Preparing for Success at University: Communication, Reflective Writing, Learning Styles, and More

This ePortfolio provides guidelines, rules, and timetables for university modules and focuses on communication, reflective writing, learning styles, critical reading, note taking, PowerPoint presentations, plagiarism, referencing skills, research skills, SWOT analysis, and formal writing. It includes personal reflections and highlights the importance of reflection and experimental learning theory for academic and professional development.

FY026 Preparing for
Success At University

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
MAINBODY...............................................................................................................................................4
Communication for academic and professional context..........................................................................4
Reflective writing....................................................................................................................................4
Reflective practices.................................................................................................................................5
Learning styles........................................................................................................................................5
Critical reading........................................................................................................................................6
Note taking..............................................................................................................................................6
PowerPoint presentation..........................................................................................................................6
Plagirism.................................................................................................................................................7
Referencing skills....................................................................................................................................7
Research skills.........................................................................................................................................8
SWOT.....................................................................................................................................................8
Formal writing.........................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
An academic ePortfolio is a digital collection of work that is created by a student’s
relative to their course related work and can consists of essays, posters, photographs along with
videos. In addition to this, ePortfolio can also provide a student with capturing other aspects of
their life as well such as volunteer experience and extracurricular activities. Moreover, the
primary purpose of ePortfolio is to effectively collect student work samples along with
demonstrated and artifacts the learning progress of the student as well as their achievements
thought he evidence provided by students. The following portfolio will contain the initial
overview that provide guidelines about the modules along with other rules than need to be
considered as well as timetables relative to lectures. In addition to this it will focus on the
understanding of communication along with its importance in both professional and academic
development. It will also highlight various communication activities and how they function in
order to enhance communication. Moreover, it will include understanding of effective reflective
writing and its importance in academics in order to reflect upon own professional or academic
practice. It will also highlight how to keep reflective learning journals in a proper and structured
manner. Furthermore, the portfolio will highlight the importance of reflection along with
experimental learning theory in order to better perceive the module. It will also pay emphasis on
why reflection is crucial for development in both personal and professional aspect. Besides this,
the portfolio will provide the understanding of various learning styles and their vital importance
in education which will pay emphasis on visual and auditory leaning. It will also provide a
understanding relative to different social orientations and their characteristics. The portfolio will
also highlight note taking strategies along with various aspects such as the formation of note
taking and how to capture main ideas in order to have a well structure notes. In addition to this,
the portfolio will help in understanding the importance of critical reading in order to enhance
knowledge as well as creativity. It will also effectively highlight the differences between passive
and active reading. Moreover the portfolio will include how to develop effective PowerPoint
presentation that is of suitable length and contain information in a creative format. It will also
provide an understanding on how the developed presentation requires to be interesting in order to
avoid boredom. It will also focus on the topic of plagiarism and how it influences the overall
work and its credibility. It will also provide detailed information on academic integrity as well as
its importance in the academic sense. Furthermore, it will highlight the importance of referencing

in order to make work credible as well as valuable as it ensure the correct authority is recognized
for they work. It will also include ways to avoid unethical academic practices as well. It will also
contain information related to research skill as well the importance of conducting a personal
SWOT analysis in order to determine strengths and weaknesses. Along with the skill of formal
writing and how to develop an optimal structure to present work.
MAINBODY
Communication for academic and professional context.
This module allowed me to understand the overall importance of communication in order
to convey my ideas and opinions in an effective manner. I was able to understand various
communication activities that consisted of special media, verbal, writing along with various
others. In addition to this, I was able to gain an understanding relative to various types on non-
verbal communications and why is crucial to evaluate these types in order to broaden the
knowledge relative to how communication can be enhanced. I was also able to understand that
communication plays a crucial part in ensuring that there are no laps or miscommunication of
information which is necessary to maintain productivity in both academic and professional
aspect (Owen., 2018).
Reflective writing.
This particular module allows me to understand the importance of reflective writing
relative to academics and how I can show what I have learned. It has also allowed me to gain the
understanding on how I can evaluate a project as well as experiments and develop a
consideration on how I can do it in a better way. In addition to this, I was able to learn how to
keep reflective learning journals along with reflective models that are necessary in order to have
effective reflection of my task. The model such as Gibbs’ Reflective cycle provided essential
support in order to develop reflection in a structure and systematic manner (Brick, Herke and
Wong., 2020).

