Academic and Employability Skills: A Reflective Report

This reflective report discusses the importance of academic and employability skills in personal and professional life. It explores the Gibbs reflection model and Kolb's learning reflection model.

Academic and employability
skills

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
Gibbs reflection ...............................................................................................................................3
Kolbs learning reflection..................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Reflection practise is concept of learning from various real life experience. It is related
with evaluating what are the skills of an individual that are helping him to achieve success in
both personal as well as professional life. Reflection provides help for an individual to know how
he or she can work in a productive manner and meet personal goals and objectives. Academic
skills and employability skills of an individual are important and these are developed for doing
better jobs in future. It is seen that individuals who have good academic skills get more good
jobs than the ones who do not have (Cottrell, 2017). Some employability skills are motivation,
leadership, patience, team work, etc. The academic skills are writing and reading, time
management, essay writing, note taking, research etc. The following reflective report discusses
about academic and employability skills of an individual. This is explained through Gibbs model
and Kolb's learning reflection.
Gibbs reflection
This model of reflection was given by Graham Gibbs in the year 1988 and according to
this, there is a structure or pattern for learning. This is defined as framework that is used for
examining experience and work. This provides a platform for learning and planning from the
experience gained while attending the courses. There are following six stages within this model
that are explained below -
Description - When I was attending sessions in the university, there were lot of academic skills
that I have developed. These provided me the opportunity to grow and develop. I think I have to
work upon two main academic skills – time management and research. I do not have good
research skills and thus, I am unable to score good grades (Crisp, 2018). When tutor provides
topic for discussion, I am unable to research for data and information related to the topic. I
cannot search information about the given topics. Mostly, I used Wikipedia for collecting data
about any topic. Thus, I am unable to get good data and information for my projects. If I will
develop good research skills, I will manage to research more effectively and interpret data
properly. I have to manage the completion of project in right time by collecting right kind of data
and information from good and reliable sources. Also, time management skills are also important
in order to cover different activities within time. These will provide m help to conduct these in
the given time frame.

Feelings – I felt motivated for learning and developing time management skills and
research skills. It is of utmost important for me to develop good research skills and time
managing skills for attaining success. I have always felt motivated for developing effective skills
to work in an effective manner (DaMaren, Pearlston, and Mattucci, 2020). I am enthusiastic
towards managing these skills and growing my career in a good direction. If I will have good
time management then it is easy for me to manage the work. Effective research skills will be
helpful for managing my academic projects effectively.
Evaluation - This is the evaluation stage where I will manage the project activities and
able to develop time management as well as research skills. These will provide me help in
managing the completion of project work in given time. Also, success can be achieved by
utilising the resources and developing good skills.
Analysis - This is the analysis stage where there is managing of the processes involved in
improving time management and research skills (Goldblatt, 2019). These are effectively
evaluated and analysed for improving various skills. These skills are important as they help in
attaining goals and objectives in less time.
Conclusion - This the stage in which it is concluded that I can develop and grow
research skills and time management skills so that I can work in a better manner. It is essential
for me as a student to manage different ways to improve my time management and research
skills. These will help me to achieve assigned targets and goals. I have analysed that it is very
important to grow my time managing skills and become a good multitasker.
Action Plan - After evaluating my academic skills, I realised that I must work on
enhancing time management and research skills. This can be done by attending various seminars
and webinars that provide guidance how to manage different activities at the same time and
accomplish own goals. Also, research skills will eb developed by talking to co-mates and asking
them how they search for new topics online and manage work.
Kolbs learning reflection
The Kolb's model explains importance and value of reflection within the learning cycle of
an individual. Reflection provides help in allowing students for processing the activities which
have just happened (Long, 2019). The reflective observation stage describes recounting and
evaluating an individual's experience (Kolb’s Learning Cycle,2020). Abstract conceptualisation
helps to provide information for the next stage. From the second opportunity, there is evaluation

of critical analysis and linking the experience with learning. Reflection provides help in
understanding learning activity properly.
In the present context, I have developed academic and employability skills in my student
life. The Kolb's learning model was given by Davis Kolb in the year 1984. This model explains
what an individual has developed in context of learning style inventory. The Kolb's experiential
learning is based upon two levels. First one is a four stage cycle of earning and four separate
learning styles (Stavroulia, and Lanitis, 2019). According to Kolb, there are different stages
involved in learning process of an individual. In the following reflection, I have talked about my
personal learning process, acquisition of career and skill development. There are two academic
skills in which I excel that includes coherent argument and critical analysis (Academic skills,
2020). These skills have helped me to conduct effective functioning and managing my future in
an effective manner. Different stages of this theory are mentioned below -
Concrete experience – When I was in classroom sessions where tutor discusses various
concepts and aspects of the subject, I have seen that I want to get involved in different
discussions. I am always ready to indulge in active participation and give my viewpoints on topic
of discussion. I have always succeeded in expressing my views properly and meeting the goals.
Critical analysis is another skill which is have to improve as I am not able to analyse things
Illustration 1: Kolb's learning stages, 2020

