Computer Architecture - Content Analysis- Reflective Journal

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Assessment Brief ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E RTO Code: 90458
Version 2: 11th October, 2019 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051

ASSESSMENT BRIEF
COURSE: Bachelor of Information Technology

Unit: Computer Architecture

Unit Code: CARC103

Type of Assessment: Assessment 3 – Content Analysis (Reflective Journal)

Length/Duration: 3,000 words

Unit Learning
Outcomes addressed:

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:
1. Describe the elements of IT including hardware, software, communications and
networks
2. Describe and evaluate concepts and elements of operating systems
3. Describe and illustrate appropriate use of data storage and manipulation
4. Describe and illustrate the use of operating systems in device management,
process management, scheduling and dispatching
5. Describe the major issues in enterprise integration platform selection

Submission Date:

Week 14

Assessment Task:
Students are required to analyse the weekly lecture material of weeks 1 to 11 and
create concise content analysis summaries of the theoretical concepts contained
in the course lecture slides.

Total Mark:

50 marks

Weighting:

50% of the unit total marks

Students are advised that submission of an Assessment Task past the due date without a formally
signed approved Assignment Extension Form (Kent Website MyKent Student Link> FORM – Assignment

Extension Application Form – Student Login Required) or previously approved application for other
extenuating circumstances impacting course of study, incurs a 5% penalty per calendar day,

calculated by deduction from the total mark.
For example. An Assessment Task marked out of 40 will incur a 2 mark penalty for each calendar day.

More information, please refer to (Kent Website MyKent Student Link> POLICY – Assessment Policy &

Procedures – Student Login Required)

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
Assessment Brief ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E RTO Code: 90458
Version 2: 11th October, 2019 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION:
Students are required to analyse the weekly lecture material of weeks 1 to 11 and create concise
content analysis summaries of the theoretical concepts contained in the course lecture slides.

Where the lab content or information contained in technical articles from the Internet or books helps
to fully describe the lecture slide content, discussion of such theoretical articles or discussion of the
lab material should be included in the content analysis.

The document structure is as follows (3000 Words):

1. Title Page
2. Introduction (100 words)
3. Background (100 words)
4. Content analysis (reflective journals) for each week from 1 to 11 (2750 words; 250 words per

week):
a. Theoretical Discussion

i. Important topics covered
ii. Definitions

b. Interpretations of the contents
i. What are the most important/useful/relevant information about the content?

c. Outcome
i. What have I learned from this?

5. Conclusion (50 words)

Your report must include:

 At least five references, out of which, three references must be from academic resources.
 Harvard Australian referencing for any sources you use.
 Refer to the Academic Learning Skills student guide on Referencing.

ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION:
This assignment should be submitted online in Moodle through Turnitin.

The assignment MUST be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word format. Other formats may not
be readable by markers. Please be aware that any assessments submitted in other formats will be
considered LATE and will lose marks until it is presented in Word.

For assistance please speak to our Academic Learning Skills Coordinators, in Sydney
(als_syd@kent.edu.au) or in Melbourne (als_mel@kent.edu.au). They can help you with
understanding the task, draft checking, structure, referencing and other assignment-related matters.

GENERAL NOTES FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS
Content for Assessment Task papers should incorporate a formal introduction, main points and
conclusion.

Appropriate academic writing and referencing are inevitable academic skills that you must develop
and demonstrate in work being presented for assessment. The content of high quality work presented
by a student must be fully referenced within-text citations and a Reference List at the end. Kent
strongly recommends you refer to the Academic Learning Support Workshop materials available on
the Kent Learning Management System (Moodle). For details please click the link
http://moodle.kent.edu.au/kentmoodle/mod/folder/view.php?id=3606 and download the file titled
“Harvard Referencing Workbook”. This Moodle Site is the location for Workbooks and information

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
Assessment Brief ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E RTO Code: 90458
Version 2: 11th October, 2019 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051

that are presented to Kent Students in the ALS Workshops conducted at the beginning of each
Trimester.

