MGT106 Business Management And Entrepreneurial skills Development Assignment, University of Sunderland

Reflective Learner Log Weeks 1 - 10

WEEK 1: Personal Learning and Development for Business 

Having completed your first week at university, you will have taken on a lot of new information, explored new places and met new people. Take time out this week to look back on this week and consider what you have learned and how you turn these insights into actions to enhance your development to become intentional learners.

CONSIDER YOUR MINDSET….

Looking back at your journey to reaching University consider what mindset you’ve had. 
(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 150 words.

What was your learning style, does this match what you believed to be your learning style?

Refer to the Christensen, L et al (2020) article for suggestions and identify below what you will do with specific examples (1. Set meaningful goals: My goal for next week is… this benefits my development….)
1.

2.

3.

CONSIDER YOUR LEARNING STYLE….

Based on the activity from Workshop 1 (see Canvas for recap) you will have identified your primary learning style. Let’s explore this and take steps to make the most of the learning opportunities ahead.

What was your learning style, does this match what you believed to be your learning style?

(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 50-100 words). Please include images of your VARK results as an appendix.

TASK: Based on your learning style, implement the learning tips given to you in Workshop 1.

Identify how you will implement these tips. 

Note: Review how your learning has been affected in the Week 2 Reflective Log.

The learning tips I will try this week are……

WEEK 2 Developing Effective Teamwork Skills 

This week we have explored the functions of and importance of effective teamwork. You have also taken the Belbin Survey to gain a better understanding of your team working abilities.

TASK RECAP: 
Last week your task was to implement the learning tips provided in Workshop 1 based on your VARK results. 

(Please use this section to answer the questions below).

Remember practice and reflection are key to becoming intentional learners!

1.    What tips did you try?

2.    Did they enhance your learning this week?

3.    What learning tips will you try going forward? (These can be based on your secondary VARK results). 

CONSIDER YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OF WORKING IN TEAMS….
Think about your POSITIVE experiences working in teams: Why were they positive experiences? 
Give examples. (Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 100 words. 

Think about your NEGATIVE experiences working in teams: Why were they negative experiences? 
Give examples. (Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 100 words

REFLECT ON YOUR TEAMWORKING SKILL….
Reflecting on (thinking about) your past and current experiences, to what extent do you consider yourself a (great, good, not-so-good, poor) collaborator and team worker?

Consider your Belbin results and how they support your evaluation

(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 100 words.
Please include images of your Belbin results as an appendix.

Thinking about the Take £25 Challenge ahead. Refer to your Belbin scores sheet from Workshop 1.
Consider your role within the team and formative task ahead. Based on your Belbin Scores fill in the table below. 

Role Type = natural, able to be assumed, best avoided. 
You may list as many points as you want for ‘Examples of Tasks you could do for Take £25’. This table will be helpful in planning your Take £25 challenge as a team.

WEEK 3 Developing Effective Organisation, Time Management & Planning Skills 

Time management, organisation and planning are essential skills for success in your academic journey and future careers. Being a full-time student at university requires independent learning, this will require you to manage your time well to ensure you complete all weekly reading, preparation and work.
Throughout the Take £25 Challenge you have several key deadlines and fundraising targets you will set as a team. 

CONSIDER YOUR CURRENT USE OF TIME
To develop your time management skills, you must first track your current use of time and then reflect on this to identify where and why you are procrastinating.  

TASK 1: Keep a log of your time on two (2) days. Use the templates on the following pages. You may keep a log on any 2 days this week. It is recommended to track one (1) university day and one (1) non university day

Day 1 Date:

Day 2 Date:

1. Based on your time log, evaluate how you have spent your time on these days. Consider the times you procrastinated, what caused you to do this? How might you avoid this in the future?
2. Also set a realistic goal for the number of hours you will reduce procrastination in the coming weeks. Also consider a reward for when you achieve this goal.

(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 150 words.

TASK 2: Using the tips given for creating a weekly schedule set up a weekly study schedule for semester one. 

Remember to include:
Module lectures (MGT106 & MGT101), Module workshops lectures (MGT106 & MGT101), Take £25 Meetings, weekly reading, Time to complete your weekly reflective learner log, personal responsibilities (like part time work) and leisure activities.
Include a key if you choose to colour code your schedule.
Basic Template below.

WEEK 4 Reflection for Personal, Professional & Self Development 

This week we have examined the importance of focused reflection for your personal and professional development. Improving your ability to undertake focused reflection is critical to your success in Higher Education and your professional progression.

TASK: Based on the Gibbs Reflection work you did in Workshop 1 this week. Use these notes to write out a full detailed reflection. 
Refer back to Canvas Week 4 workshop slides to see how the example was written.

