MGBBTOOSE Orientation for Success in Higher Education Assignment Sample
MGBBTOOSE Orientation for Success in Higher Education Assignment Sample
Introduction
Reflective analysis is one of the writing styles which enables to process of personal and professional experience. The reflective analysis discusses certain events and allows us to think critically about those events, and the underlying reasons and its outcome also can analyse and improve. The present report describes reflection on learning of business and management, cultural and behaviour expectations, and team working experiences in systematic sub-sections. At last, personal audits through SWOT analysis also discuss.
A) Reflection on learning
Reflective learning and its importance
In Module One, I learn the basics of business and management and its importance, process, techniques, advantages, and drawbacks. I learn these topics in several sub-topics that provide me systematic knowledge about the topic and are not overwhelming for me. Business management is the coordination of business activities like finance, HR, technical, infrastructure, and other business activities. Business managers are responsible to supervise these activities or provide training to employees, help business to conduct their operations smoothly and meet financials and sustainable objectives (Morris, 2020). In different sub-topics I systematically gain knowledge about all the business management functions, how it works, their importance, each employee’s role and responsibilities, management structures, and their merits and demerits. I found that business management is a very comprehensive area of study where many sub-streams are there which demand dedicated study and making a career in each management profession. I get foundational knowledge about management topics which I believe is important to learn advanced and get expertise.
Describe reflective model
The reflective analysis is very important to know about ourselves, our strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. Hence, there are many theories and models that enable one to reflect on personal and professional development in a structured manner. I prefer to use Kolb’s reflective cycle model to reflect my learning in Module One. Kolb model helps to learn from experience and it can use as a basis for the structure of reflective analysation and way of thinking (McLeod, 2023). This model suggests four stages that reflect learning and experience. The following are applying these four cycles to reflect my learning about business management:
Concrete experience: in module one I get the detailed but basic knowledge about business management, and its sub-topics also learn. It includes the importance of management, process, techniques, structures, and theories or models. The entire learning session is, however, overwhelming for me but at the same time, it is very important for advanced learning. From learning about sub-topics, I get to know that business management is a vast stream where a lot of career opportunities are there because each management activity is very comprehensive and include many sub-streams for example HR is one of the management activities but in HR there are many learning areas like recruitment, selection, compensation, performance management, training, learning, and many more.
Reflective observation: From module one learning I observe many things about business management like its comprehensiveness, each activity’s importance in business, the importance of appropriate management structure, theories and models, and techniques (Mitchell et. al. 2021). Before this learning, I believe that business management is part of the entire business but I observe that it is the foundation of business and the entire industry is evolving around business management.
Abstract conceptualisation: As above mentioned that it is overwhelming for me to learn about business management and its sub-topics which makes me anxious and confused that which area of management is best suited for me to make a career. I learn that finance and HR can be the best options to study more about them. Hence, I focus on these two areas only but other management areas are not recognised which I believe is my weakness.
Active experimentation: Business management is an interesting topic to learn about and I determine to get more knowledge in all areas of the topic. However, it may be challenging and time-consuming but from the learning experience, I get to know that it is very important to achieve advanced knowledge about the topic because it is very important for my present session and especially in the workplace. Thus, I decided to continue my learning about this topic and precisely observe real-world examples of business management to get practical knowledge as well.
A reflective approach to improving formative and summative assessment
Formative assessment includes typical trapping of assessments like fill in the blanks, short answers, and multiple choice, and allows to show work on the whiteboard, audio, and video presentation. It supports the academic requirement of subject and grade levels. At the same time, summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of the session or instructional unit and compares the level of understanding through pre-determined benchmarks or standards (Taub et. al. 2020). Both assessments are important to strengthen knowledge and improve understanding.
However, the summative assessment outcome determines the actual level of understanding, and in module one I get good grades in business management but at the same time, it highlights some of my weaknesses like poor CCCU Harvard referencing style and citation. I get adverse feedback from my tutor about referencing style and citation process as it requires precise work and tiny things are equally important because they validate arguments. Other than that, my presentation skills also do not meet the standard requirement. It makes me realise that only having subject matter expertise is not sufficient to work in a real-world organisation, as presentation and communication skills are equally important to get competitive advantages. However, my understanding of the topic is very good which is also admired by my tutor but some weaknesses should be eliminated to ensure my overall development.
Summative reflection enables me to identify my weaknesses and give insights to work on them (Shubina and Kulakli, 2019). Hence, I am determined to improve my weakness and learn about the correct referencing style and the importance of references and citations. I go through some videos and blogs that provide step-by-step guidance that how to collect valid references, how to arrange, and how to cite in the correct place to validate our arguments. This learning helps me to correctly reference and cite in module 2. Moreover, I realise about my poor communication and presentation skills still have good subject matter expertise. Thus, I focus on presentation skills and try to practice in front of peers to present my knowledge. I also read about presentation skills improvement blogs and articles that having self-confidence and robust subject knowledge is vital to improve presentation and communication skills.
