Assignment: Degree Prospectus
Assignment: Degree Prospectus
Evidence within the portfolio obviously must conform to professional and ethical standards for protecting confi- dentiality. This applies to patient/client information as well as the location and identify of colleagues or other health- care staff.
A vehicle for personal development The evidence presented within the portfolio must be sup- ported by some additional narrative. This is to ensure that the outcome of any learning event, such as attendance at a study day, is captured. In other words, how the learning was used in practice must be considered. McMullan et al (2003) make the point that portfolios must demonstrate ‘…both the product and process of learning’. Records of attendance at a study day or work shadowing a colleague, for example, are not in themselves evidence of learning. Some discussion of what was learnt and how new skills or theory was applied to develop or reinforce practice is crucial to demonstrate the value of the developmental activity undertaken.
box 1 Portfolio structures Shopping Trolley – lots of evidence collected, but no real attempt to pull out themes or present in any specific order.
Spinal structure – evidence and reflective pieces aligned to competency standards or course objectives, for the purposes of meeting prescribed competencies, professional development planning and showcasing evi- dence for authorization, academic award or for potential employers.
Cake mix structure – a reflective narrative tying evidence together, which enables a greater focus on the personal learning journeys, reflection and the development of personal qualities.
Source: Anderson et al, 2009
box 2. Example of a sWOT analysis related to personal development Strengths Weaknesses
Good clinical skills
Sound interpersonal skills
Developing leadership skills
No formal qualification in speciality
Not done any academic study for several years
Opportunities Threats
Support in principle from manager
Flexible degree pathway at local university
Lack of funding from employer
High personal anxiety re work/life balance if studying
Action Plan
Contact university for degree prospectus
Contact appropriate lecturer re study skill support available
Arrange appointment with manager to discuss possibility of studying a module
Explore alternative sources of funding – special trustees?
Look at time management and consider where time for studying could be identified. For example, Sunday morning when children at football
You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.
Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.
Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.
