Personal audit & transferable skills

Activity 1

1. Below are a list of skills and abilities. Complete an audit of where you are now. Record this in your learning journal/portfolio.

Rate yourself (1=Not very well developed; 3=very well developed)

Skills and Abilities	1	2	3
Self Confidence		*
Self Discipline		*
Team Work			*
Act as a Leader	*
Listen to others			*
Write for academic purposes		*
Computing Skills			*
Be creative			*
Problem Solve		*

Although it is important to identify where we are now, it is not enough to stop there. We need to reflect upon how we can develop the skills where we are less confident and how we can transfer the skills in which we are confident and competent.

Activity 2

Complete the audit below, using the information from the table above.

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills already developed	How will I use these	How do I know (evidence)**
Self Confidence	Having the confidence to speak your mind and share ideas within a large lecture theatre with many students will allow me to receive the necessary feedback on my ideas as well as constructive criticism.	I have often answered questions or made statements to build on my own self confidence. For example in Philosophy I was unsure of something and when I answered, even though I may have been incorrect, I was able to correct my knowledge.
Self Discipline	In the new University environment, where we are not prompted by anyone to complete any tasks, instead we have to find ways to motivate ourselves and do the necessary tasks and exceed our own expectations.	I have recognised that I have an issue with self discipline, and have therefore set up a timetable for myself to work towards to improve on this problem. This will improve my overall time management skills as well.
Problem Solving	Academic development comes with facing many challenges which will lead you to have to be creative and solve problems often on the spot.	I have faces issues with understanding how to access some tasks on My Dundee. And since recognising this problem, I have met with my study advisor and solved the problem.
Be Creative	Being creative especially when it comes to problem solving and group activities is useful, as it will often set you apart from the majority and others, whether it be other students or people in your group can learn from your new ideas and implement them into their own areas of study.	In one of the first values workshops where social imbalance was highlighted, each group were asked to create something with the materials provided to them. In tasks such as these, being creative is useful in creating something new and original.
Writing for academic purposes	There is a big difference between normal writing and writing for academic purposes. Writing for academic purposes requires structure and a sense of formality, which could mean the difference between achieving a high grade and a low one.	I have struggled with structuring academic writing for a while, and have since found ways to work around these problems. For example using “P-E-E-L”, an acronym I implement into every paragraph of an essay. Point, Evidence (to support my point), Explain [my point], Link (to the question/statement).
Listening to others	This is a useful skill to develop as the more you are open to listening to others, the more you will be able to implement their ideas into your own academic writing and study.	There have been many examples of this, for example in my working together group when we were discussing what questions to ask the agency on our visit, each of us had very interesting ideas and only when listening to each other and discussing them were we able to construct a list of questions which we were all happy with.

** This section should be completed as you identify when/where/how you have used/developed these skills.

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills to be developed	How will I develop these	How do I know (evidence)**
Act as a leader	By taking more leadership roles in group activities I will improve on my leadership skills and my ability to lead in a group.	I am slowly taking on more roles and responsibilities within group activities. Hopefully, eventually I will be able to lead sufficiently within a large group activity.
Organise and plan	By implementing timetables on my own studies and reflection I will be able to plan and organise my academic development more effectively.	I am working towards a timetable I have developed to help me work more effectively and use my time more productively.
Debate formally and informally	Being able to debate formally and informally should help in my own academic development as I will learn how to construct a formal argument, and form my own ideas into a way which can be offered to others.	I am engaging more in debates within group activities and tutorials. Specifically in a philosophy tutorial not long ago, given the task to debate our point, I had the opportunity to form my own arguments successfully and argue my own points as well as the points from the others within the group.
Build social networks	Building social networks can be useful as it will increase your sphere of support. Similarly, it creates an area where you can share ideas and debate informally, which inadvertently improves your academic development.	I have been engaging more with the group chat and I am improving on my self confidence when speaking to others on the course.
Think critically	Whether it is your own work or someone else’s work, thinking critically can open doors to improvement. Specifically constructive criticism which will allow your own academic development as well as others.	I find myself reading over my essays repeatedly and thinking critically over my own work and finding new ways to improve upon it.
Generate new ideas	Being able to generate new ideas will make you a successful asset to any group activity as you will be able to create unique group projects and set your group apart from the others.	I find myself increasingly more confident to put across my own new ideas and have found it successful so far in my working together group where I suggested a new idea to the group and I believe it will be to the groups benefit.

B. Managing My Learning

Activity 1

Complete the table below to identify and reflect on those factors and plan actions for each.

Recognition/ Reflection	Action
What helps my learning?	How can I utilise this?
Example: “Discussing the topic with others”	Set up a study group of like-minded peers Engage with the online community
Completing and engaging with the online tasks	I must ensure that I stay up to date with all the tasks posted on my dundee I must communicate more with the online community on Glow, as this will improve the feedback I gain.
Out of class study and reading	I should pay closer attention to the reading list including the essential and the recommended reading list, as well as reading around the subject. I must ensure that I read at least 2 of the recommended reading per week as part of my own private study
Seeking necessary support	Set up group study sessions where I will be able to express my difficulties as well as other people’s difficulties, in which we will be able to help each other Ensure that I am able to schedule a meeting with my study advisor if necessary
Revision	After each lecture ensure that I review the notes I have created and have covered the powerpoint online if I have missed anything specifically
Organisation (of my notes and my time)	Organise my notes and assignments systematically so they are easier to review when it is time to write an essay or revise a specific unit. Ensure that I stick to my timetable and make the most of my time in a productive manner.
Setting goals for myself	I must give myself enough time to complete tasks and assignments necessary to achieve a high grade. Ensure that I proof read repeatedly and have peers read over any essays or assignments to gain more feedback.

Recognition/Reflection	Action
What hinders my learning?	How can I address this factor?
Example: “I’m easily distracted”	Study in a place where distractions are minimal Read lecture notes before the lecture and then take notes lectures to keep me focused
I find it hard to complete to one task at time	When I work, ensure that I have regular breaks in between tasks Focus all my attention onto one task at a time, to ensure I do my best at each task
I sometimes find it hard to motivate myself	Give rewards such as off time and breaks inbetween tasks in order to motivate myself to study or complete tasks
Assignments and online tasks – I am often unsure of myself	Communicate better with my peers through the online group chat and within lectures Communicate when necessary with my study advisor

Activity 2

Make a timeline so that you are aware of all the potential busy periods and plan the year to ensure that you allocate sufficient time for each module to include reading time, writing time and any other aspects of the module where you need to allocate time.

Timeline:

Busy Periods Within this Year:

31st October- Agency Visit
28th November- EXAM DATE (WORKING TOGETHER MODULE)
5th December- Assignment Due (Values Module)
January 31st – First Observation day for placement
February 27^th – March the 10^th – First Placement for 2 weeks
April 17^th – May 12^th – 2^nd Placement for 4 weeks
Lectures weekly: Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, Friday
Wednesdays – I have no lectures or tutorials on Wednesdays, which offers a useful day within the week to catch up on any work missed, reading and preparation for the following day’s lecture.

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