Kent recommends a minimum of FIVE (5) references in work being presented for assessment. Unless
otherwise specifically instructed by your Lecturer or as detailed in the Unit Outline for the specific
Assessment Task, any paper with less than five (5) references may be deemed not meeting a
satisfactory standard and possibly be failed.

Content in Assessment tasks that includes sources that are not properly referenced according to the
“Harvard Referencing Workbook” will be penalised.

Marks will be deducted for failure to adhere to the word count if this is specifically stated for the
Assessment Task in the Unit Outline. As a general rule there is an allowable discretionary variance to
the word count in that it is generally accepted that a student may go over or under by 10% than the
stated length.

GENERAL NOTES FOR REFERENCING
References are assessed for their quality. Students should draw on quality academic sources, such as
books, chapters from edited books, journals etc. The textbook for the Unit of study can be used as a
reference, but not the Lecturer Notes. The Assessor will want to see evidence that a student is capable
of conducting their own research. Also, in order to help Assessors determine a student’s
understanding of the work they cite, all in-text references (not just direct quotes) must include the
specific page number(s) if shown in the original. Before preparing your Assessment Task or own
contribution, please review this ‘YouTube’ video (Avoiding Plagiarism through Referencing) by clicking
on the following link: link: http://moodle.kent.edu.au/kentmoodle/mod/folder/view.php?id=3606

A search for peer-reviewed journal articles may also assist students. These type of journal articles can
be located in the online journal databases and can be accessed from the Kent Library homepage.
Wikipedia, online dictionaries and online encyclopaedias are acceptable as a starting point to gain
knowledge about a topic, but should not be over-used – these should constitute no more than 10% of
your total list of references/sources. Additional information and literature can be used where these
are produced by legitimate sources, such as government departments, research institutes such as the
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), or international organisations such as the
World Health Organisation (WHO). Legitimate organisations and government departments produce
peer reviewed reports and articles and are therefore very useful and mostly very current. The content
of the following link explains why it is not acceptable to use non-peer reviewed websites (Why can’t I
just Google?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39mnu1Pkgw
(Thank you to La Trobe University for access to this video).

MARKING GUIDE (RUBRIC):
Your answers for the final examination questions will be assessed as per the following marking criteria.
Please read carefully each section/level and marks weightage.

Marking Criteria Marks
Content precisely presented based on references 30 Marks

Presentation (Layout, no grammatical errors, reads well, etc.) 10 Marks

Cited references 10 Marks

Total marks for content analysis assignment 50 Marks

Reflective Language

Reflective writing is analysing your experiences and showing what you have learnt from these experiences.

t differs to other forms of academic writing as the writer can use personal pronouns such as

and we, and be more subjective in their opinion.

Interpretation

For me, the (most)

meaningful

significant

Important

relevant

useful

aspect (s)

element (s)

experience (s)

issue (s)

idea (s)

activity (ies)

was / were

learning

arose from..

happened when

resulted from

began after

became relevant for…

Previously,

At the time,

At first,

Initially,

Subsequently,

Later,

thought (did not think)…

felt (did not feel)

knew (did not know)

noticed (did not notice)

questioned (did not question)

realised (did not realise)

Alternatively,

Equally,

this

might be

is perhaps

could be

is probably

because

due to

explained by

related to

This

is similar to

is unlike

because

(un)like……

this

reveals

demonstrates

recall

remember

This was

difficult

easy

frightening

exciting

I find this

worrying

amusing

convenient

Problems and challenges

Many of the language definitions are adopted from

Reflective Writing, 2017, Division of Student Life, Deakin University, accessed on the 2nd July 2018,
http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills/reflective-writing

Reflection Vocabulary, n.d., Experiential Education Unit, University of Toronto Mississauga, accessed on the 2nd July 2018,
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/experience/sites/files/experience/public/shared/pdfs/Students%20-%20Reflection%20Vocabulary_0-EEU

Hampton, M 2010, Reflective Writing: a basic introduction, accessed on the 2nd July 2018,
http://www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/student-support-services/ask/downloads/Reflective-writing—a-basic-introduction

McMahon, P, 2013, Group Work: work together for academic success, Harper Collins Publishers, London.

