Assignment -
Complete a reflective journal of the internship that you have completed. Complete 5 reflective journals that summarise an event from which you learnt something. Use Kolb's experiential learning cycle (provided in the attached files) method to complete your journal entries.
Learning Cycle -
Stage 1: Concrete Experience
Describe a situation in which the outcome was unexpected or unknown before it occurred (worse or better than you expected). What did you expect? What actually happened? What was your role in the situation? Be as concise as possible with this stage. Give just enough information to set the scene.
Stage 2: Reflective Observation
Imagine yourself stepping out of your body and observing the situation from a neutral position. Analyse and discuss the experience. Conclude one specific thing you learnt from it.
- What were your feelings during and after the experience?
- What caused the outcome to be worse or better than you expected?
- What decisions did you make?
- Who else had an influence?
- Were there any external factors?
- Overall, how did you perform on that occasion?
State one specific thing you learnt.
Stage 3: Abstract Conceptualisation
Generalise your learning from stage 2. Give at least two detailed examples of where this learning applies that are different to the original experience. By generalising your learning you can apply it broadly in future. Also, do some basic research into a method or tool to improve performance that suits you personally. Talk to a mentor or someone with experience, read a journal or text book, search online, etc.
Stage 4: Active Experimentation
The final stage in the process is working out what you are going to do in future - an evidence based plan that suits you.
- How can you prepare for this type of situation in the future?
- How will you change your behaviour? Be specific about your plan.
- Why do you think your plan will be effective? Provide evidence.
- Why does this plan suit you personally?
Kolb-in-Words
Stage 1 (summarise an event from which you learnt something - don't analyse things here):
- Briefly describe the event.
- What was your role (what were you doing) during the event?
- What did you expect would happen before going in to the event?
- What was the actual outcome from the event?
Stage 2 (analyse the event and focus in on one main thing you learnt from it):
- What were your emotions / feelings (angry, frustrated, embarrassed, happy, etc) BOTH during the experience and when looking back on it afterwards?
- What did you do that affected the outcome?
- What did others do that affected the outcome?
- Were there any external factors / influences - material, environmental, situational (i.e. hardware / software failure, weather, traffic jam, etc)?
- How do you think you performed given the circumstances?
- Clearly state ONE main thing that you learnt from the event and outcome.
Stage 3 (apply the lesson widely and research how to improve performance):
- Give two clear and specific examples of future professional engineering situations where the lesson can apply that are different to each other and different to the original event / situation. Think broadly.
- Do some research into a method(s) and / or tool(s) to improve performance in this area in future (can be discussing with an experienced colleague / mentor, reading a journal / textbook, doing online research, etc.). Cite the source(s) used.
Stage 4 (make a plan and say why you think it will work and why it suits you personally):
- Concisely state how you behaviour / approach will change in future to improve / consolidate performance in this area based on the research results (the tool or method you find).
- Clearly state why this new behaviour / approach will work (what evidence do you have that it will work?).
- State why this plan suits you personally (both in terms of the situations in which you work and your personal working style).
Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar