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Reflective Essay |
Preparing for Success at university: Knowledge and Creativity |
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INTRODUCTION
Knowledge is the information or facts that we have through the learning experiences of our predecessors and our own. In simple terms, information gathered and learnt of all things from discovery and experience is knowledge. Creativity on the other hand is the use of the knowledge or information together to come up with new solutions and results (Njase and Lambert, 2020). The reflective essay is based on the learning and development achievement throughout the module. How and why the knowledge and creativity are learnt and developed as a learner during the module is discussed in the reflective essay. My overall experience with learning and improvement is discussed in the essay along with the further reflection on how I will use the knowledge and creativity to deal with the future challenges and expectations of a university course. The reflection on behaviour, performance and experience throughout the course is presented in the report.
TASK 1
Throughout the term, I studied Module FY026, Preparing for Success at university: Knowledge and Creativity. The module helped me improve and develop many of the skills, knowledge and capabilities like communication skills, presentation skills, research skills, management and leadership, Harvard referencing, different models and many more (Gerhardt, 2021). A few of the skills and competencies are discussed by me in the reflective essay.
The module was based on individual working as well as group work that helped me improve and advance my skills like Presentation and communication. The group working included presentation formation and presenting the same as a team (Tsang, 2018). The learning not only improved my technical skills but also advanced my communication skill as well as team working. The creation of the presentation improved my knowledge of IT skills whereas presenting the same to the class boosted my confidence level as well as improved my communication skill. All these activities happened as a team that improved my teamwork skills as well as added to me in understanding the significance of teamwork for academic and career development (Tsang, 2018).
SWOT analysis is a topic I studied during the module that adds to me in understanding the model and its systematic utilisation in examining the Strengths, flaws, development opportunities and risks. I can say that the knowledge and learning of SWOT analysis helped me very well in identifying my potential and flaws along with the area which needs improvement (Leiber et al., 2018). On systematic implementation of the model, I realised that I have many of the strengths, weaknesses, growth chances and threats that influence my personal and academic life. Some of the strengths I identified in myself are communication skills, creativity and time management. Nervousness and ineffective decision making are some of my weaknesses on which I need to work in future. The advancement in skills like technology, Numeracy and ICT will open more growth opportunities for me whereas the increased level of competition in the academic area and rapid advancement in technology are some threats that affect my potential and capabilities (Leiber et al., 2018).
The module helped me understand the concept of Harvard referencing and its significance in the academic Journey. Harvard referencing is an author-year system that is widely used in academia. Using the concept in academic work means putting the source citation right after the quote thus helping in maintaining academic integrity as well as the ethnicity of the work. The topic helped me identify the sources of the work of others in my work (Wilkinson, 2018). On the other hand, the reference list helped me show my research skills and potential by using a wide range of resources and empowering my work by providing relevant sources. My Tutor helped me understand the Harvard referencing in-depth and thus helped me grow my knowledge related to the area. Working with Harvard referencing style also developed and improved my other skills related to research areas like reading, thinking, documentation, research and creativity (Wilkinson, 2018).
TASK 2
Learning and working with the module, improved my skill and knowledge as well as boosted my confidence and motivation level to handle many of the challenges throughout the learning. When I started the academic journey, I experienced many of the challenges related to the learning environment, confidence, understanding and compatibility with the work. Going through the module added experience to my learning journey and helped me understand the concepts in-depth (Hassel and Ridout, 2018). One of the key advantages of learning and experience was the establishment of the ability to understand new things and cooperate with the same for growth and development. For sure, I will adopt and implement the learning throughout my life for growing professionally as well as personally. Adaptation of the learning and knowledge like SWOT analysis, presentation, communication skills etc. will improve my academic performance and growth. I also identified that punctuality, attendance, respect for others and good behaviour are some key expectations of the university from every individual. I have the potential to fulfil all these expectations of the university as I adopt all these factors in my daily life (Hassel and Ridout, 2018).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, learning and development are essential for enhancing knowledge and abilities as well as for making learning easy and effective in future. The reflective essay helped me in demonstrating my learning and experience throughout the module as well as its significance in my growth and development in future. The major skills and knowledge I discussed in the Essay are Communication, presentation, Harvard referencing and SWOT analysis. The discussed the way all these skills improved as well as how I used these skills for improving my overall academic performance. Another benefit of the module learning is gaining the potential or confidence that I need to face future challenges and handle them effortlessly. My knowledge and experience throughout the module and academic journey will also help in meeting the university course expectations including punctuality, respect and ethical behaviour.
REFERENCES
Gerhardt, T. (2021). An exploratory study of a work-based learning reflection module and the potential links between student attendance and engagement and student success as an indication of the mastery of reflection. Reflective Practice, 22(6), pp.824-843.
Hassel, S. and Ridout, N. (2018). An investigation of first-year students' and lecturers' expectations of university education. Frontiers in psychology, 8, p.2218.
Leiber, T., Stensaker, B. and Harvey, L.C. (2018). Bridging theory and practice of impact evaluation of quality management in higher education institutions: a SWOT analysis. European Journal of Higher Education, 8(3), pp.351-365.
Njase, J. and Lambert, E. (2020). Exploring Knowledge Based Creativity: A Systems Approach Perspective. Open Journal of Business and Management, 8(04), p.1831.
Tsang, A. (2018). Positive effects of a programme on oral presentation skills: high-and low-proficient learners’ self-evaluations and perspectives. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(5), pp.760-771.
Wilkinson, R. (2018) Content and language integration at universities? Collaborative reflections. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21(5), pp.607-615.
