Essay, Other Subject
Reflective Report
Project description
Make up 2-3 critical incidents that you have faced during that teamwork. It can be anything… Forming a group, having arguments within the group, cultural issues. You can make it up. (There are more example in the instructions paper).
Please use Kolb’s Cycle of learning: 1. describe the incident 2. reflective observation 3. explain it, use theory 4. solutions for future.
Do not forget the Executive Summary.
The attached Brief will explain everything in detail.
You are required to write an individual report (NOT AN ESSAY) based on reflective analysis.
An introductory discussion on how reflective practice techniques can be useful to analysing your (MEGA)teamwork experience.
2. Use of relevant academic theories and concepts applied to the context of your reflective analysis.
3. An outline of critical incidents (positive and negative) that affected your team and you as an individual
4. Elaboration on the consequences of these incidents
5. A concluding chapter on how the areas discussed previously have:
(i) Developed transferable skills (or not)
(ii) The influences that your learning experiences will have in any future organisational and team roles that you undertake.
(iii) You are encouraged to use relevant academic theories in your conclusions as well.
Proposed Structure:
• Ex. Summary

Describing max one page what is this assignment on, key concepts, key incidents and mostly the learning outcomes on your transferable skills)

• Table of contents (excluded from the word count)

• Introduction:
Short – one/two paragraphs ideally describing briefly reflective techniques and their value. Here you mention the key theories on reflection that you will use (or not) and why. For example theories from authorssuchs as Kolbs, Gibbs, Schon, etc. A smart way to get points is not just to mention and reference the ones that you use but also the ones that you will not use and why (and of course reference them).

• Critical Incidents analysis:

Over here you can write from 2 to 3 critical incidents either positive or negative from your experience in MEGA simulation. Avoid writing only one or more than 3 (since then you either overanalyse or analyse too thinly). Ideally 2-3 would be just fine depending on your writing style (extensive or not). Within those critical incidents (for every one): you need to analyse what happened shortly and not write a narrative/personal story or self-justification. You need to identify both your view and the other members’ views looking at things in a reflective manner. You can also write in the 1st person if you need to.
It is for you to reflect on the most memorable (important for you) moments/processes/feelings and then go on the next level to analyse them through the relevant theoretical concepts .
Reflecting, you need to mostly explain through the use of theories why this/these happened. For example, in the beginning/first week of your teamwork for the simulation you might experienced issues on getting together as team members and take the appropriate decisions. This can be viewed though the ”team formation” theories (i.e.norming, storming, performing), through communication theories, through leadership, through power, through culture, through team working/group dynamics concepts and or course through strategy concepts when talking of the appropriate strategy. These concepts (and many more similar) should be used for you to analyse your experience (providing the referencing) and talking about the implications to you and your team.

In the end of every incident OR after the incidents, you need to say clearly how this experience helped you develop your skills (which skills and why) and these can be used in the future to your professional life. That is why we call them transferable skills. For example how did you develop more your interpersonal, organisational, communication, planning (and many more) skills and their value since using them in the future professional life. This is the ”Quality of critical insights: 30%” and part of the conclusions.

• The conclusions can be either part of every incident or a final part of the report. In any case, please make them clear for us by making them either separate sub-chapters in every incident or a different chapter in the end of the report. Over here you need – as said before – you need to explain clearly the transferable skills developed

• Sources/ References (excluded from the word count):
Make sure you list all the theories, concepts that you mention inside the text and also the ones that you read to write the text (even if they are not mentioned in it!). Use of course, the Harvard Ref Style.

NOTE:
Theories and Concepts that can be used in your critical incidents analysis and reflection (you don’t need to use all of them but we are sure that you can if you want to):
• Reflection theories and techniques
• Communication,
• Culture,
• Decision Making
• Group Dynamics
• Strategy concepts (e.g. cost leadership or differentiation approach from M.Porter)
• Leadership
• Team formation and co-working

 
DON’T
– Stick with a descriptive narrative
– End up with a list of events
– Blame / Make Excuses
– Avoid obvious learning opportunities
– Forget to relate to referenced theory
DO
– Write in the first person
– Analyse and relate material to referenced theory
– Take responsibility for your own role
– Ensure there are learning outcomes
– Focus on what worked ….as well as what could be improved upon