Concepts of Reflective Practice and Experiential Learning - Assignment Example

Personal development planning Name Course Professor Date Introduction Personal development planning entails an examination of the existing situation, needs, goal setting and preparing and action plan that helps to strategize on what needs to be done. Personal development planning is a vital tool not only to identify the current level of professional competence and learning, but to identify areas of future development and broaden our expertise and horizons (Rughani, Franklin & Dixon 2003). This paper focuses on personal development planning, which includes a learning agreement, a SWOT analysis, career objectives, appropriate mechanisms of meeting development needs, learning objectives and an action plan for meeting personal development needs. The paper also assesses personal development in terms of career and education. Concepts of reflective practice and experiential learning Experimental learning and reflective learning practices are concepts whose application in learning environments and the work place is of enormous benefits. These concepts base themselves in the idea that professional workers have the capacity to utilize reflective learning practices in order to improve their skills and knowledge. According to Jasper (2003), reflective practice implies that people learn by reflecting on things that happen to them and see them in different ways, which enable them to take some action. It is one of the most effective ways that help professionals to learn from experience, understand and develop their careers accordingly. Regardless of the application of reflective learning, one of the most crucial things of its utilization is the appropriateness of actual practice (Sugerman et al., 2000). The key components of reflective practice include experiences, reflective processes and actions that result from new perspectives taken (Jasper, 2013). Reflective learning practices help workers to come up with excellent ideas of accomplish the responsibilities bestowed to them. The same applies to educational practitioners and learners as they can apply these concepts to make sure that they experience a fulfilling academic experience. Experiential learning refers to the involvement of learners in concrete activities, which enable them to experience what they lean about and the opportunity to reflect on these activities (Silberman, 2007). Experiential learning is a key element of discourse that constructs experience in a certain way, as something whereby people can derive knowledge via abstraction and the use of methodological approaches (Moon, 2004). The most effective approach for individuals to fulfil their development needs is the development of a plan from an individual level. Personal development planning is essential for learners and professionals because it helps them suit their needs and objectives that they set for themselves. Experiential learning and reflective practices are essential in the development of a personal development plan. Commentary and reflection on initial reactions to PDP Both reflective and experiential learning practices appear to be the most suitable concepts for an individual to develop and appropriate personal development plan. A personal development plan is essential because it provides learners and professions with the capacity to develop goals and achieve them in an appropriate. Initially, the idea of developing a personal development plan felt so ridiculous because of the thoughts that all that is vital is to learn and work. However, the use of intensive reflective learning and experiential learning practices has helped to think beyond mere learning and career. Personal development planning is not only essential for the development of our learning or professional experiences, but also for the understanding of personal weaknesses and strengths. It is now evident that developing a personal development plan is one of the best channels for understanding oneself and pursuing goals and objectives that has both short-term and long-term returns. Learning agreement One of the most critical things considered in the setting of learning goals and career objectives is the use of SWOT analysis, a process that helps in the identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the possible threats to personal development. Career objectives based on SWOT analysis for action plan. In order to identify achievable and helpful goals, I used the SWOT analysis technique to identify my strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses show the possible loopholes that hinder the achievement of satisfaction in the learning and professional environment. The SWOT analysis is available in the appendices. Career objectives: Career Objective How to achieve the objective Achievement indicators To become an excellent leader with adequate experience to solve problems. -Reading books that talk about problem solving skills and how to attain them. -Attempting to solve problems immediately they arise and measuring the efficiency of the solutions selected -Read at least five different books that address the issue of solving problems at work -Increased ability to solve difficult problems within the organization. -Increase in the number of problems solved with a reliable solution To be a leader who has enough self-confidence to guide fellow employees. -Reading literature materials about leadership skills and how to gain confidence at work. -Attending leadership meetings. -Addressing employees every week in order to gain confidence with them and enhance communication skills -development of the ability to blaze new opportunities, command respect at work, guide fellow employees, dare to try new things and understanding the true self. To gain enough experience that will help in the preparation of reliable work plans. -Acquiring time gained experience -conducting an extensive reading on how to construct reliable work plans. -seeking professional assistance from experienced people. -read a substantive amount of literary materials about the preparation of work plans -Ability to implement professional guidelines assistant. -Ability to create a work plan for each day, which is achievable and meets organizational goals Learning objectives: 1. To develop academically and maintain integrity. 