It is very important to work on this skill because it is essential while appearing for the interview and in the workplace also. This summative reflective analysis is beneficiary for module 2 assessments both formative and summative and thus, I have to work hard to improve my weaknesses. In addition to this, formative assessment reflection shows that I was good at learning and understanding quickly but not able to focus on additional or supportive tasks like referencing, team player, presentation, and communication (Badenhorst et. al. 2020). Hence, I need to focus on my other soft skills also and thus, I started to communicate with my peers and mentors and emphasis on knowledge sharing and group study approach so I can be a good team player and also improve my communication skills.
Document A conclusion
In module one I learn about business management and its sub-topics like the importance of management, functions, processes, techniques, advantages, and many more. This learning enables me to realise the importance of business management and at the same time, I learn about Kolb reflective cycle model and another reflective analysis model which allow us to reflect on our learning systematically. Formative and summative assessment proves that I have good subject knowledge but poor referencing, citation, and presentation skills which is very important in academic sessions and at the workplace. Therefore, I plan to improve my weaknesses so I can perform better in module two.
B) Reflection on cultural and behavioural expectations
Reflection of learning
Business management is the vast stream of knowledge and the foundation of any business. There are many sub-topics of business management from which cultural and behavioural expectations are one of the most important areas. Culture is around us in class, university, and at the workplace which is defined by people differently and built from people’s behaviour. Liao, (2020) defined culture as the shared value, belief system, set of assumptions, and attitudes of people in the workplace share. At the same time, behavioural expectations are the broad goals for behaviour or the common way that teachers or managers would like children or employees respectively to act.
Behavioural expectations are the guideline for behaviour and apply to people in a certain area for example, students remain silent in class, follow certain dress codes, greet in a certain way, and on the other hand, employees have to meet their deadlines, talk in a formal manner, and so on. It is part of business management where the manager has to build a positive culture and set appropriate behavioural expectations for their employees. After learning about business management and behavioural expectations, I have come to know about culture and how it affects students’ behaviour in class and also at the workplace in the sub-topics.
In the classroom culture and behaviour is very important that build several skills like punctuality, time management, perseverance, passion, and attentiveness. I also realise that it is very important to behave in a certain manner to create own identity or personal brand. Our tutor assigns our group work and guides us to follow the standard procedure to research the topic and make a presentation (Dana and Yendol-Hoppey, 2019). By following certain behaviour, I give my contribution to the team and we follow guidelines and submit our tasks within the given timeline. This small incident taught me that while working with the organisation it is very important to follow culture, behave in a certain manner, be a good team player, and act formally so you get recognition from managers, colleagues, and peers. This set of behaviour provides many growth opportunities in careers as well as in academic sessions.
The study of cultural and behavioural expectations especially in business management is essential because it is vital to set examples for other students about the importance of culture. In the academic session, if I get proficient to behave in a certain positive manner, being punctual, managing my time, perseverance, and being passionate, then I got an opportunity in placements, workplace, and make good relations with tutors and peers.
Future implications
Study about cultural and behavioural expectations provides me the opportunity to get more knowledge and also leverage this skill in interviews and at the workplace. I will practice this learning to study more about business management. Further, I try to practice this learning in my day-to-day work like attending classes on time, submitting assignments in a given timeline, and maintaining professional courtesy with my colleagues and staff at the university. If I make it a habit then I can get referral profit because people always refer a punctual and passionate candidate. Hence, I get opportunities from my behaviours and habits. Other than that, these skills are most admired in the real-world organisation and especially in the management industry where the person has to set examples for business employees that how to behave. Moreover, behavioural expectation makes me adaptable and agile so I can fit in all work environments that provide me with growth opportunities and promotions.
Implementations
Getting professional in certain behavioural expectations is not an easy task because getting out of the comfort zone is challenging for everyone. Therefore, I need assistance from my tutors, seniors, peers, and colleagues because this habit can develop with the help of a team. I go through some learning materials, attend training sessions online, and ensure individual development activities. For academic writing skills, I need an academic support team that teaches me referencing, citing and paraphrasing skills. I also seek one-to-one support with the team on weekly basis. To build punctuality and time-management habit I started to prepare a home schedule for myself by Monday 17th April 2023 which enable me to meet deadlines, review what I learned in the class, and follow a strict timeline that makes me punctual. Other than that, I try to follow the dress code, build courtesy, improve communication skills, and develop emotional intelligence, and empathy that help to be flexible in a different culture.
C) Reflection on the importance of team working
Reflection of learning
Teams are an essential part of every organisation and in academic learning sessions. There are many benefits to working in a team as an individual can learn from others’ experiences, understand cultural differences, and respect these differences. Knowledge-sharing activities increase every team member’s knowledge which is the ultimate benefit a person can get while working in a team (Alam, 2022). While peer support means when people use their own experience to help each other. There are many types of peer support but the ultimate aim is to bring people together and share experiences to support everyone. Teamwork and peer support allow people to make decisions and put efforts together to achieve goals. It is important in study, project assignments, and at the workplace also. Organisations in the real world cannot mobilise without having teams for every single task. Group study has many benefits and at the same time, teamwork in the workplace enables one to achieve business goals, provides competitive advantages, and increases profitability.
