UMCDRV-15-M Personal and Professional Development Assignment Brief | UWE

UMCDRV-15-M Module Learning Outcomes (MLO) Assessed by This Task:

• Demonstrate your ability to gain self-awareness of your personal and interpersonal skills, personal effectiveness and how to improve these through critical self-reflection
• Evidence your evaluation and application of relevant theories, concepts knowledge in business management contexts
• Critically reflect on your professional development
• Evidence your ability to continue learning and your development during the taught programme through critical reflection

What am I required to do on This Assessment?

There are two aspects to this assignment:

• A 2500-word Synthesis Essay.
• A Portfolio to evidence your learning and underpin your critical reflections and observations in the Synthesis Essay.

Building on the module study units, students will be required to critically reflect on their learning throughout the MSc programme and how this has, or will, help to shape their professional practice. The critical reflections should provide an evaluation of the extent to which the student has used relevant concepts and theories from the PPD module to make a contribution to their personal and professional practice as well as their learning. This should be evidenced in a portfolio of a minimum of 9 completed 4R templates, each addressing a specific study unit on the module. The portfolio will be synthesised by an overarching piece of reflection (2500 words) referring to the module and learning journey as a whole. Students are encouraged to work with peers and tutors throughout the programme to gain formative feedback and support. Students are encouraged to be innovative and creative in meeting the outcomes for the assessment.

We will introduce you to helpful approaches, methods and tools that you can use to create your portfolios. You are further encouraged to be innovative and creative in meeting the outcomes for the assessment. You are also encouraged to look for opportunities during the programme to gain feedback and support from your peers and tutors.

Structuring the Synthesis Essay

In your 2,500-word Synthesis Essay, we ask you to use the following structure:

Introduction

Provide a short overview of your personal and professional development through this programme and introduce a minimum of three themes or areas of your development for discussion.

Main body

Under headings for each of your themes/areas of development, critically reflect on:

• The capabilities you have developed (e.g., knowledge, skills, behaviours, mindsets, etc) and;
• How you have developed these through applying relevant theories/concepts to your various scenarios (e.g., reflection on real-life experiences, past experiences, simulation exercises, negotiations, classroom activities, teamwork, etc).

Include critical reflections and analyses of any self-assessments or diagnostics (such as career development tools) you have undertaken when relevant to your story, and make sure you include examples of when and how you developed greater self-awareness and interpersonal skills. Your essay should also include clear references to evidence detailed in your Portfolio.

Conclusion

Here you pull everything together –

• Say what conclusions you draw from the contents of the main body.
•  Reflect on the next steps in your development journey after this programme.
• Reference your overall strengths and areas for further development.
• Say what you have learned about yourself that will help you in addressing these steps.

Appendix

Include your Portfolio of detailed reflective logs as an appendix to your essay.

Where should I start?

Read the assignment brief on Blackboard carefully and make sure you understand what is required. Study the marking criteria so that you know what assessors are looking for when they mark your work. You must attend all study unit sessions so that you are fully equipped to make sense of your learning journey, as is required in this assignment.

In the first study unit of this module, you will be introduced to a reflective practice template that helps you structure your learning and reflections as you go through the module. The template is available on Blackboard and can be downloaded and used as the basis for the development of your Portfolio. The module team provides you with opportunities to discuss your portfolio development process and will prepare you for writing your Synthesis in assignment guidance and check-in sessions.

You may wish to engage your fellow students in peer-to-peer learning, and you are invited to approach the module team if you need ideas or support.

What do I Need to do to Pass?

You need to demonstrate that you can reflect critically on your learning and development journey, presenting a narrative that refers to relevant theories and ideas covered in the study units. You need to offer reflections on your development of self-awareness and interpersonal skills, and make adequate links between relevant theories and your practice. Your Synthesis should contain clear links to your Portfolio. You should be using the UWE Harvard reference style throughout. Study the marking criteria below to see what is required to pass.

How do I Achieve High Marks in this Assessment?

To achieve high marks, your Synthesis must be excellent, exceptional or outstanding – this entails that you demonstrate thorough and rigorous critical reflection on your learning and development journey and offer in-depth critical reflections that are linked to evidence in your Portfolio.

The narrative about your development must be supported by relevant examples that demonstrate insightful reflections on your own personal and professional development. You need to offer a narrative about your self-development that makes thoughtful links to literature, theory and ideas and demonstrates how you have applied those in your practice. You need to offer clear and thoughtful links to evidence of your learning in the Portfolio throughout. UWE Harvard referencing must be accurately used throughout your Synthesis Essay.

Markers will differentiate between the three categories of high marks as follows: 

• Excellent:-meets the conditions above in several aspects of the Synthesis.
•  Exceptional:-meets the conditions above frequently throughout the Synthesis
• Outstanding:-meets the conditions above consistently throughout the whole
• Synthesis Study the marking criteria below to see how you may achieve a high mark.

How does Learning and Teaching Relate to the Assessment?

Each study unit contains ideas, theories, approaches and methods that are all relevant to this assignment. There are also assignment check-ins in several study unit sessions that will help you to be on track as you go through the module. You will be encouraged to work with peers and to learn through dialogue and collaboration as well as through the presentational content available in sessions and on Blackboard.

What Additional Resources May Help Me Complete this Assessment?

Your module team is available to support you throughout the module. Support is also available through
The range of resources on the module Blackboard site, including the reading list
Coursework support sessions
The UWE library study skills pages, including:

• Reflective Writing
• How to write critically

What do I Do if I am Concerned About Completing this Assessment?

It is recommended that you review all of the relevant materials on Blackboard. You can also speak to your module leader for advice and guidance.

UWE Bristol offers a range of Assessment Support Options that you can explore through this link, and both Academic Support and Wellbeing Support are available.

For further information, please see the Student Study Essentials.