Reflective practices.
This module helped me focus son the aspect of reflection in order to enhance my
academic and professional development. This was crucial for me as I was able to learning from
my own experience which allowed me to enhance my skills as well as abilities. In addition to
this, I learned about Kolb’s Experimental Learning Theory which allowed me to understand the
concept of reflection at a greater level. Moreover, I was able to gain the understanding through
reflection of new information and attain feedbacks in context to my own experience. It also
allowed me to gain the opportunity to make choices for further learning as well as development.
My personal reflection focuses on my priorities, time management along with motivations and
identification of problems in order to improve my overall productivity and performance
(Nguyen-Truong and et. al., 2018).
Learning styles.
This module allowed me to understand the concept of different leaning styles and their
relationship with effective learning as they influence performance on the bases of learning
environment. In addition to this, I was able to understand the styles such as visual leaning which
focuses on attaining information through sigh along with auditory leaning which pays emphasis
on learning through hearing. Moreover, I was able to broaden my knowledge relative to social
orientation which included introverts as well as extroverts along with their specific
characteristics. Furthermore I gain knowledge relative to various elements decision making
which include aspects such as thinks and feelers along with the aspect of judging and perceiving
relieve to achieving goals (Kaoropthai., 2019).

Critical reading.
This particular module helped me focus on the importance of critical reading and
understanding difference between passive and active reading. In addition to this, it also allowed
me to learn techniques that are crucial for critical reading such as previewing, writing,
summarizing along with forming a critical response and focusing on paper. Moreover, I was able
to understand the concept of various responses to texts such as restaurants, description along
with interpretation. This allowed me to gain the skill to form an effective critical response that is
well structured and optimal. Furthermore, it allowed me to identify key issues and evaluate
strengths along with evaluating other alternatives and give reasons for choices as well
(Mahmood., 2018).
Note taking.
Through this module I gained vital understanding relative to note taking strategies and
how I can utilize them in order to have effective information to recall. The module helped me
decide if I should focus on typing rather than writing along with a suitable format to take notes.
This helped in enhancing my overall performance in taking notes. In addition to this, I was able
to understand what main ideas need to be notes which helped me further in developing my own
personal systems. Although I did face challenges such as difficulty in organizing the notes along
with summarizing key points is a structure and systematic manner which are crucial for the notes
to be effective in fulfilling their overall intended purpose (Dunkel and Lim., 2020).
PowerPoint presentation.
This module helped me understand on how I can develop an interesting presentation that
is filled with vital information in a structure as well as systematic manner. It also helped me
evaluate key points such as the duration of the presentation along with the importance of a
positive body language. In addition to this, I gained the understanding of keeping the
presentation of suitable duration in order to avoid boredom as well as ensure that it is not too

short as to leave crucial points out. Moreover, I was also able to understand the importance of
tone when presenting a presentation and its impact on the enthusiasm of the audience as well
(Dougherty., 2020)
.
Plagirism.
This particular module was of great assistant in academic aspect as it allowed me to
understand the concept of plagiarism in an effective manner. I was able to understand how
plagiarism results in developing ineffective work that is not credible as well as lacks any value.
In addition to this, it allows to understand different types of plagiarism such as self-plagiarism
which negatively influence the overall quality of work. Moreover, thought the module I was able
to understand how I can avoid plagiarism through effective paraphrasing and proving appropriate
reference to my work in order to make it valuable as well as credible in avoiding plagiarism
(Lancaster., 2019).
Referencing skills.
This module allowed me to understand the concept of referencing and how it positively
impacts the overall work produced which is essential to demonstrate effective academic ability.
In addition to this, I was able to understand how correct referencing allows the work to be highly
credible as well as valuable when it is published. This helps in attaining a higher sense of
accomplishment as well as ensures that the author receives the required reorganization foe their
work. Moreover, the module also allowed me to understand the correct way to refer my work and
ensure it is in a structured and systematic order as to maintain a particular format which ensure
productivity relative to my work and the efforts that are put in it (Alonzo, Mirriahi and Davison.,
2019).

