Learning Objective
In this assessment you will undertake reflective practice as a learning and developmental tool. The task will enable you to engage further with course material. Reflection is important for all professions, and essential for psychologists. Your reflectionwill demonstrate how your learning experiences in this course have contributed to a greater understanding of self, others, and/or course concepts.
Assessment Criteria
You will be assessed according to levels of achievement in the following criteria:
Depth of analysis
Uses critical thinking to compare and contrast two topics from the course (twofields of psychology)
Explores underlying concepts, skills needed, theories, and research Connections to experience
Meaningfully synthesises connections among life, academic and professionalexperiences Hint: The ‘you’ in your reflection
Deepens understanding of discipline knowledge
Broadens own points of view Self-reflection
Plans for modified future self by building on past experiences, recognising currentcontextual factors, ad seeking feedback/guidance
Self-reflection is relevant to the specified topics
Self-refection includes an analysis of how the experience contributed to studentunderstanding of self, others, and/or course concepts
Self-reflection demonstrates student ability to question their own biases, stereotypes, preconceptions, and/or assumptions on current topics withinpsychology How have you changed? What will you do with this new understanding (or changed self)?
Clarity of language/expression
English grammar, punctuation, referencing, and spelling are used correctly.
The writing style is appropriate for psychology – APA 7th edition.
Concise, succinct writing
Purposeful grammar
Appropriate and varied sentence length, structure, and complexity
Consistent APA style
Referencing which adds to flow and understanding
Referencing clearly indicates where information originated
Referencing aids the formulation of an argument, idea, or stance
The structure of your reflection essay
Your reflection MUST include three major sections:
(a) Introduction (one paragraph)
Your introduction should include the following information:
i. Indicate which topics you are reflecting upon
ii. Provide a summary or overview of what the body of the reflection willcover.
Hint: write your introduction second last (conclusion last).
(b) Body (multiple paragraphs)
The body of your essay should include the following information:
i. Report and respond
Your reflection must identify: “What was the learning experience and why is the content important to your and/or others?”
You will be expected to briefly describe your learning experience. Your response could include you making observations, expressing your opinion or viewpoint, andhighlighting any questions the content raised. You should address the following in your response:
What happened or what did the class or activity involve?
Why is this content relevant (to you and/or to others)?
ii. Relate
Your reflection must identify: “How is the learning experience connected to yourpersonal
attributes, values, interests and career goals?”
You will be expected to make a connection between the learning experiences andyour own skills (professional experience or discipline knowledge), as well as your personal attributes, values, interests, career goals.
Your response should also address the following:
Why was this topic covered?
Have you seen/heard about/experienced this before?
How did you react to this learning experience (feelings, emotions, etc)?
How do your current skills and future aspirations relate to this?
How are your personal values and interests related to this? Are they aligned?
Does this information help you in your future career goals?
iii. Reason
Your reflection must identify: “What other factors (including biases, stereotypes, preconceptions, and/or assumptions) are important to your understanding of this topic?” Your response will be expected to address the following:
Highlight significant factors underlying the learning experience.
Show why these factors are important to an understanding of the topic.
Consider different perspectives.
Clarify why or how the topic is important to you?
Question your own biases, stereotypes, preconceptions, and/or assumptions on the topic.
iv. Reconstruct
Your reflection must identify: “How can you use this learning experience to benefit yourself and/or others in your future professional practice?”
You answer must show evidence of planning for future actions. You will also beexpected to include:
What have you therefore learnt?
How has reflective practice enabled you to reframe or reconstruct someaspect of your understanding of the topic?
What could you do with the information you have learned?
How could you use this information to benefit others throughpsychological / professional practice?
What would you like to know more about?
How could you find out more about the topic?
(c) Conclusion (one paragraph)
Your conclusion should provide a summary of what the body of the reflection covered.
Hint: Do not include any new information in your conclusion. As such, you also will not need to have any references/citations in your conclusion.
General Guidelines for the Reflection
1. Word limit: This assignment has a hard limit of 1000 words. There is no 10% leeway, and your marker will stop reading at 1000 words. so please do not go over this limit. Writing succinctly and concisely is an important skill to develop and one that will be required in your future
careers (e.g., writing reports and manuscripts). In-text citations are included in the word count; reference lists are not. There is no explicit penalty for being under or over the limit; the penalty is that you are unlikely to gain marks for material that is too brief or that which is excluded. If you need to tell yourself it is a 900-word assignment with 10% leeway, do that.
2. Referencing: you need to include references within your reflection. For a 1000- word reflection, your reference list may include roughly 10 citations. You need citations when referring to facts and theories (or evidence). Essentially, you needto cite where you get your information from
(who said it first). You do not need tohave citations when exploring your feelings, etc.
3. Writing style: You may benefit from seeking assistance from academic and studysupport services to ensure your writing style is appropriate. USC offers many support services to help you write well (https://www.usc.edu.au/learn/student- support/academic-and-study-support).
Hint: grammar, spelling, and organisation/structure issues detract
from the readability of your paper. Make sure you have reads your paper to pick up on these issues before you submit.
4. Submission: You will submit your assignment through Safe Assign in Blackboard. Your reflective paper is due in Friday 11:59pm of Week 13 – please refer to the courseoutline and assessment folder of Blackboard for full details, including penalties forlate submissions.
