Reflective Report – Personal and Professional development

5.4.2 Reflective report (individual assignment) The reflective report is an individual piece of work of 3,000 words. The aim of the assignment is to encourage you to think critically about your own experience, knowledge and future career plans in depth, using secondary research and also theoretical models & concepts to support your ideas. Please follow the structure set out below. Your work should be fully referenced, using Harvard. It should also be in report style, with numbered headings and sub-headings. Also, please number the pages; and pay attention to the layout and design of your assignment. 1. Introduction ? You should start with an introduction, where you “signpost” your work by explaining what you will be discussing and why. ? Remember to reference your work if you are using secondary sources. 2. Models of learning ? In this section, start by referring back to the slides and articles about reflection. ? Choose one of the learning models and investigate it in more detail. Please refer to at least two secondary sources, one of which should be an academic [journal] article. ? Explain why you have chosen that model and how you can use it in reflective learning. Please do not simply describe the model in detail. Instead, you should also discuss it critically, for example by identifying its strengths & weaknesses and/or comparing it with other models. ? Make sure you reference your work, using Harvard referencing. 3. Individual interview and elevator pitch ? Using your chosen learning model(s), reflect on the individual interview and your elevator speech. ? Use other models and theories to help you analyse and understand your own behaviour and to deciding whether and how you would change the next time you have a similar experience ? Again, please reference your work, using Harvard. 4. Teams & team dynamics ? Look again at the slides about teams & team dynamics, and select at least two of the team models or theories. ? Now think back to the various team experiences and observations you have had this term. For example, it may be the professional pitch, the video we watched in week 3, team work in other courses this term, playing a team sport, or perhaps working in a team if you have a part-time job. ? Reflect on the experience, using (a) your chosen learning model and (b) your team models or theories. ? Please reference your work, using Harvard referencing. 5. Looking ahead ? Look ahead to your longer-term career plans. ? Again using your learning model and at least two other models, theories or techniques, reflect critically on your career plans. You could also, perhaps, do a personal “PEST” analysis, where you relate your own skills, knowledge and experience to the work environment. This in turn might lead you to do a personal “SWOT”, drawing also, for example, on the concept of personal branding. ? Finally, explain what changes you need to make in order to help you achieve your goals. Please be specific, using a “SMART” approach. 6. Conclusion ? You should end with a Conclusion. It should briefly summarise the main points you have discussed, and should also include lessons learnt and some ideas and recommendations for the future, eg, in the form of an action plan. You may also want to write about the job market in general. ? Please reference where necessary. This should be related both to your academic study and to your future career plans. ? Please reference your work, using Harvard referencing. More guidelines 1. The assignment should be in report style, with numbered headings and sub-headings. 2. Please include a contents page, and number the pages; and spell- and grammar-check your work carefully. 3. Please use an appropriate formal written style (ie, “register”). 4. Think carefully about the design, structure and layout of your report. Details such as consistent use of font(s), font sizes and spacing are important. 5. Your work must be fully and accurately referenced, using the Harvard system of referencing. Remember that you need to reference your text where necessary, and you must also provide a reference list at the end of the document. (The reference list comes immediately after the main text and before any appendices, if you have any.) 6. Please use a range of good-quality secondary sources, drawing mainly on journal [academic] articles. You should use a minimum of fifteen articles, reports and other sources. 7. Your reflective report should be more than “I did this, and then I did that, and will try to do it differently next time”… Instead, think critically about the themes you are addressing, using references where necessary to explain and justify your argument. Doing so will give you greater self-understanding and more confidence, and it will be of real benefit when you enter the very competitive job market eighteen months from now. 8. Poor use of Harvard may result in a lower mark, as will the use of an insufficient number of academic [journal] articles as your secondary sources. 9. For the marking criteria, please see below.