Project Report: Trans-disciplinary Models and Skills Developed in Event Management

Project Report
Contents
Project background.....................................................................................................................1
Trans-disciplinary models..........................................................................................................1
Project phases.............................................................................................................................3
Preparation..............................................................................................................................3
Implementation.......................................................................................................................3
Skills developed.........................................................................................................................4
Analysis and evaluation.............................................................................................................4
Portfolio of evidence..................................................................................................................5
Log books...............................................................................................................................5
Project Log..........................................................................................................................5
Weekly Log.........................................................................................................................6
Critical incident diaries...........................................................................................................6
Feedback.................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................7
1

Project Report
Project background
Penguins is an Event Management organization operating from Windsor, UK which manages
many different types of events including business conferences, award ceremonies,
exhibitions, trade fairs, and product launches. The company had taken up a project for a big
client for organizing a solo trade fair. The objectives behind organizing the trade fair were
exploration of the market to discover niche opportunities and assess competitiveness of the
business, build relationships with contractors and suppliers, test acceptance of the company
products in the market and expand the distribution network. The project involved preparation,
logistics management, promotion, planning and execution of the client event (Penguins,
2018).
Trans-disciplinary models
Transdisciplinary learning models define the ways students can learn and expand their
understanding of how the world works. Some very popular transdisciplinary models that can
be used by students to decide on their approach to learning include Gibbs reflective model
and Kolbe model of reflection.
2

Project Report
Gibbs reflective cycle can be used as a framework for reflective writing. The model identifies
six stages of reflection including description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and
action plan. Description stage involves exploration of what has happened. Once what is done
is understood, the feeling attained after the first stage about project is explored. An initial
evaluation of the project is done after this and the resulting experience is then critically
analysed. The lessons that are learnt from the whole reflective learning experience are then
recorded and conclusions are made. In the conclusion, the learning gaps are also discovered
based on which an action plan for the future improvement of the learning and associated
experience would be made for the student (Allen, et al., 2010).
Kolbe’s model of reflection is another popular model that divides learning activities into our
phases including concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and
new methods testing. Concrete experience involves activities like team building, project
planning, project evaluation, and decision-making. During this stage of learning, project team
can identifies tasks that are required to be done and people who would be involved in doing
these tasks. At this phase, the project team is built and data is collected on the project from
the brainstorming sessions that are conducted between the project team members (Alonge, et
al., 2016).
3

Project Report
After gaining an initial understanding of the project team, tasks and discussions on strategies,
the student would reflect upon the learning through the use of certain reflective tools like
reflective log, feedback, and critical incident diary. For preparing the documents, feedback is
taken from the tutor and the insights are recorded in these tools or documents as evidences.
This stage helps in understand how students learn, what they leaned, and if there was a scope
for improvement.
The next stage of reflection is conceptualization, new assumptions are made on the learning
capabilities of the student. The lessons learnt from the project reflection are summarized and
interpretations are made on how objectives of the project are achieved. The new methods that
are developed in the conceptualization stage based on the learning, are tested in the last stage
as per the Kolbe model.
The key objective of learning method is to gain the communication skills and thus, some
models that help in assessing communication skills may be explored here. Communication
skill assessments involve an inventory of questionnaires that can be used for testing the
communication skills of a student. As the project involved a professional experience in which
the student had to communicate within a team, the interpersonal communication would be
developed. Some of the interpersonal communication skills tests include:
 Communication flexibility Scale (CFS) which tests the adaptability and flexibility of
a student using eight scales measuring a student on some critical communication
functions including conflict management, comforting, ego support, regulation,
referential capacity, conversational skills, narration, and persuasion.
 Communicative adaptability Scale (CAS) test uses a six factor likert scale to assess a
student on factors like social composure, social experience, disclosure, articulation,
and wit. CAS dimensions relate to the cognitive complexity, communication
satisfaction, communication style, shyness, involvement, attractiveness, and
relationship maintenance (Spitzberg, 2003).
 Conversational Appropriateness and Effectiveness (CAE) assess perceptions of
communicators on effectiveness and appropriateness. The items that are assessed in
appropriateness include awkwardness, embarrassment, and impression from
communication while effectiveness is testing through referential control, satisfaction,
and goal achievement.
4