McCarthy, M & O’Dell, M 2008, Academic Vocabulary in Use, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.

Many of the language definitions are adopted from

Reflective Writing, 2017, Division of Student Life, Deakin University, accessed on the 2nd July 2018,
http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills/reflective-writing

McMahon, P, 2013, Group Work: work together for academic success, Harper Collins Publishers, London.

McCarthy, M & O’Dell, M 2008, Academic Vocabulary in Use, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.

· One of the most (challenging / difficult / confusing / frustrating) aspects of this (topic / concept / process / activity) was…

· One of the most (difficult / challenging) things to overcome was….

· I had not predicted…………………….

· I did not expect……………..….to happen.

· The problem of……………………….was quite overwhelming for me because…………………

· I experienced difficulties / challenges with………

I had difficulty in……..

· Errors were apparent in the way I ….

· …………………..……posed a challenge for me.

· ………………………..…raised the issue of………………..

· ………………………..revealed shortcomings in ………..

Solution

· I tried to overcome the problem by…..

· I (came up with / found a solution) to the problem of….. by ……………

· I (overcame / resolved) the problem of……….….by…………

· The answer to the problem lay in ………

What have you learnt?

· My experience of this topic leads me to (believe / think / question)….

· I (think / feel / believe / hope / am convinced) ….

· I have (improved / developed / enriched /upgraded) my (understanding / knowledge of / ability to / skills in)…………

· I (found / discovered) I (was able to / had the ability to)………

· I (learnt that / acquired the knowledge to)…..

· Based on my personal beliefs and experiences, …

· It had not occurred to me that……

· I have (significantly / slightly) (developed / improved) my (skills in / understanding of / knowledge of / ability to)……………….

· Having (read / experienced / applied / discussed / analysed / learnt) ……, I now (think / feel / realise / wonder / question / know)…..

· (Additionally / Furthermore / Most importantly), I have learnt that…..

Areas of improvement and future development

· If I learnt the topic again in the future, I would certainly…..

· (With hindsight / on reflection), it would have been a good idea to….

· I realise that I need to work on……

· As a next step, I need to…. This means that…. This makes me feel…..

· Since I (did not / have not yet / am not yet certain about / am not yet confident about / do not yet know / do not yet understand)…., I will now need to…..

· This (knowledge / understanding / skill) (is / could be / will be) (essential / important / useful) to me in the workplace because…..

Reflective Writing

ALS Coordinators

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E
RTO Code: 90458 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
Version 2 – 18th December 2015

What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing is a method of reviewing your personal thoughts about topics.
For the final assessments, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned during the trimester and present this information as a reflective journal or report.
2

Reflective writing is
More personal than traditional academic writing.
You can use personal pronouns (e.g. I, we, my) and you should provide your perceptions about the content.
Concerned with specific aspects that you found challenging, and how you overcame them.
Focused on comparing, contrasting and analysing an idea or process based on your own perspective
Still written in a formal structure. Use full sentences and complete paragraphs.
3

Reflective writing is NOT
x Simply recounting what you learned or what happened and nothing else.
x Only summarising the topic or process with no analysis.
x Writing dishonestly about your experiences to impress the lecturer.

What is a Self-Reflective report?
5

A reflective report requires you to write about what you have learnt throughout the trimester.
The reflective report will require you to base your reflection on course content and information from external sources.

Reflective report process

Description: Important topics and concepts taught on that particular week.
Analysis: interpretation of the topics covered in that particular week.
Outcome: what you have learned from the topics covered.

