Assignment Task

Description:

The student will evaluate their personal attributes, values, and professional preparedness skills by producing individual reflective essays with reference to three target capability items.

Knowledge and Skills in Focus

Knowledge:

Reflective writing needs to go beyond simply summarising what happened. You need to have ability to explain:

what the presented experience meant to you,

how you feel about it,

how it connects to other things you`ve experienced or studied and,

what you plan to do in response.

Skills:

Reflective writing (analytical rather than descriptive); Planning; Time management

Task Description

You will develop to reflective essay that evaluates your personal attributes, values and professional preparedness skills based on the selected three target capability items (see Graduate Capabilities template below). You should make reference to your self-assessment pre-activity rating of graduate capabilities and link these insights to key areas of learning from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit.

Graduate Capabilities: 

When submitting Assessment 1 you should complete the pre-activity self-rating for each graduate capability (all of Column 1) and just the three (3) you have chosen for your target capability items (Column 2).

What to write about (with reference to three selected target capability items):

You should consider the following questions:

What skills can you currently demonstrate well, and where are there gaps for further development?

What has been your experience of working, and of working with others in a team?

What have you learned about yourself?

How might your values, self-beliefs and self-evaluations influence your future career choices in management?

How can this self-awareness help you make better future career choices in management?

You should also consider the following further questions to help:

What exactly was the lesson?

How exactly did you realise the value of the lesson?

What were your main thoughts, emotions and experiences during the lesson?

Why do you consider it worth applying?

How does it challenge your existing beliefs?

What specific plans do you have to be able to effectively apply it?

Insights

The quality of the paper in terms of presenting an insightful reflection on personal attributes, values and professional preparedness skills and how well the paper links these insights to key areas of learning from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit. Analysis of key areas and learnings from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit has been somewhat attempted. Lacks clear understanding and no insights. Analysis of key areas and learnings from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit has been somewhat discussed, more description than analysis. Basic level of understanding and few insights. Analysis of key areas and learnings from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit has been discussed moderately. Moderate level of understanding and insights. Analysis of the key areas and learnings from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit has been discussed properly. Good level of understanding and insights. Analysis of the key areas and learnings from the Foundations of Professional Practice Unit has been discussed comprehensively and insightfully understood.

Career

How well the paper discusses and uses specific insights into personal and professional development. The degree to which the paper shows how these insights will assist with future career choices in management. Implications for career development are omitted with no commentary on how these skills may be needed or featured in the course. No reference to the development of relevant career skills noted, no insight and analysis of change over the duration of the course.

Implications for career development are accompanied by minimal commentary on how these can be applied effectively. Development of a relevant career skill are noted with little insight and analysis of change over the duration of the course. Implications for career development are identified and accompanied by some commentary on how these can be applied effectively. Development of a relevant career skills are noted with some insight and analysis of change over the duration of the course. Implications for career development are clearly identified as are how these can be applied effectively. Development of a relevant career skills are identified including insight and analysis of change over the duration of the course. Implications for career development are clearly identified as are how these can be applied effectively. Development of a relevant career skills clearly identified good insight and analysis of change over the duration of the course.

Communication

The quality of written [removed]including spelling, grammar, punctuation, writing style, flow and readability appropriate for a scholarly work) will reflect a logical and coherent structure in the use of examples, theory and analysis. Accurate use of in-text citations and references that appropriately support the arguments of the paper. Written expression is confused and laboured. Extensive spelling and grammar errors. Writing style is informal. Analysis is merely descriptive with little or no critical analysis. Makes little or no use of supporting evidence/theories. Arguments are not logically structured and/or not relevant to the insights. Major errors in referencing.

Written expression is satisfactory. Spelling and grammar are satisfactory, but with a number of errors which detract from overall meaning. Satisfactory academic writing standard. Demonstrates some critical analysis, but overly descriptive. Makes use of some, but minimal, supporting evidence/theories. Arguments can generally be followed and make some link to the insights. Satisfactory attempt at referencing. Demonstrates sound written expression. Correct spelling and grammar, but with some errors. Sound academic writing standard. Demonstrates sound critical analysis. Makes sound use of supporting evidence/theories. Arguments are generally well structured, logically presented and links to the insights are discernible. Sound attempt at referencing. Demonstrates very competent written expression. Correct spelling and grammar throughout, with only a few minor errors. Very competent academic writing standard. Demonstrates highly competent critical analysis. Makes very effective use of a range of supporting evidence/theories. Arguments are very well structured, logical and clearly link to the insights.Very competent execution of referencing. Demonstrates outstanding clarity of written expression. Correct spelling and grammar throughout, virtually errorfree. Sophisticated scholarly writing standard. Demonstrates excellent critical analysis. Excellently uses a range of evidence/theories (with evaluation) to support arguments. Evidence of superior argumentative structure - clear, logical and explicitly linked to the insights. Excellent execution of referencing.

FAQs:

Here are some more ideas on how you can approach the structure of your reflective essay:

Contextualize your reflection: What are your learning goals based on the selected target capabilities? How do these goals fit with the themes or concepts from the course that we would like you to focus on? (i.e. try to plan for literature to integrate - for example, you can look for literature on self-concept and leadership if that is what you chose as your target capability or literature on global mindset if empathy and cultural sensitivity is your focus etc.)

Provide important information: What is the name of the organisation where you work(ed)? If not about employment, what activity you were involved in? What was your role? What did you do? Provide a concise summary – remember that the focus is not on describing!

Analytical reflection: What did you learn from this experience? About yourself and influencing factors that shape your professional behaviour.

Lessons for the future: What are your lessons for the future based on your career plans/choices? What was successful? What are you going to do differently going forward? Why?

How does a well-presented report look like?