properly. When I have to write any question in which critical analysis has to be done, I am not
able to manage it effectively. There is need for me to enhance my critical thinking for doing
great in future. It is required that I must know how to analyse various situations and make
critical interpretations. This skill will help me to achieve success in future as I will make better
decisions. There will be no loss made by me for management of company in which I will be
working in.
Reflective observation – I have realised that critical thinking skill is very important as it
provides me ability for evaluating positive as well as negative impact of any concept. There is
proper need of managing and evaluating all factors before taking decision in any kind of
situation. On the other hand, coherent discussions help me to work effectively and attain success.
This will help me to put my opinions in front of others with proof and this will increase my
enthusiasm while working. There are various situations occurred while attending sessions that
provided me to urge to enhance my academic skills. By doing so, I can have great profits in
future. Critical thinking is an ability that will help in clarifying and understanding logic behind
different ideas. This skill helps me to examine what are the ideas and viewpoints that I have to
determine more prominently in order to manage the whole scenario. If I will develop critical
thinking then it becomes easy to identify, analyse and solve various problems in systematic
manner (Tricio, Woolford, and Escudier, 2016). Being a coherent argument person, I have
become more planned and consistent while discussing any topic in class. In future, this skill will
help me to manage various business situations.
Abstract conceptualisation - This is analysed as situation which provides information
about the managing of reflective observation stage. In this stage, I will get to know more about
the need of building and developing academic skills so that better work can be done in future.
The learning of academic skills is helpful for achieving goals and provides me to have advantage
in working effectively. I will have great success in my academic sessions. Focusing upon study
is the only aim of my life as I want to get good grades. This will help me to develop positive
environment for study and attain academic goals. There is need for me to evaluate different
factors that have become hurdle in my work. Concentration is the key for doing good at
academics. This will help me to organise and manage different activities properly and manage to
do good work. It is necessary for me to manage and build good academic skill so that I will get
good marks. When I will get good grades, I have more opportunities to develop my career. Good

companies hire students having good grades and hence, this will be a pathway for me to get
success in life.
Active experimentation - This stage suggests that there are new acquired theories which
are present in the world that I can use for developing my skills and abilities. It is very important
for me to effectively use critical thinking skills and coherent argument academic skill for
managing successful academic life. It is very important for me to manage various skills that lead
to increase my managing skills. There are several ways of managing the activities that will
enhance my efficiency of work. I have participated in different discussion programs where public
speaking is taught. This will increase my ability to manage the projects effectively. There is need
to manage the success of personal life goals as these help in doing great work.
From the Kolb's learning model, it is analysed that I can use Kolb's learning stage to
critically evaluate the provision of learning. This is helpful in developing an appropriate learning
opportunity and enhancing growth. There are several activities designed for carrying put various
ways for engaging in them and developing own skill and capabilities. This is a key model which
is in current use and this is used by individuals to enhance learning and development. In future,
when I will be working with different team members, this self reflection model will help me to
know what are the ways for developing skills and experience that will provide me help to attain
the assigned targets and goals.
CONCLUSION
From the above analysis, it is analysed that self reflection provides helps in understanding
what are the different ways to improve own strength and work upon weakness. An individual
must know what are his strengths and how he can manage to use them for building a good career.
The Gibbs reflection model helps in evaluating different feelings which an individual face while
working upon any project. Kolb's learning process helps in managing different ways to improve
and manage own skill and abilities.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cottrell, S., 2017. Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Crisp, P., 2018. Coaching placements and incidental learning–how reflection and experiential
learning can help bridge the industry skills gap. Journal of Learning Development in Higher
Education, (13), pp.1-28.
DaMaren, E., Pearlston, D. and Mattucci, S., 2020. CONSIDERATIONS FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL REFLECTION SKILLS IN FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING
INFORMED THROUGH STUDENT PERSPECTIVES. Proceedings of the Canadian
Engineering Education Association (CEEA).
Goldblatt, J., 2019. Reflection 3–Finding Your Purpose.
Long, T., 2019. Why undertake a clinical academic internship? A novice researcher’s
reflection. Nurse Researcher, 27(4).
Stavroulia, K.E. and Lanitis, A., 2019. Enhancing reflection and empathy skills via using a
virtual reality based learning framework. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in
Learning (iJET), 14(07), pp.18-36.
Tricio, J.A., Woolford, M.J. and Escudier, M.P., 2016. Fostering dental students’ academic
achievements and reflection skills through clinical peer assessment and feedback. Journal of
dental education, 80(8), pp.914-923.
Online
Kolb’s Learning Cycle.2020.[Online].Available
through:<https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/experiential/create-experiential-learning-
opportunities/available-resources/creating-critical-reflection-assignments/design-models/kolbs-
learning-cycle/>
Academic skills.2020.[Online].Available through:<https://www.english.com/blog/academic-
skills-for-higher-education/>