Reflective report structure

Cover page
Introduction = the purpose and scope of the reflective report.
Background = information on and general experience of the unit (strengths, challenges, areas of improvement & relevance to future plans).
Week 1
Section 1: Content
Section 2: Analysis
Section 3: Outcome / Learning
Week 2
Section 1: Content
Section 2: Analysis
Section 3: Outcome / Learning
Week 3 – 11 (same structure as week 1 and 2)
Conclusion = summary of main points raised. Implications for your future.

Ryan Honner (RH) – [@Jeanine Groves] Should this slide be the Monash example?

Jeanine Groves (JG) – I thought we need some clarification on layout as many students will see report and think ‘executive summary, table of contents, introduction, etc.

Reflective report questions to consider

What subject knowledge did I learn each week? What insights have I gained each week?
What do I now know that I did not know the week before?
What skills did I learn as I worked through the unit each week?
What theory proved to be useful and why? Why not?
What theory from outside references can I bring in to support what I say I have learnt?
What aspects of the content did I find easy to understand? Hard to understand? Why?
What challenges arose about the topic area/s that I had not anticipated?
How did I tackle any problems that arose?
Was my problem solving effective? How could it have been more effective?
What strengths and weaknesses have I noticed about myself, and what can I do to address these weaknesses?
What skills do I now realise I need to improve?
What would I do better next time and with what anticipated results?
What conclusions can I draw from the whole learning experience?
How does the new experience fit with my previous experience?
How relevant is the content / concepts / theory to modern day workplace practices? My future career plans?
How will I use what I have learnt in the future, either as a (IT programmer) or in business?

Reflective report language style
Personal pronouns (I\they) and possessive adjectives (my\their) are acceptable.
Full sentences, not bullet points only, are needed.
Emotive language is acceptable so long as it is relevant and appropriate. Subjective language may be used.
Capitalisation and punctuation rules still apply.
Correct paragraphing and sentence structures (simple, compound, complex and complex-compound) are required.
Transitional (cohesive) devices are needed between sentences and paragraphs to make your ideas easy to follow.
Diagrams and charts can be used but need to be explained.
Referencing is still required for any ideas, examples or graphics used from other sources.
Font style, colour and size follow the same format as any other academic assessment.
Personal diary entries and written complaints are different to reflective assessments. Remember that someone will be reading and assessing your reflective writing so the common principles of writing for an academic audience apply. That is,
Abusive, discriminative, offensive, defamatory, highly personal, and texting (including emojis) language is not recommended.
9

Reflective report sample
Thinking back to my high schooling I see myself as an excited, conscientious and avid learner motivated by understanding the unknown. I loved exploring the world using my imagination, literature and by getting my hands dirty. I loved questioning how things worked by interrogating and disturbing seemingly complex systems like water fountains, garage doors or anything with buttons. It is said that all children are born with curious minds. I believe curiosity is an innate aspect of childhood that drives the learning process. This theory of learning was actually pioneered by Jean Piaget (1954), who argued that knowledge is generated by experience and ideas interacting. Piaget suggested that learning occurs as we navigate and interact with our environment: “The universe is built up into an aggregate of permanent objects connected by causal relations. The self thus becomes aware of itself, at least in its practical action, and discovers itself as a cause among other causes and as an object subject to the same laws as other objects” (Piaget, 1954, p. 397). I too believe it is the interaction between a subject and its environment which is fundamental to the process of learning. However, in addition to this, I believe that learning deeply involves asking questions, testing ideas and finding answers. I argue that this process of interacting with and questioning our environment is what constitutes learning.

