to another student’s post on My Country Forum

2.3 Part C - Use Panopto to record a formal video

To showcase skills in writing formal emails and reports using MS Word, a video was
recorded using Panopto and carefully reviewed before submitting it to the COSK1003 folder.
In the video, personal knowledge of important topics such as in-text citation, referencing,
writing formal emails and avoiding plagiarism was discussed. As the task was based in MS
Word, it reflected skills in MS Office as well

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 3. Task 2: Professional and academic writing

3.1 Part A - Quiz

Figure 5. Screenshot of the Quiz result

3.2 Part B - Write an academic essay

Summary
In this article “Five Ways The Metaverse Will Transform Lives And Business In Five
Years”, the author Natalie Vancluysen discusses the five most significant changes that the
metaverse will bring in the next five years.
She explains how work life will change dramatically. Videoconferencing will take place in
the virtual world with their own virtual seats. “We’re already seeing the positive impact of
these virtual worlds, with increased levels of productivity, engagement, and creativity
amongst our users.” (Vancluysen, 2022). Another substantial change which will soon be
evident in big brands is how they will interact with customers in the metaverse.
Business events or expos in the metaverse will make it far easier for people from across the
world to attend using avatars and transport from one virtual world to another instantly.

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 “Today’s games are not yet more compelling in VR, but as the interface improves play will
be much more fluid and natural, making traditional gameplay on a screen with controller or
keyboard seem awkward.” (Downes, 2022, pg. 47).
“As Facebook explains to us, you can use the Metaverse to go to virtual concerts, travel
online, create or view art, and try on and buy digital clothing. Therefore, the Metaverse is
extensible so that users can teleport from one company or another to different worlds.”
(FXMedia, 2022)
Lastly, the author talks about the transformation of recruitment which will slowly gain more
attention in the metaverse as it provides a much better and larger platform for reaching talent.

Personal Analysis
It is strongly believed that customer interaction with their favorite brands will reach new
heights. “Social media has changed digital marketing and advertising by providing a more
immersive approach to promoting their products and services through like-like marketing
material and adverts, virtual shops, and highly interactive engagement and customer care.”
(Veeraiah et al., 2022, pg. 1494).
On the other hand, It is feared that the opportunities of VR dating will substitute the physical
efforts such as surprising one’s partner at their doorsteps. “We also have to ask whether these
realities are going to have the same value as the real world or not.” (Rosa, 2022, pg. 8). Also,
“the user experiences vary; it depends on whether the user can afford to pay.” (FXMedia,
2022)

4. Task 3: Effective communication via email and report

4.1 Part A - Email to tutor

Subject: COSK 1003 – Task 3 Part A

Dear Professor Siddiqui,

The entirety of the course tasks up until now, has taught me a lot about professional
communication and writing. I have developed a significant set of skills which will
guide me through things like report writing, essays, emails, video communications,
etc.

Regards,

Fatema Alam
Student ID: 001246895
MSC Data Science

4.2 Part B – Tasks report

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 5. Tutor’s feedback

Figure 6. Screenshot of tutor’s feedback

6. Conclusion
In conclusion, the report emphasizes the importance of master's degree students developing
the professional and academic skills essential for success in academic and professional
careers. Acquiring skills such as time management, critical thinking, effective
communication, and research skills will enhance students' learning experience and help them
achieve their academic and professional goals. The report also emphasizes the need to
actively seek opportunities for students to develop these skills through coursework,
extracurricular activities, internships, and more. Ultimately, mastering these skills contributes
to personal growth and professional success, enabling students to excel in their chosen field.

References
Anderson, J and Rainie, L. (2022) ‘The Metaverse in 2040’, Pew Research Center, pg. 47-48.
Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/06/
PI_2022.06.30_Metaverse-Predictions_FINAL.pdf
Vancluysen, N. (2022), Five ways the metaverse will transform lives and business in five
years, Available at: https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/five-ways-the-
metaverse-will-transform-lives-and-business-in-five-years/
FXMedia (2022) Everything You Need To Know About Metaverse!
Available at: https://fxmweb.com/insights/everything-you-need-to-know-about-
metaverse.html
Rosa, N. (2022) Understanding the Metaverse: A Business and Ethical Guide.
Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Understanding_the_Metaverse/KF-
LEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Veeraiah, V. et al. (2022) “Enhancement of Meta Verse Capabilities by IoT Integration,”
2022 2nd International Conference on Advance Computing and Innovative Technologies in
Engineering (ICACITE) [Preprint]. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1109/icacite53722.2022.9823766.

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