Métodos de Avaliação

Communication Skills II Continuous Assessment

2025-2026

Prof. Andresa Oliveira

Evaluation Criteria and Instructions regarding Assessment Assignments


Please note that there will be no written test or exam for this course. Instead, you will be assessed through three in-class evaluation moments, scheduled only between Week 2 and Week 5. Be sure to save the dates and plan accordingly. All assessments are practical and aligned with what we train in class.
Important: All evaluation moments include an oral component. Students are required to deliver short oral presentations/simulations in class as part of Assignment 1, Assignment 2, and Assignment 3. 
Participation requirement: In the group assessments (Assignment 2 and Assignment 3), every student must speak in class. Each student is required to deliver at least one oral contribution per assignment (e.g., presenting one section).

To pass the course, you must achieve:
  • A final grade of at least 9.5/20 (Final Grade (0–20) = 0.30 × Assignment 1 + 0.30 × Assignment 2 + 0.40 × Assignment 3)
  • Participation in all evaluation moments (or an officially accepted justification).

All assignments are assessed in class between Week 2 and Week 5 (inclusive).Only Assignment 3 involves preparation outside the classroom (partially).

ASSIGNMENT 1 | COMMUNICATION DEBUGGING
Contributes 30% to final grade. Setup: individual; written, 20 minutes; oral presentation, max 1 min.
Note: Students receive a short scenario/message in class

You must:
  • Identify assumptions / possible misunderstandings (mental models, ladder of inference).
  • Rewrite the message for clarity and psychological safety.
  • Propose 2–3 clarification / de-escalation lines.
  • Deliver a short oral explanation (maximum duration: 1 minute) summarizing: what was misunderstood, what was changed, and why the new version is safer.

Dates: Week 2
Evaluation Criteria (0-20)
 1) Facts vs interpretations + assumptions (0–5)
Top marks look like:
  • You separate facts from interpretations.
  • You identify key assumptions, missing context, ambiguous terms.
  • You recognize attribution leaps.
 2) Clarity rewrite (0–7)
Top marks look like:
  • Clear purpose + context + request. • Concrete next steps: who does what by when.
  • Removes vague terms.
 3) Psychological safety language (0–5)
Top marks look like:
  • Neutral tone, no blame.
  • Acknowledges the other person (validation) without agreeing.
  • Calm clarification questions.
 4) Channel + next step (0–3)Top marks look like:
  • You choose the right channel (chat/email/ticket/meeting) and say what happens next.


ASSIGNMENT 2 | MEETING TO DECISION
Contributes 30% to final grade.  Setup: 5-6 student groups; oral presentation (meeting simulation 5 min + decision log and team norms 5 min). Note: Students receive a short scenario in class.
You must:
  • Run a short, structured meeting simulation (5 min).
  • Present a Decision Log and 5 Team Communication Norms (5 min).
All group members must speak during the meeting simulation, at least once! 
Evaluation Criteria (0-20)

 1) Structure & facilitation (0–4)
Top marks look like:
  • Clear opening (“goal + constraints + roles”) and clear ending (“decision + owners + deadlines”).
 2) Psychological safety behaviors and norms (0–5)
Top marks look like:
  • People are invited to speak; disagreement stays respectful.
  • No interruptions or dismissive tone; “risk raising” is welcomed.
 3) Reasoning & tradeoffs (0–4)
Top marks look like:
  • You compare options and explain why one is chosen (time/quality/risk/effort).
 4) Decision Log quality (0–5)
Top marks look like:
  • Someone reading the log can act immediately (it’s implementable).
 5) Oral participation compliance (0-1): all members speak at least once.
 
 6) Time management & professionalism (0–1)Top marks look like:
  • Concise, on time, coordinated.

ASSIGNMENT 3 | STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION SIMULATION
Contributes 40% to final grade. Setup: 5-6 student groups; oral presentation. Note: student groups receive a scenario in advance (Week 4).  Outside class, you must prepare:
  • A 1-page Stakeholder Update (progress, impact, risks, uncertainty, next steps).
  • A 90-second oral script with the message you will deliver (no slides, but you can bring notes, it’s not a memory test).
  • Speaking roles (mandatory). Plan who says what, so everyone speaks.

In class, you:
  • Do an oral Stakeholder Update (90-second), based on the script prepared outside class.
  • Receive a “stakeholder question” (given on spot) and answer orally (1 min).
  • Receive a “complaint” (given on spot) and do an oral repair (1 min).

All group members must speak during the Stakeholder Update, at least once!
Dates: Week 5.
Evaluation Criteria (0-20)
 1) Stakeholder Update (0–10)
Top marks look like:
  • Clarity and structure (headline/status/progress/impact/next steps).
  • Translation: technical → outcomes (risks and mitigation, uncertainty).
  • Action orientation (owner/next checkpoint/ask).
2) Stakeholder Question (0-4)
  • Answers are direct, non-defensive, and keep the stakeholder oriented.
  • Uses clarifying questions when needed and returns to plan/next steps.
 3) Complaint Repair (0-5)
Top marks look like:
  • Calm tone, good pacing, validation without agreement.
  • Acknowledges impact and validate.
  • Clarifies the complaint.
  • Shows accountability.
  • Repair action, prevention and concrete next step/next update time.
 4) Oral Participation Compliance (0-1)
  • 1 = all members contributed orally at least once
  • 0 = at least one member did not contribute orally (unless justified absence)

*** TRABALHADORES ESTUDANTES
If you are a student worker, you will complete a single in-person practical assessment (individual) worth 100%, covering the same competencies (communication debugging, decision log, communication norms, stakeholder update, repair message).
Date: 15th April.
Note: If you are a student worker but prefer to be evaluated as a regular student, you must inform the instructors during the first week of classes.

*** NOTA FINAL NA “ÉPOCA DE RECURSO”
Students who do not pass the continuous assessment, or who miss an evaluation moment without an accepted justification, will complete a single in-person practical assessment (individual) worth 100%, covering the same competencies (communication debugging, decision log, communication norms, stakeholder update, repair message).
Date: according to Técnico’s calendar
 
*** NOTA FINAL NA “ÉPOCA ESPECIAL”
Students who do not pass the continuous assessment, or who miss an evaluation moment without an accepted justification, will complete a single in-person practical assessment (individual) worth 100%, covering the same competencies (communication debugging, decision log, communication norms, stakeholder update, repair message).
Date: according to Técnico’s calendar.
Note: If you are considering the special season evaluation, please email the course coordinator in advance.