2. To improve learning skills 3. To develop my career. Learning Agreement Learning Objective Method of achieving the objective Estimated Timeframe for achieving the objective Achievement indicators/ measurement To develop academically by maintaining academic integrity both at the learning and professional environment -Paying attention to the relationship between academic development and integrity with the learning and professional environment -Familiarizing myself with all relevant academic materials regarding policies and literature, which can help to develop academically and maintain integrity. The entire time spend at the university will be used to achieve this objective. -Observing whether its has been possible to develop academic integrity -assessing whether it has been able to read all relevant literature materials and policies by the end of the course. -Observing and recording my experience after reading the relevant academic materials To improve learning skills such as note taking, time management skills and study skills. -The approach that will help to achieve this objective includes recording grades and focusing on assignment approach and areas that need improvement The achievement of this objective will also take the entire learning duration. The measurement of the achievement of this objective will involve getting feedback from instructors about the development of learning styles Career development-to gain skills that will help in the career plan development that meets my career objectives. -Reading materials that focus on leadership strategies in order to gain appropriate skills as the captain. -applying the gained skills in the professional world in order to gauge the experience. The achievement of this objective will also take the entire study duration -Assessing the number and reliability of skills achieved by the end of the course -Assessing the ability to apply these skills in the career environment. Justification of the most appropriate way to meet development needs In respect to the theories of continuous improvement, SWOT analysis is often useful in assessing individual situations (Gondek & Hommel, 2011). SWOT analysis helps to take action before something bad happens. According to Lee-Davies & Bailey (2007), effective PDP is proactive. One of the methods used in the measurement of the achievement of development needs is the measuring of outcomes. Measuring of outcomes is essential because it helps to gauge whether it has been possible to experience the expected results. This process involves matching the objective with the outcome. This is an appropriate mechanism because it offers the capacity to know whether an individual is able to address the existing weaknesses. In order to achieve both learning and career objectives, feedback is a crucial thing that needs consideration. In order to ensure that the achievement of learning and career objectives is justifiable, it is crucial to seek feedback from educators and professional. This is why I choose to as for feedback from the instructor concerning by learning skills. If the feedback is negative, then it implies that I have not achieved my development needs. On the other hand, if the feedback from the instructor is positive, then it implies that I have been able to achieve my learning objectives. Another technique as seen in the above tables is gauging the ability to implement acquired skills in the corporate world. This is an appropriate technique because it offers the opportunity to asses the achievement of development goals by using a real life situation. Achievement of Objectives I have been able to achieve most of the career and learning objectives. This achievement reflects itself on my ability to raise a family, which requires excellent leadership skills and a personality full of outstanding personality skills. In order to become an excellent leader, who has the capacity to solve problems, I have used two main strategies. One of the strategies is the reading of books that provide information about problem solving skills. These materials offered me with the adequate information about problem solving skills, which enable me to solve problems immediately they arise. I have also been able to become a reliable problem solver through increased experience in solving problems. My strategy has been to find the appropriate solutions to problems, immediately they occur. This is one of the key achievements that have seen me up to the level of a captain in the department of geographical partnerships for five years. In the SWOT analysis, lack of self-confidence is one of the key weaknesses identified. My objective in respect to this weakness was to gain self confidence, which I have been able to achieve. Extensive reading of materials that concern leadership skills has helped me to meet this development goal. I was able to attend a number of meetings with leaders in the field developing plans and strategy for Abu Dhabi Police force. This has helped me to learn a lot about the leadership strategies and created a confidence on how to guide individuals towards the achievement of personal and organizational objectives. Attending leadership meetings has helped me to develop the ability to grab new opportunities, command respect at work, guide fellow employees, try new things and understand the true self. I have also been able to achieve the objective of gaining enough work experience, especially in the preparation of work plans. This has been possible due to the use of reflective practice. According to (Bolton, 2011), reflective practice enables practitioners to learn from experience concerning themselves, work, their relationship with home and work, and other significant