Reference no: EM133697494
Professional Internship
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to build a collection of evidence, to document your capabilities, workplace experiences and reflective evaluation, to guide you in future employment. The aim is to help you to gain insight into your own capabilities, where your strengths and weaknesses lie and how to improve going forward to help realise your career goals.
There are five parts to this assignment with one single submission:
Part A: Supervisor evaluation;
Part B: Performance review;
Part C: Capabilities assessment and development plan;
Part D: Professional conduct and ethical behaviour review;
Part E: Timesheet evidencing
Learning Outcome 1: Apply advanced discipline-based skills, knowledge, practices and behaviours in the context of the host organisation;
Learning Outcome 2: Illustrate evidence of ethical behaviour and appropriate conduct in a professional environment;
Learning Outcome 3: Produce a coherent portfolio which demonstrates achievements in professional practice; and
Learning Outcome 4: Critically reflect on current capability and identify future professional development needs.
Instructions
Part A: Supervisor Evaluation
Approximately two weeks before the end of your internship, you should send your workplace supervisor a link to complete the Workplace Supervisor Evaluation alongside your Case ID. Please refer to Canvas for support. Once supervisors have confirmed their evaluation, you will receive a copy of their completed evaluation within an email. Please retain the email and include it in your portfolio submission under Part A.
You must ensure your Supervisor has a copy of your Program of Work Appraisal (Assignment 1), which summarises your learning outcomes, strategies, performance indicators and evidence of mastery, before they complete the Workplace Supervisor Evaluation form. Your supervisor will need to access your learning outcomes (Assignment 1) to be able to complete your evaluation.
Please negotiate a reasonable timeframe with your supervisor well in advance, keeping the end of the internship and the portfolio due date in mind. Consider the following:
The Workplace Supervisor requires reasonable time to provide sufficient feedback on the evaluation form.
You require adequate time to work through and reflect on the comments on the evaluation form.
You require enough time to complete the relevant sections of the portfolio based on the supervisor feedback.
If you require your supervisor to complete the evaluation earlier than planned, please let the Unit Coordinator know to expect their evaluation early.
Part B: Performance review
In this task you are required to evaluate and provide evidence of your performance during your internship. This is critical not only for your learning but also for improving your workplace performance in the future.
In 700 to 800 words, and in formal business English language, you need to evaluate how you performed against the outcomes and strategies you outlined in your Program of Work Appraisal (Assignment 1). It is important that you consider your workplace supervisor's feedback (Part A) when reflecting on your performance and achievements.
Complete the following steps:
First, paste in the learning outcomes, strategies, performance indicators and evidence table from Assignment 1 Program of Work Appraisal and include any changes that have been made (excluded from word count).
Next, consider the extent to which you achieved each of your intended outcomes. This evaluation should take into account the feedback you have received from your workplace supervisor(s). It should also consider if the planned performance indicators were met. Please include two pieces of evidence per outcome to demonstrate achievement of your targeted outcomes (please ensure you have permission from your host organisation to use this evidence). Evidence should be included here and not as an appendix. Evidence will not count towards your word count.
Evaluate the challenges you faced in achieving your targeted outcomes, and the strategies to achieve them. Please discuss how you managed these challenges using insightful explanations.
Use the DIEP model (or similar) to guide your reflective writing, being careful not to spend too long describing and recounting your chosen situation or experience. The focus is on interpreting the situation, evaluating your thoughts and feelings, and considering how this might affect you going forward. The expectation is that there will be evidence of a shift in mindset / behaviour from these learning activities and the Evaluation and Planning aspects of the DIEP model will be prominent in your reflective submission. Resources on writing reflections can be found on Canvas.
Part C: Capabilities assessment and development plan
In this task you will undertake a self-assessment, rating yourself against a list of capabilities, to help you define areas for improvement and to enhance your career planning. Your self-assessment should take into account the feedback you have received from your workplace supervisor(s) on your strengths, weaknesses and performance to date. The focus is on your capabilities, not your internship outcomes. You will review your capabilities in terms of your strengths and weaknesses, outlining how you plan to improve identified capabilities over the next 12 months.