Source: Monash University (2020)
Description

Analysis

Outcome

Sources for reflective reports (at least 5)

Academic Books (prescribed course book, recommended readings, books on similar topics): useful resources for understanding definitions of theory, concepts, processes; diagrams and charts of theories and concepts, the inclusion of an index.
Online peer review articles (EBSCO, Pro Quest, Google Scholar): insight into specific topics, academic sound articles that have been reviewed and critiqued by academics in the field, accurate and reliable information and data, qualitative and quantitative data availability.
Government websites (ABS): update to statistics and information on topics from specific regions and states in the country, accurate data, transparent and reliable information, availability of information from many different industries.
Company websites: availability of information on the business’ financials; inclusion of market and business objectives, vision and mission statements, and new and existing products and / or services; information about the company’s organisational structure and senior management.
Journalistic articles: (newspaper and online publishers) articles on current topics, great source for case studies, relevant and resourceful, often provide many different perspectives on the same topic.

Need more support?
Academic Learning Support Coordinator
I can assist you with your reflective report and provide feedback on drafts.
Sydney Melbourne
Location: MZ.05 (library) Level 9 Library
Email: als.syd@kent.edu.au    als.melb@kent.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9093 5171    (03) 8353 0871
Zoom: 619-467-4122   Zoom: 375-239-7677
12

Reference List
Dwyer, J 2013, Communication for Business and the Professions: Strategies and Skills, 5th edn, Pearson, Sydney.
Learning Skills Group 2015, Harvard referencing, Macquarie University, viewed 4th December 2019, file:///C:/Users/JGroves/Downloads/harvard_referencing_s2_2015%20(2)

The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) 2019, Reflective Writing, UTS, viewed 8th May 2020, https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/academic-writing/reflective-writing
The Learning & Career Hub 2019, ‘Examples of Reflective Writing’, The University of NSW, viewed 8th May 2020, https://student.unsw.edu.au/examples-reflective-writing#top
13

kent.edu.au
Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 ● CRICOS Code: 00161E ● RTO Code: 90458 ● TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
14

Reflective Writing

ALS Coordinators

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E
RTO Code: 90458 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
Version 2 – 18th December 2015

Ryan Honner (RH) – [@Jeanine Groves] https://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1465452/Example-reflection-using-the-4Rs-reflection-model
Is this useful?

What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing is a method of reviewing your personal thoughts about topics.
For reflective journal, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned during the trimester and present this information as a reflective journal or report.
2

Reflective writing process
3

Image: Reflective writing process (Dwyer2013)

What is a Self-Reflective journal?
6

A reflective journal requires you to write about what you have learnt throughout the trimester. In some cases, you will be required to write an entry for each week.
The reflective journal will require you to base your reflection on course content and information from external sources.

Reflective journal structure

2500 words broken into 10 separate journal entries = 250 words per entry
Include a title for each entry e.g. Week 2: Organisation Behaviour.
No Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Recommendations, General introductions and conclusions needed.
Font style, colour and size follow the same format as any other academic assessment.
Diagrams may be used if necessary.
Referencing is still required for any ideas or examples used from other sources.

Assessment description

Identify what material was covered in that week’s unit content

How the content was delivered (lecture and tutorial activities)

How you felt about the content and how it relates to your previous experience or learning

What you learnt from that week’s class

How you will use that learning in the future

Reflective questions to consider for each entry

What subject knowledge did I learn each week? What insights have I gained each week?
What do I now know that I did not know the week before?
What skills did I learn as I worked through the unit each week?
What theory proved to be useful and why? Why not?
What theory from outside references and / or real life examples can I bring in to support what I say I have learnt?
What aspects of the content did I find easy to understand? Hard to understand? Why?
What challenges arose about the topic area/s that I had not anticipated?
How did I tackle any problems that arose?
Was my problem solving effective? How could it have been more effective?
What strengths and weaknesses have I noticed about myself, and what can I do to address these weaknesses?
What skills do I now realise I need to improve?
What would I do better next time and with what anticipated results?
What conclusions can I draw from the whole learning experience?
How does the new experience fit with my previous experience?
How relevant is the content / concepts / theory to modern day workplace practices? My future career plans?
How will I use what I have learnt in the future, either as a (IT programmer) or in business?