issues in the society. I have been reflecting on my personal work and family responsibilities, which have enabled to gain experience to tackle difficult responsibilities. Reflective practices have enabled me to gain a developmental insight that motivates me to take appropriate actions in order to meet my career objectives. I have also been able to meet my developmental goal of achieving academic integrity at the learning and professional environment. I have been able to achieve this goal by familiarizing myself with informative materials that offer reliable information. This information enables me to apply integrity in my field of practice. I have also been able to improve my learning skills, which has helped to improve my learning experience. I have achieved this by experiential learning. Beard & Wilson (2006) reveal various dimensions of experience, and one of the most basic is that experience is a synonym of learning. Since experiential learning has some significant difference compared with the formal learning process, I employed both processes in order to improve my skills through learning and experience. Career development is one of the greatest objectives I have ever set in terms of learning objectives. I have achieved several certifications such as ICDL and attended problem solving sessions. Such certifications and sessions have been key drivers to the acquisition of career development skills. Challenges experienced in achieving the objectives At some point, I thought of changing my objectives, but decided to proceed so as to gauge my ability to achieve these objectives. There were several challenges that made me think of changing my career and learning objectives, but after realizing that I ought to address my weaknesses, I opted to proceed. One of the key reasons for having second thoughts was the availability of new opportunities in academics and career environment. It was one of the difficult decisions to make given the fact that focusing on new opportunities would imply changing some of the career and learning objectives. Another challenge is that as I continue to grow in my career, the present situation pose numerous reasons why I should revisit may career objectives in order to respond to the current job market demand. According to Dent (1999), career objectives change over time and may experience the influence of numerous external factors. For this reason, I found it crucial to reflect on the past, present and future in order to know my current position and where I am going. This has involved a reflection of education background, past jobs, career decisions, and career success and disappointments. It was easy to achieve some objectives because their validity does not depend on the type of career. For instance, acquiring academic integrity and improving learning skills is essential for any job and, therefore, it was easy to achieve such objectives. However, some objective such as career development posed numerous challenges due to the fact that there are numerous careers, whose objective may have a significant difference. I have worked for the Abu Dhabi Police and the department of geographical partnerships. Both careers offer different requirements that create forces hindering the development of a career objective. In this case, it is not easy to gain enough experience for creating work plans. The work plan differs from one organization to another and from one department to the other. Reading and Research Reading and research has been one of the main strategies I have employed in my area of development. This has enabled me to meet my development needs in terms of academics and my career. Henry & Malu (2011) tackle the issue of coaching, mentoring and supervision, which are core techniques that have helped me achieve my career and learning objectives. Coaching supervision and mentoring information has been of significant impact to my career because they have helped me to develop. Some authors such as Dent (1999), Japer (2003), and Beard & Wilson (2006) gave me a clear insight on the importance of reflective practices and experiential learning. These are some of the aspects that have enabled me to develop in terms of career and academics. Reading and research has been a source of critical information about how to succeed in my career and family life. Learning and research has enabled me to come across numerous books and reading materials that offer insights on career development. It is through extensive reading and research that have been able to understand the difference between formal learning and experiential learning. Reading and research has been an excellent approach in acquiring knowledge that is not available in the work environment. It has been an excellent mechanism of initiating wonderful experiences both in my career and academics. Research has helped me develop my research skills, which are essential for any student or employee. This helps to boost my knowledge base as a leader and family man. Research has enabled me to use the appropriate tool to understand my strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, I am able to develop a learning agreement and a development plan that addresses these weaknesses. Evaluation of personal development Personal development plan is the process undertaken by a person to reflect upon his learning, performance or achievement in order to plan for personal, academic and career development. According to Lutchman (2011), most workers have an undeclared personal development plan and are motivated to perform at high levels if career development opportunities align with their plan. In this respect I have had numerous career development opportunities enabling me to succeed in the development of personal plan. In spite of the numerous challenges that created some obstruction, I have experienced positive results in terms of career and learning development. Understanding the concepts of reflective practices and experiential learning has improved my capacity to reflect on past