Reflecting on Business and Academic Contexts (Essay)

Personal Reflection on Developing Key Skills for Academic and Business Contexts

Answered

1.Demonstrate knowledge of and understanding in a defined range of skills needed to function in both academic and business practice along with self-awareness of your own abilities.

2.Provide a creative and soundly based solution to a predictable business context that requires the use of a specified range of techniques and information sources. Communicate in a manner appropriate to the business context.

You are required to audit your personal fitness for a business environment, your knowledge, abilities and skills and your plans for improvement.
In your personal reflection, you are required to evidence how you have developed and used key skills needed to function in both the academic and business contexts, as well as your strengths and where you need to focus your efforts.

In your personal reflection, you may want to consider the following:

Communication skills (both verbal and written)
Teamworking skills
Interpersonal skills
Numeracy skills
Information and Communications (ICT) skills
Problem Solving
Time management

The list of skills mentioned above is not exhaustive and it is important to remember that such skills underpin your learning and are highly valued by employers.

	3^rd Class – 40-49%	Lower 2^nd – 50-59%	Upper 2^nd – 60-69%	1^st Class – 70%+
1 Evaluation of key skills developed that are needed to function in the academic and business contexts	Some evaluation of key skills developed with very limited evidence of self-assessment and reflection on learning	Reasonable evaluation of key skills developed with reasonable evidence of self-assessment and reflection on learning	Good evaluation of key skills developed with good evidence of self-assessment, reflection on learning and personal development	Excellent evaluation of key skills developed with excellent evidence of self-assessment, reflection on learning and personal development
2 Evidence of understanding and application of relevant theories and models in the reflection	Some evidence of understanding the application of theories and models but at a superficial level	Evidence of a satisfactory level of understanding and application of theories and models. Some omissions and/or errors	A sound discussion of the application of theories and models showing a good grasp of the key concepts in relation to the work	Excellent application of theories and models showing a very good grasp of the key concepts in relation to the work
3 Plans for improvement based on key strengths and weaknesses	Some effort made in identifying key strengths and weaknesses. Plans for improvement are proposed but may be unrealistic	Reasonable effort made in identifying key strengths and weaknesses. Plans for improvement suggest some understanding of how personal development can be enhanced but are incomplete	Good effort made in identifying key strengths and weaknesses. There is a sound attempt at creating plans for improvement in order to assist personal development	Excellent effort made in identifying key strengths and weaknesses. The plans for improvement clearly indicate what skills can be developed in the future and how these may be achieved
4 Structure, presentation, referencing, spelling and grammar	Some inconsistencies in presentation of material. Style inappropriate in places. Weakly expressed with mistakes in grammar and spelling. A reasonable attempt with several errors both in text and in the References section	Some inconsistencies in presentation of material. Good style. Satisfactorily expressed but several mistakes in grammar and spelling. Most references are correct in text, with appropriate page numbers and listed in the Reference section.	Material is well organised and presented. Good style. Well expressed with very few mistakes in grammar and spelling. Almost all references are correct, both in text and in the Reference section.	Excellent organisation and presentation of material. Excellent style. Excellently expressed with perfect grammar and spelling. All references are correctly cited both in text and in the Reference section