Reflective language style
Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives are acceptable.
Full sentences, with some bullet points, are used.
Emotive language is acceptable so long as it is relevant and appropriate. Subjective language may be used.
Capitalisation and punctuation rules still apply.
Correct paragraphing and sentence structures (simple, compound, complex and complex-compound) are required.
Transitional (cohesive) devices are needed between sentences and paragraphs to make your language easy to follow.
Use your language to explain your point or refer to the theory / concept title.
Personal diary entries and written complaints are different to reflective journal assessments. Remember that someone will be reading and assessing your reflective writing so the common principles of writing for an academic audience apply. That is,
abusive, discriminative, offensive, defamatory, highly personal, and texting (including emojis) language is not recommended.
10

Reflective writing sample
Last week’s lecture presented the idea that effective communication is the most powerful form of influence [1] . My position as a student studying marketing makes this an important issue for me [2] and one I was thinking about while watching the ‘The New Inventors’ television program last Tuesday [3] . The two ‘inventors’ (an odd name considering that, as Smith (2002) says, nobody thinks of things in a vacuum) were accompanied by their marketing people. The conversations were quite contrived, but also funny and enlightening. I realised that the marketing people used a certain form of evidence to persuade the viewers (us?) of the value of the inventions [4] . To them, this value was determined solely by whether something could be bought or sold—in other words, whether something was ‘marketable’. In contrast, the inventors seemed quite shy and reluctant to use anything more than technical language, almost as if this was the only evidence required – as if no further explanation was needed.
This difference forced me to reflect on the aims of the unit —how communication skills are not generic but differ according to time and place. Like what was discussed in the first lecture, these communication skills are the result of a form of triangulation, [5] which I have summarise below.

1.  Description of topic encountered in the unit.
2.  The author’s voice is clear
3.  Introduces ‘everyday’ life experience
4.  The style is relatively informal, yet still uses full sentences
5.  Makes an explicit link between ‘everyday’ life and the topic

Source: The Learning & Career Hub UNSW (2019)

Ryan Honner (RH) – [@Jeanine Groves] Let’s get feedback from Emran and the IT team on an IT model.

Sources for reflective assessments

Academic Books (prescribed course book, recommended readings, books on similar topics): useful resources for understanding definitions of theory, concepts, processes; diagrams and charts of theories and concepts, the inclusion of an index.
Online peer review articles (EBSCO, Pro Quest, Google Scholar): insight into specific topics, academically sound articles that have been reviewed and critiqued by academics in the field, accurate and reliable information and data, qualitative and quantitative data availability.
Government websites (ABS, ): updated statistics and information on topics from specific regions and states in the country, accurate data provided, transparent and reliable information, availability of information from many different industries.
Company websites: availability of information on the business’ financials; inclusion of market and business objectives, vision and mission statements, and new and existing products and / or services; information about the company organisation and management.
Journalistic articles: (newspaper and online publishers) articles on current topics, great source for case studies, relevant and resourceful, often provide many different perspectives on the same topic.

Need more support?

ALS Coordinator, Sydney and Melbourne
(02) 9093 5171 or (03) 8353 0871
Zoom ID 619-467-4122 or 375-239-7677
ALS.SYD@kent.edu.au or ALS.MELB@kent.edu.au
Mezzanine or level 9, library

The Learning & Career Hub 2019, ‘Examples of Reflective Writing’, The University of NSW, viewed 8th May 2020, https://student.unsw.edu.au/examples-reflective-writing#top
The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) 2019, Reflective Writing, UTS, viewed 8th May 2020, https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/academic-writing/reflective-writing

kent.edu.au
Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 ● CRICOS Code: 00161E ● RTO Code: 90458 ● TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
15

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
Reflective Writing ABN: 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E RTO Code: 90458
Version 1: 29 March 2017 Page 1 of 3 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051

Reflective Writing: Tips and Samples

Reflective writing is a subjective method of reviewing your personal thoughts about a

particular topic. In higher education, students are commonly asked to reflect on what

they have learned during a particular class or honestly assess their experience when

completing an assignment.

