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#6B Reflective Paper Guidelines (Academic)

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36 views

#6B Reflective Paper Guidelines (Academic)

Uploaded by

vanshikagupta191
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Algonquin College Cooperative Education

Work Term Reflection Guidelines


This document is designed to help you reflect on the learning experience you had during your
cooperative education work term. Included are tips to help you organize, reflect, and draft your final
copy for submission on Brightspace. This report will be marked by your Faculty Co-op Coordinator to
evaluate your learning while on a work term.

Overview
Your work term reflective paper is the capstone assignment that is designed to assist you in reflecting on
what you learned in your co-op work term, how it connects with your classroom experience, and what
sort of insight your work experience may have given you into your future career.

This reflective paper must be completed to earn a passing grade for your work term.

Through writing this reflective paper, you will demonstrate the core Embedded Knowledge & Skills (EKS)
for this course:

 Communication information and ideas in writing.


 Reflect on your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
 Perform self-evaluations and evaluations of your workplace.
 Integrate theoretical concepts and practical experience.
 Clarify future learning objectives and career goals.
 Exhibit strong knowledge of the company and work environment.

Process
Use the following steps as a guide to complete your work term reflective paper

1. Discuss your reflective paper with your supervisor/manager early in your work term
2. Maintain regular notes of your activities and experiences.
3. Prepare an initial draft of your reflective paper.
4. Edit, review, and share with a peer for comments and feedback.
5. Use this feedback to prepare a final draft.
6. Proofread for accuracy, completeness, spelling, and grammar.
7. Include the reflective paper as part of the Work Term Report along with the Work Term Self-
Assessment and Employer Assessment.
Requirements
Your reflective paper should contain between 2,000 to 2,500 words. More important than length,
however, is the clarity, accuracy, and completeness of the report. Your reflective paper is not merely a
technical description or an informational report; it should contain your ideas and be an analysis of your
work term. Many ideas are better explained using graphs, charts, diagrams or photographs, instead of
words, so please be sure to add visuals wherever possible. Aligning with Algonquin College’s Academic
Integrity policy (AA48: Academic Integrity), all content in this report must be your work or properly cited
in the works cited section.

Reflective paper contents and format


The main elements of the reflective paper are:

 Title page
 Table of Contents
 Introduction
 Description of work experience
 Examination of the learning experience
 Self-Assessment (articulation of learning)
 Recommendations
 Conclusion
 Works Cited
 Appendices (if applicable)

1. Introduction
The introduction is an important part of the report. It should:

 Define the purpose of the reflective paper


 Outline the order in which the topics will be presented
 Provide any required background information

2. Description of work experience


In this section, please reflect on your entire work experience including the tasks you were responsible
for, your relationship with your supervisor and other co-workers, the working environment, and how
this experience has helped you connect with the lessons from your academic studies and your future
career path. Please include sub-headings for discussion of the following topics:
 Description: Provide an overview of the organization/company, work environment, and its
products/services. Describe what took place during your work experiences by answering the
following questions:
a. What would a typical day entail?
b. What did you and others do/not do?
 Roles and responsibilities: Detail daily job responsibilities and any special projects you were
involved with. Describe the knowledge and skills you used or learned on the job and how they
connect to your program of study.
 Learning Objectives: In this section, please review the learning objectives that you established
with the assistance of your supervisor at the beginning of your work term. List each learning
objective and comment on if you were able, or not able, to achieve it. Spend some time
outlining why you were able, or not able, to meet these objectives. What would you do in your
next co-op experience to ensure your objectives were both attainable and challenging?

If your co-op work is confidential in nature, base your reflective paper upon your Assignment 3
submission - Learning Objectives. Discuss the learning objectives and reflect upon what you set out to
do and what you accomplished.

The following sections ask you to think critically about your work term experience. Completing these
two sections (Examination of learning experience and Self-Assessment) requires time, consideration,
and reflection. Please include sub-headings for discussion of the questions.

3. Examination of the learning experience


Critically examine your work experience by answering the following questions:

a. How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively) before starting the
work experience and upon completion?
b. In what ways did you succeed or do well?
c. In what ways were you challenged?
d. How has your perspective/thoughts changed in light of your experience?

4. Self-Assessment (articulation of learning)


Learning about job-specific knowledge and skills
a. What job-specific knowledge and skills did you learn through your work experience?
b. How did you learn it (tasks, situations, feedback mechanisms) and why is it important?
c. How will you apply your new knowledge going forward?
d. What future learning or workplace experiences do I need to attain my career goals?

Learning about yourself


a. What did you learn about yourself through the workplace?
b. How did you learn it (tasks, situations, feedback mechanisms) and why it is important?
c. How will you apply your new knowledge going forward?
d. How has this experience contributed to my academic and professional development?
e. How relevant are my academic studies to the job? (This can include examples of when your
college education made you well prepared, and also when you felt underprepared for your
on-the-job requirements.
f. How have I developed, or improved my job search skills within my industry of study?

5. Recommendations
In this section, you can offer recommendations to your employer regarding your work term. This can
range from working environment observations to communication style, to feedback and mentoring. This
section can also include areas you hope to see added to the curriculum of your program, based on your
experience working in the industry.

6. Conclusion
This section should briefly summarize your main points, recommendations, and key reflections made
throughout the report.
7. Referencing and Writing Style
Your report should include the following:

 Title page
o Title of Report
o Prepared by Name of Student, Program of study (e.g. Sam Brown, Bachelor of Interior
Design)
o Specify work term (e.g. Summer 2022)
o Institution Name (e.g. Algonquin College)
o Name of Employer (e.g. Canada Revenue Agency)
o City, Province (e.g. Ottawa, Ontario)
 Table of Contents: This section indicated the page number of all the sections in the reflective
paper. For assistance in creating a table of contents, please read these step-by-step instructions
from Microsoft.
 Works Cited: A works cited list is required to acknowledge sources of information.
 Appendices: This is the place for additional content (detailed calculations, charts, statistics, etc.)
that needs to be included in the report, but is not an integral part of the main body. Sections of
the Appendix should be arranged in the same order in which they are first identified in the text
and should be lettered "Appendix A", "Appendix B", etc. Each item should be listed under the
"Appendix" in the Table of Contents.

Evaluation of the Work Term Reflection


Your report will be evaluated by the Faculty Co-op Coordinator based on the following 5 criteria:

1. Introduction & Conclusion


2. Description of Work Experience
3. Examination of Learning Experience
4. Self-Assessment (Articulation of Learning)
5. Presentation, Referencing, and Writing Style

Rubric
Please review the attached rubric for the grading scheme.

The mark given is either a pass or a fail.

Please note: The staff in the Co-op Department cannot grant you an extension – only your Faculty Co-op
Coordinator can do that. Before submitting your reflective report as part of the Work Term Report
assignment, please visit your Work Term course on Brightspace as your faculty coordinator may have
provided specific instructions for your program.

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