Moreover, team working allows me to develop skills that require to work in a team like self-confidence, communication, presentation, empathy, and problem-solving. However, I learn in the subtopics that while working within a team and seeking peer support, many skills are needed for example, good communication skills, collaboration, empathy, emotional intelligence, and subject matter expertise. Without these skills, an individual cannot understand the need of their team and thus, is not able to provide appropriate support. Through peer support and team working I get to know the importance of team player especially in the workplace. However, the high contributor gets unrecognised but at the same time, it balances all team members’ capabilities.
After attending the class about the importance of team working and peer-to-peer support, I get understand that I cannot learn alone from the tutors, as I need assistance from fellow students for the same course and similarly work colleagues’ support is also required. Our tutor gives the assignment to present team working importance by using a real-world example and we have to work as a team (Chang, 2019). All members’ input and contribution make it possible to meet deadlines. Thus, I get to know that working in a team and providing support to team members is very important to achieve overall development goals. Therefore, I decided to improve my adaptability and flexibility skills so I can get involves in teams easily and prove myself as a good team player which provides me with growth opportunities.
Future implications
My learning about team working and peer-to-peer support, help me in my studies and at the workplace by participating efficiently in team activities. It believes that a good team player skill support classmates when someone requires clarification about some topic. I also try to develop skills to be a good team player so I will get recognised in the university and also in the workplace that provides growth opportunities and referral benefits. In the organisation, especially in the management field, each activity is held through a team that follows a hierarchical or flat structure. Moreover, in the project to achieve specific goals, team formation is the basic thing. I learn about Lewin’s three-stage model, Belbin team building theory, and other relevant team theories that realise the importance of teams in the organisation and this knowledge enable me to achieve my career goals. Further, I plan to develop team player skills that allow me to work on multiple projects with many people which improves my public relations skills.
Implementation
In order to improve team player skills, I need additional support from my tutor and academic support team to understand the topic in a better way. I also attend some training sessions, seminars, and workshops where I had to work with the team and get a chance to understand the nuance of the team working. I also attend seminars and training sessions on confidence building because it is very important to seek peer support and in team working. I involve in individual development activities, like reading articles, blogs, and influencers’ books, and watching podcasts, and videos. I target to achieve this goal by the end of April and review my progress with my tutors and seniors so I can identify my improvement areas and start to work on them to achieve learning goals.
D) Personal audit presentation
The following is presenting my personal audit using the SWOT model:
Strengths: In the business management area, I have good subject matter expertise which is my strength. I believe that this strength enables me to get advanced knowledge about business management, culture and behavioural expectations, and team working or peer-to-peer support. Further, I have good problem-solving and time-management skills and this strength allows me to work in adverse condition and achieve deadline that creates many growth opportunities for my career. Moreover, I have good emotional intelligence and empathy skills and these strengths allow me to work in a team and dilute in a different culture that is vital to work within the organisation and a team.
Weaknesses: I have good subject knowledge but at the same time I am good at referencing, citing, paragraphing, and paraphrasing skills which is very important for my academic development because it not makes my points and arguments valid. Further, I am weak in communication and presentation skills. It also shows a lack of self-confidence that adversely affect my academic growth and career growth significantly.
Opportunities: I have good subject knowledge, which provides me the opportunity to get a good job and establish my own business. Further, I have good ICT knowledge that offers me a chance to work in a giant global IT company, and my time-management and problem-solving skills ensure to get this opportunity. University also arranges placement programs and with this opportunity, I can leverage my skills and degree.
Threats: However, there are some threats that might stop me from gaining knowledge and skills from my studies and attaining a degree. As the distance to university, some family commitments, and financial issues. Although, I push my immense efforts to overcome such challenges and try to study hard so I can get a scholarship.
Conclusion
The discussion concluded that reflective analysis is very important and, in this report, I reflect on module one learning, culture and behavioural expectation knowledge, and team working and peer-to-peer support learning. This analysation is beneficiary to make me realize my strengths and weaknesses. At last, my personal audit presentation includes my strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats.
References
Badenhorst, C.M., Moloney, C. and Rosales, J., (2020). New Literacies for Engineering Students: Critical Reflective-Writing Practice. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(1), p.n1.
Chang, B., (2019). Reflection in learning. Online Learning, 23(1), pp.95-110.
Dana, N.F. and Yendol-Hoppey, D., (2019). The reflective educator’s guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry. Corwin.
Liao, W., (2020). Using collaborative video-cued narratives to study professional learning: A reflective analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, p.1609406920949335.
Mitchell, K.M., Roberts, T. and Blanchard, L., (2021). Reflective writing pedagogies in action: a qualitative systematic review. International Journal of nursing education scholarship, 18(1).
Morris, T.H., (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(8), pp.1064-1077.
Shubina, I. and Kulakli, A., (2019). Pervasive learning and technology usage for creativity development in education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (Online), 14(1), p.95.
Taub, M., Azevedo, R., Bradbury, A.E. and Mudrick, N.V., (2020). Self-regulation and reflection during game-based learning. Handbook of game-based learning, 239.
McLeod, S., (2023). Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle. [Online] [Accessed Through]: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html>
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