Reflective writing is:

 More personal than traditional academic writing. You can use personal

pronouns (e.g. I, we, my) and you should provide your perceptions about the

course or content.

 Concerned with specific aspects that you found challenging, and how

you

overcame them.

 Focused on comparing, contrasting and analysing an idea or event based on

your own perspective

 Still written in a formal structure. Use full sentences and complete paragraphs.

Things to avoid

x Simply recounting what you learned or what

happened

x Only summarising the topic or process

x Writing dishonestly about your experiences

Self-Reflection Process

Describe

Analyse

Evaluate

You

Choose one part of the

learning experience and write

about what happened

Explain what the learning

experience means from your

perspective

Choose one part of the learning
experience and write about what

happened
Choose one part of the learning
experience and write about what
happened
Choose one part of the learning
experience and write about what
happened

Show how successful the

learning experience was for

you

Explain how this changed your

understanding of a topic or

yourself

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
Reflective Writing ABN: 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E RTO Code: 90458
Version 1: 29 March 2017 Page 2 of 3 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051

Example One: Reflective Journal Entry

My first month studying at Kent has been a difficult experience. It took me some time

to find a job and I have to work a lot to afford food, rent and school fees. It has also

been hard because I did not know any other students and I sometimes have trouble

understanding my lecturer. A positive factor is that I enjoy studying my subjects and

feel very motivated to achieve high distinctions in every subject. I have found that

writing lecture notes by hand has made it easier to remember more information, so I

will aim to write organised notes for every class. This has enabled me to review all

lectures after class and makes it easier to understand each chapter of the textbook.

One strategy that I want to use is to ask more questions in class. I often feel shy and

embarrassed but I know that I will not understand unless I ask my lecturer. I also want

to push myself to talk to other students and I can ask questions to them too. I have

learnt that studying as part of a group is an effective method of revising, so I’d like to

make some more friends before the mid-trimester exams and hopefully I can study

with other people. As part of this approach, I have been attending the weekly study

group sessions and regularly complete my assignments in the library with other

students. This has made me feel more positive about studying, especially when

completing difficult subjects.

Outside of class, I want to take more time to relax. The first few weeks have felt

overwhelming and sometimes I get really stressed. I am going to try read a textbook

chapter in bed and try to get to sleep earlier. Getting more sleep will hopefully make

me feel awake and alert when I go to lectures.

Example Two: Self Reflection on an Assignment

Last week I submitted my final essay for Business Communication. The topic of the

essay was whether or not communication skills were more important than technical

skills, and my essay argued that communication skills were more important. In

researching this topic, I analysed the importance of communication skills in fields such

as health and IT—both of which require extensive technical skills—and concluded that

roles in these fields still require effective communication in order to complete their

respective job responsibilities properly.

One of the major issues I had was finding academic sources for my assignment. I had

never used an academic database before and was unsure about how to find relevant

sources. It took quite some time to analyse the essay topic, understand the key words

and then put these words into EBSCO. When I could not find any sources straight

away, I became quite frustrated. After talking to ALS, I learnt how to develop alternative

search terms and use Boolean operators to limit my search to more relevant sources.

This made it much easier to narrow down the search and find academic articles that

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were directly relevant to the topic I was investigating. These searches produced peer-

reviewed articles that examined key case studies in health and IT, which proved useful

in supporting my essay argument.

Another issue I faced was structuring the essay. I had several key points I wished to

discuss, but the assignment was limited to 1000 words. As a result, I downloaded the

essay plan template on the ALS Moodle page and mapped out three key points that I

wanted to make to support my essay argument. This made the structure much easier

to follow, and it also made me think deeply about the essay content. I needed to focus

on the most important elements and assess whether or not each sentence and

paragraph was essential to supporting my argument. For example, I decided to omit a

paragraph that examined the role of communication in schools, because I felt that

health and IT were more relevant topics to consider in regards to technical skills.