DESCRIPTION / CONTEXT:

FEELINGS / THOUGHTS:

EVALUATION:

ANALYSIS:

REFRAME & CONCLUDE:

FURTHER ACTION / PLANNING:

 WEEK 5 Take £25

You are about to begin your Take £25 Challenge and start fundraising and had a visit from last year’s students to speak to you about their fundraising journey.

Your team has set goals and targets for Take £25. Take some time this week to think about what you would like to achieve through this challenge.

This could be in the form of personal fundraising targets, using key skills, developing your behaviours. 
Refer to ‘The Most Fundamental Skill: Intentional Learning & The Career Advantage’ Christensen, L et al (2020).  

My goals for the Take £25 Challenge b are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. 

WEEK 6 Developing Effective Communication Skills

This week we have explored a key skill for collective and individual success; communication. You have considered the methods and context of communication for an individual and as a team with the start of Take £25.

For your team to succeed and achieve your fundraising goals for the challenge, clear communication and feedback is essential.

CONSIDER YOUR ACTIVE LISTING SKILL….

Reflect on a recent conversation you had with someone. How well do you think you demonstrated active listening during that conversation, and what specific actions or behaviours did you exhibit that reflect your active listening skills?
(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 100-150 words.
Remember to give background on the conversation first (not included in the word count).

TAKE £25 & TEAM FEEDBACK….
In the table below please provide the feedback from your Take £25 Teammates.
In the last column list actions, you will undertake based on this feedback.

Team Name: 

WEEK 7 Developing Effective Problem-Solving, Creativity Skills & Critical Thinking 

Effective problem-solving and the ability to apply creative approaches are both essential requirements of graduates sought by employers. A critical aspect to developing this skill is self-evaluation. Your ability to critically reflect and understand your effectiveness and competence  in creative problem solving will lead to improvement.

PROBLEM-SOLVING AS A STUDENT….
Think about a recent challenge or problem you encountered as student since starting your first year. 
1.    How did you approach it, and what creative or innovative solutions did you consider?
2.    Reflect on the effectiveness of your problem-solving and creativity skills in addressing this challenge.
3.    Did you follow typical problem-solving process? (see table below for reference).

Stage 1: Clarify the real objective – what is the problem that you really want to solve?

Stage 2: Establish the cause(s) of the problem

Stage 3: Generate the options for solving the problem

Stage 4: Make a balanced choice

Source: Morgan, (2020)

(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 150 words.
Remember to give background on the conversation first (not included in the word count).

PROBLEM-SOLVING IN A TEAM….
Based on the activity in Workshop 2. Summarise the problem you have identified as a team and the solution you have identified to be implemented.
(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 100 words.
Please include an image of the mind map from the workshop.

WEEK 8 Understanding and Developing Emotional Intelligence

This week we have explored the idea of different types of intelligence and specifically focussed on emotional intelligence as an individual and in the context of group work and organisational success.

Task Recap:
Your Take £25 worked together to work through a problem in your fundraising and chose a solution.
Remember reflection once you engage in practice is essential for personal and professional development. This will inform the subsequent reflection- for- action and reflection in action. Thompson & Thompson, 2018, adapted from Schon, 1987

1. Did the proposed solution work? 
2. Did anything happen that you had not considered? 
3. Learning from this experience, what would you do differently if faced with the same/similar problem? 

(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 80-100 words.

Looking back at the last 8 weeks of university identify a problem in which emotions impacted the judgement and decision made.
(Please use this section to write your own entry). Approx 150 words

WEEK 9 Personal, Professional and Self Development

Over the last weeks we have examined a range of key skills for your personal and professional development. For the remaining weeks we will focus on researching and planning your personal development.

CONSIDER YOUR GOALS….

Morgan (2020)

Take time to consider your journey as an undergraduate student so far and consider where you would like to be in the future.

Using the table below determine your priorities and identify your long, medium and short term goals.

Consider some of the opportunities presented to you in this week’s lecture and how they may support you to achieve these goals.

Tip: You can reference this table in your assignment part iii.

WEEK 10 Personal, Professional and Self Development

This week we have continued to look at the various opportunities available to you as students at the University of Sunderland. Based on the talks that we have had and the other opportunities you have been presented this week you must identify the ONE opportunity for improvement that you intend to pursue.

CONSIDER YOUR GOALS & THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE….
Research the various opportunities that you have learned about this week and evaluate how they challenge and develop you in terms of skills, behaviours, and mindset AND enhance your employability prospects.

This table can be copied and included in part iii of your assignment.

The research you conduct for these opportunities can be used as evidence in the assignment part iii, provided as appendices.