Final Blog: Review

Review

After reviewing the aims and objectives of the module, I am comfortable and satisfied that they have all been met to the highest regard.

Throughout my first year at University, and particularly within this module, I feel that I have expanded a number of different skills, although predominantly my communication and interpersonal abilities both one on one and within a group.

The skill I feel I have developed the most due to the topics covered in the module is my ability to deal with conflict. The course widened my understanding of conflict, why it may arise, and the best ways to deal with it to ensure that a group or team can move on from the issue. Not only did the theory help me gain more of an understanding, but also by including a group assignment into the module, gave me the opportunity to use the newly developed skills if necessary.

Once I had completed all of the required blogs, I looked back over them and realised how my writing skills have also benefited due to the blogging throughout the year. I have improved on the range of references I have used, my ability to reference properly and also what information is relevant.

The second blog, improving staff performance, is a blog that I felt I struggled with when writing. I feel this is because I became confused with the different theories, including content and process. However I do not feel this is down to how the lecture was delivered or the blog activity written, but that if I had used the resources available to me effectively I would have successfully understood what was required of me within the blog.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the module and it’s structure, including the blogging throughout the year. I feel that it was something different and a soft way of introducing new students into referencing and structuring before the first assignment. The blogs create an opportunity for students to get to grips with the new way of writing and learning with feedback along the way to improve on any weaknesses they may have. I found this help and guidance invaluable and have used what I have learnt throughout my other modules and assignments.

I enjoy the range of assignments within the module, including the blogging throughout the year, a group task and an individual assignment, however I feel that the individual assignment could have been on a more academic topic as opposed to a reflective assignment.

I personally struggled with this assignment and I feel that is because I was unsure of the line between how personal the assignment was and how academic it was and therefore what kind of research and references needed to be used, what information was relevant and what wasn’t.  

Another suggestion for the module could incorporate a presentation; group or individual. Many other modules include a presentation of some kind, some as whole assignments and others as part of an assignment, for example 10% of the overall assignment.

In the first group assignment, you sat with each group as they presented what they had done so far, however this was not a formal presentation. Including a formal presentation, that may have to be done in front of the class, may help students to develop more interpersonal skills and could help break away from the 100% written based assignment module. 

Sourced: Google Images 'Team Work'