Over the duration of the programme, compile a personal portfolio consisting of a series of reflective accounts of specific incidents that provide opportunities for translating theory into practice. There should be six incidents which can be drawn from:
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Firstly, site visits,
Secondly, group work,
Thirdly, carrying out a specific assignment
Further, feedback on a specific assignment
Additionally, extra-curricular activities.
Ensure that you have at least one from each type of incident.
Prepare a report of this series of learning incidents connecting your learning to some aspect of theory. A key element of this portfolio is your consideration of revisions to your own future practice and consideration of self-awareness. Thus, it is likely that you will be writing in the first person, in the active voice and with a careful consideration of multiple perspectives.
This portfolio is intended to be used to build into a cumulative document that provides a reflective account of examples of your learning and development throughout the programme. It is also a good idea to think about different forms of reflection (e.g. flowcharts, diagrams, words, etc.) It is important to make strong links between theory and practice. This will require you, for each incident, to choose at least one concept from any module that you wish to explore in more detail.
The idea is to reflect on how theory may be applied to practice, developing a view as to whether theory or observed practice needs further development. It will be useful to relate your discussion of practice to a recognized professional skills framework. The write-up of each incident will require you to pursue further reading. Ideally focusing on journal papers that report the results of research but ensuring that the focus is on reflection rather than the technical context the incident.
The following questions as prompts to help you develop your account of each incident:
• What was interesting about the incident you have chosen? Was there anything surprising or new to you that caught your attention?
• What was it about the concept you chose that made you decide to choose it?
• Are there any particular aspects of this concept that you feel you did not fully understand? Are there any aspects of the incident that seemed unusual?
• How does your observation serve as an example of the application of the concept in a real-world setting? This could relate to construction work, to academic work. Or to anything else that you come across while studying. It relates to a concept that has been introduced in one of your modules.
• Can you demonstrate a connection between your learning and a recognized professional skills framework? (For example, make sure that you include discussion around the requirements of the professional institution most relevant to your career plans.)
• Give examples of how you think your learning around this issue might influence the way you carry out your future professional work.