experiences. In addition, extensive learning and research has offered me the opportunity to understand and use appropriate techniques to understand the past, present and future in reference to academic and career. As a family man, reflection on my experiences has enabled me to acquire skills such as finance management within both small and large environments. It is quite satisfying to acquire organizational skills, gain self-confidence, create new experiences, and undergo experiences that tech me some concepts of leadership. I have experienced an improvement in organizational performance owing to the fact that opportunities for career development have been consistent with almost every personal development plan. This consistency has created a situation whereby I can improve organization performance. Improvement has been due to the ability to perform at maximum levels. As a learner, I believe that I have acquired the necessary professional, academic experience, which enables me to prepare for any career. It is evident that reflective practices present numerous benefits in education and workplace environments. As a professional worker, I am able to utilize reflective learning practices, which has enabled me to improve my knowledge. Reflective practices and experiential learning concepts have assured me a fulfilling academic experience. Therefore, since the start of the module, I have experienced a positive change in the achievement of career and educational objectives. This change is as a result of acquired skills, knowledge and understanding of learning concepts and experiences. Action Plan Based on my current career objectives and development, there is a lot that I need to do in terms of development. Career development involves a lot of things, which are dynamic in nature. The requirements of a job may change from time to time; hence, there is a need to develop an action plan to react to the enthusiasm. The action plan considers future educational and career objectives that might change from period to period. Achievement Duration Current Situation: Due to the dynamic nature of careers and education, there is a need to catch up with the latest requirements in terms of career and education - The long-term goal is to be a dynamic worker who can fit in any working environment despite the skills, experience and academic requirements The achievement of the long-term objective will take duration of 7 years. Short term goals: 1. Acquiring certification for 7 different fields. 2. Enhancing community partnerships 3. Opening a company that offers security services to the community at affordable prices -It should take approximately one year to get certification for each field. -Enhancing community partnership is an ongoing process that will take the entire period. -Opening the company should take approximately 5 years. Possible threats and shortcoming include: 1. Financial challenges 2. Limited time duration to work for the certification 3. Strenuous legal requirements for starting I will overcome these challenges by seeking for professional assistance in every step. This will ensure that and do not use a large or small budget, little or excess time, and that I do not go against the expected rules and regulations. Support and Rewards: Most of the support needed will come from myself, family and friends. Though I will consult with my current employer to get some legal advice concerning opening a security services company. After achieving the three objectives, I will just buy myself a multimillion car as a reward for the hard work. Appendices I. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Weaknesses Opportunity Threats 1. Ability to communicate with all spectrums of the society. 2. Ability to commit to time frames. 3. Ability to work and present work in an organized manner. 1. Lack of enough experience to solve problems. 2. Lack of self confidence especially in how to guide individuals. 3. Lack of enough experience in preparing the plans at work. -Ability to do more learning -Authoritative power as the captain -Possible change of career requirements -Financial difficulties II. Personal analysis 1. Education -Bachelor’s degree in social work (2003) -diploma in widget police sciences (2004) -International Computer Driving Licence -Cycle in development of leadership skills -Attended problem solving sessions -Cycle in community policing 2. Experience -Worked in the general command of Abu Dhabi Police (Nearly 5 years) -Captain at the Department of geographical partnership (5 years) List of References Beard, C., Wilson, J. P. 2006. Experiential learning a best practice handbook for educators and trainers. London, Kogan Page. Bolton, G. 2010. Reflective practice: writing and professional development. London, Sage Publications. Dent, F. E. 1999. The self-managed development pocketbook. Alresford, Management Pocketbooks. Gondek, C & Hommel, J. 2011. How Negative Feedback Supports Personal Success. Santa Cruz: GRIN Publishing. Henry, B. W. & Malu, K .F. 2011, “Coaching, mentoring and supervision for workplace learning,” in Extraordinary learning in the workplace, Springer, New York, pp.63-67. Jasper, M. 2003. Beginning reflective practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Lee-Davies, L., & Bailey, S. 2007. Developing work and study skills. Australia, Thomson. Lutchman, C. 2011. Project execution a practical approach to industrial and commercial project management. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press. Moon, J. A. 2004. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London, Taylor & Francis Ltd. Rughani, A., Franklin, C., & Dixon, S. 2003. Personal development plans for dentists: the new approach to continuing professional development. Abingdon, Oxon: Radcliffe Medical Press. Silberman, M. L. 2007. The handbook of experiential learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. Sugerman, D. A.et al. 2000. Reflective learning: theory and practice. Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co. Read More