Professional Development Assignment

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a Professional Development assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of social, environmental and ethical issues in the computing industry.

2. Understand the dynamics of working with others including the use and application of supportive communication skills and relate this to appropriate theory.

3. Demonstrate acquired interpersonal and transferable skills.

4. Reflect on strategies for problem solving.

5. Demonstrate responsibility for their personal and professional development and an understanding of different learning styles and how their own personal style may impact upon others.

Lifelong Learning

Manage employability, utilising the skills of personal development and planning in different contexts to contribute to society and the workplace.

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module name, the submission deadline and a word count; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list in Arden University (AU) Harvard format. You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a reduction in grade by the same percentage that the word count is exceeded.

You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.

Task 1:

Using Kolb’s model of reflection, and utilising the results of the activities that you have undertaken throughout the module, write a reflective account that considers your previous employment and learning and your current personal and professional development needs. Use relevant literature where appropriate to support your writing. Include a discussion of personal and transferable skills, your awareness of the graduate market and the skills required and your own values and ethics and how this influences the type of career you are looking for. To complete your reflection, present a personal development plan that outlines your short, medium and long term objectives in terms of personal and professional development.

Task 2: Using Kolb’s model of reflection, write a reflective account that outlines your understanding of learning styles and what you have discovered in terms of your preferred learning style. Use the learning styles self-assessment that you completed in lesson 2 as part of the reflection. Consider how your learning style impact on others, for example when working in a group. What problems could arise in a group work situation and how would you resolve them? Use relevant literature where appropriate to support your writing.

An exceptionally critical and insightful reflection that draws on personal learning and employment experience, and integrates it with a sophisticated command of the relevant wider literature. The reflection, analysis and subsequent personal development plan is innovative, rigorous and highly original. The reflection demonstrates an ability to question assumptions, to make connections and revise their thinking based on their learning.

A highly critical and innovative reflection that draws on the personal learning experience and shows a clear awareness of how to engage in self-reflection and make effective use of relevant wider literature. There is evidence of high quality of reflection and analysis in the reflection and subsequent personal development plan but this is not maintained across the entire assignment. The work is mostly fluent and accessible but there may be occasional errors on style and technical presentation.

A critical reflection that draws on the author’s personal learning and employment experience, and combines it with a reasonable knowledge of the relevant wider literature. The reflection shows some understanding of how their prior experiences might inform their understanding of themselves and inform their personal development plan but there may be some deficiencies in terms of depth and clarity. Well written and structured with only a few errors in grammar, syntax or style.

A reflection that draws on the author’s personal learning and employment

 experience, showing some limited knowledge of the relevant wider literature. There is some attempt at self-reflection and to apply their learning and employment experience to the understanding of themselves and their subsequent personal development plan but does not demonstrate depth of analysis or understanding and may be overly descriptive.. The writing lacks fluency and may be clumsy in places.

A partial attempt at reflection, which makes little sustained attempt at self-reflection or only does so in a limited manner and showing limited wider reading. The reflection is descriptive and the analysis is neither coherent nor fully logical. The personal development plan is limited in extent and depth. There may be errors of interpretation. Some evidence of structure, but it is likely to be muddled or unclear.

Work that displays little or no real understanding of the assignment. There is no coherent structure. Little reference to the author’s personal learning experience or employment, without any critical reflection. A very limited action plan lacking in relevance. Numerous grammatical and spelling errors.