Complete the following steps:
Step 1 - Complete the post-WIL Capabilities Assessment. You will receive your responses in an email.
Step 2 - Ensure that you completed Part A and B of this Assignment.
Step 3 - Review and compare your pre- and post-WIL Capabilities Assessment answers. Also consider your supervisor evaluation. Consider whether your own understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, skills and capabilities aligns with your earlier assessment of yourself and your supervisor's evaluation. For example, compare your pre, post and supervisor evaluation on teamwork or communication.
Step 4 - Download and save the Capabilities Review Template. You can access this document and more support on canvas. The template consists of 2 sections.
Step 5 - Complete Section 1 - Capability Achievements. In this section the focus is on the capabilities you achieved. Follow the instructions on the template, use the guidance on canvas and complete the table.
Remember to embed evidence of achievement for at least three capabilities.
Step 6 - Complete Section 2 - Capability Development Plan. In this section the focus is on capabilities you wish to develop. Follow the instructions on the document and use the guidance on canvas. Remember to include actionable ideas to develop these capabilities. This section can either be completed -
As a 3-4 minute video reflection (Panopto)
As a written reflection (400 - 500 words)
Step 7 - Attach BOTH your pre- and post-WIL Capabilities Assessments as appendices.
Part D: Professional conduct and ethical behaviour review
Previously you would have completed some pre-work on Canvas and attended the virtual seminar on workplace ethics. These activities were designed to raise your ethical awareness and prepare you for the professional conduct an ethical behaviour review task.
In this task you will be investigating professional conduct and ethical behaviour in either a) the profession or b) the industry within which you are based for the duration of your internship. For example, you may be an accounting student based in the hospitality industry. You may wish to base your review of ethical behaviour and professional practice on either the role of an accountant (profession) or on the macro-environment of the hospitality industry.
In this task, you are required to write a 600 to 700 word personal reflection, evaluating your thoughts about professional practice and ethical behaviour and how they may impact upon your future behaviour in the workplace. Follow the steps below.
To begin, locate the professional code of conduct which relates to your chosen profession or industry. There may be an established code of conduct (often developed by accrediting bodies or professional associations) or industry standards relating to the industry within which you are operating. You may also wish to access your host's own code of conduct which defines how to behave appropriately in the workplace and can span many different areas, such as language, etiquette, respect for others and confidentiality. Read the available code of conduct to develop basic understandings of ethical behaviours (You do NOT need to include any code of conduct in the assignment).
Next, undertake a search of recent media coverage / activity of issues arising in your chosen profession and/or industry which relate to examples of poor professional practice and ethical behaviour. Do sufficient research that gives you a clear idea of what situations have occurred and the ethical dimensions relating to these scenarios/issues.
Based on the two steps of research, select one of your researched issues which best relates to your internship, and write a personal reflection (600 - 700 words) as follows:
Write a short description, in your own words, of the situation that raised concerns and received media coverage regarding poor professional practice and ethical behaviour.
Explain the ethical dimensions relating to this situation.
Consider (and, if appropriate, describe) whether you encountered any situations related to this one in your own internship experience. If you have not encountered any situation continue reflecting on the researched situation.
Explain how the code of conduct relevant to your industry/profession and/or host organisation was breached in the described situation.
How did the described situation (either the one that was covered by the media or the one you experienced during your internship) make you feel? Explain how, if at all, does/did it conflict with your personal values?
How will your observations influence your behaviour in future work roles?
Use the DIEP model to guide your reflective writing, being careful not to spend too long describing and recounting your chosen situation or experience. The focus is on interpreting the situation, evaluating your thoughts and feelings, and considering how this might affect you going forward. The expectation is that there will be evidence of a shift in mindset / behaviour from these learning activities and the Evaluation and Planning aspects of the DIEP model will be prominent in your reflective submission.
Part E: Timesheet
Please ensure that you have completed the timesheet, documenting the minimum 225 hours in the internship, and that the form has been signed each week by yourself and your supervisor.