Overall, completing this assignment developed my research and writing structure

skills. I had difficulties with finding sources and selecting key points for analysis, yet I

was able to overcome these challenges through attending an ALS consultation, using

the guides available on Moodle and assessing which elements of my essay were

essential in supporting my main argument. For future assignments, I will aim to always

use an essay plan template and use academic articles as part of my analysis.

Further Resources

For further information on reflective writing, see Chapter 22 of Judith Dwyer’s

Communication for Business and the Professions (the Business Communication

textbook).

Reference

Dwyer, J 2013, Communication for Business and the Professions: Strategies and

Skills, 5th ed, Pearson, Sydney.

Library catalogue number/shelf location

658.45

Reflective Writing

ALS Coordinators

Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 CRICOS Code: 00161E
RTO Code: 90458 TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
Version 2 – 18th December 2015

What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing is a method of reviewing your personal thoughts about topics.
For the final assessment, you are asked to reflect on what you have learned during the trimester and present this information as a reflective report.
2

What is a Self-Reflective report?
5

A reflective report requires you to write about what you have learnt throughout the trimester.
The reflective report will require you:
to analyse the weekly lecture material from week 1 to 11 and create concise content analysis summaries of the theoretical concepts contained in the weekly lecture slides.
to base your reflection on course content and information from external sources.

Reflective report structure

Title page
Introduction = the purpose and scope of the reflective report. (100 words)
Background = information on and general experience of the unit (short history of CARC, definition of CARC, current changes in Computer Architecture, general experience learning CARC). (100 words)
Introductory Computer Architecture: week 1 (250 words)
Theoretical Discussion
i. Important topics covered
ii. Definitions
Interpretations of the content
i. what are the most important / useful / relevant information about the content?

Outcome – What I have learnt from this?

Week 2 – 11 (same structure as week 1)
Conclusion (50 words) = summary of main points raised. Implications for your future.

Ryan Honner (RH) – [@Jeanine Groves] Should this slide be the Monash example?

Jeanine Groves (JG) – I thought we need some clarification on layout as many students will see report and think ‘executive summary, table of contents, introduction, etc.

Reflective report questions to consider

What subject knowledge did I learn this week? What insights have I gained this week?
What do I now know that I did not know the week before?
What skills did I learn as I worked through the unit this week?
What theory proved to be useful and why? Why not?
What theory from outside references can I bring in to support what I say I have learnt?
What aspects of the content did I find easy to understand? Hard to understand? Why?
What challenges arose about the topic area/s that I had not anticipated?
How did I tackle any problems that arose?
Was my problem solving effective? How could it have been more effective?
What academic strengths and weaknesses have I noticed about myself, and what can I do to address these weaknesses?
What academic and technical skills do I now realise I need to improve?
What would I do better next time and with what anticipated results?
What conclusions can I draw from the whole learning experience?
How does the new experience fit with my previous experience?
How relevant is the content / concepts / theory to modern day workplace practices? My future career plans?
How will I use what I have learnt in the future, either as a (IT programmer) or in business?

Reflective report process

Source: Monash University (2020)
Description

Analysis

Outcome

Sources for reflective reports (at least 5, 3 academic)

Need more support?
Academic Learning Support Coordinator
I can assist you with your reflective report and provide feedback on drafts.
Sydney
Location: MZ.05 (library)
Email: als.syd@kent.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9093 5171
Zoom: 619-467-4122
12

kent.edu.au
Kent Institute Australia Pty. Ltd.
ABN 49 003 577 302 ● CRICOS Code: 00161E ● RTO Code: 90458 ● TEQSA Provider Number: PRV12051
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