Research skills.
This module helped me gain the ability to conduct an effective research in order to make
my work effective in providing appropriate as well as suitable information. This allowed me to
undersnt how I can provide valuable information relative to my work through optimal research.
In addition to this, the module also allowed me to understand various ways to conducts research
such as online books and journals that contain vast information relative to various topics. These
methods allowed me to enhance my overall productivity as well as performance in context to my
work. Moreover, I was able to understand that effective reach search allows in the development
of work that is filled with information that can be well perceived as well as be in a structured
manner in order to avoid confusion (Teoli, Sanvictores and An., 2019).
SWOT.
This module allowed me to gain understanding relative to conducting personal SWOT
Analysis. This was crucial for me to understand as it provided vital information relative to my
strengths as well as weakness that I need to work upon in order to improve my performance in
context to my academics. In addition to this, I was able to understand various opportunities that I
will be able to gain if I work upon my strengths and eliminate majority of my weaknesses.
Moreover, I was able to evaluate various threats as well that can cause hindrance in my academic
as well as professional development and need to be considered when performing task in order to
maintain high level of performance as well as productivity (Altınmakas and Bayyur., 2019).
Formal writing.
Through this module I was able to learn how I can provide my work in a formal manner
which will help me in my academic as well as professional development. The modules helped

me understanding how I should utilized the third personal in order to make my work formal as
well as utilize passive writing as well. Moreover, I was able to gain the understand that in order
to develop formal writing it should not use question and utilized various types of sentences that
link with one another to form ideas in a structured and systematic manner. Furthermore, I was
able to learn that I need to utilize nouns instead of sentences and verbs in order to make my work
formal and effective in presenting what I want to convey in an optimal manner. This has allowed
me to enhance my writing skills as well and gain high level of productivity in presenting my
work (Waasaf and Marcovechio., 2020).

REFERENCES
Books & Journals:
Owen, H., 2018. The handbook of communication skills.
Brick, J., Herke, M. and Wong, D., 2020. Academic culture: A student's guide to studying at
university. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Nguyen-Truong and et. al., 2018. Techniques to promote reflective practice and empowered
learning. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(2), pp.115-120.
Kaoropthai, C., 2019, December. Learning Styles and Innovative Classroom Activities and
Tasks. In 2019 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Education
(TALE) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
Mahmood, R.S., 2018. The effect of critical reading strategies on developing reading skills
among middle school students in reading and text. Nasaq, 5(19).
Dunkel, P. A. and Lim, P. L., 2020. Listening and notetaking skills 1. Cengage Learning.
Dougherty, M. V., 2020. Disguised Academic Plagiarism. Springer International Publishing.
Lancaster, T. E., 2019. Avoid Plagiarism. SAGE.
Alonzo, D., Mirriahi, N. and Davison, C., 2019. The standards for academics’ standards-based
assessment practices. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(4). pp.636-652.
Teoli, D., Sanvictores, T. and An, J., 2019. SWOT analysis.
Altınmakas, D. and Bayyurt, Y., 2019. An exploratory study on factors influencing
undergraduate students’ academic writing practices in Turkey. Journal of English for Academic
Purposes, 37. pp.88-103.
Waasaf, M. S. and Marcovechio, M. R., 2020. Tracing back the teaching of the writing skill.
effha.