Report on E-Portfolio Development and Skills Enhancement Strategies

This report presents an e-portfolio developed to reflect on personal learning and skills development. It analyzes various challenges faced, including the Apprentice, presentation, T-shirt, and Hotel challenges, highlighting the importance of communication, time management, and business skills. The report details an action plan using SMART objectives to enhance skills for a business environment. It emphasizes the necessity of continuous self-assessment and the role of e-portfolios in professional growth, concluding with a discussion on the significance of skills like communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence. The author includes a detailed plan for skills enhancement in a business environment.

E Portfolio and Skills
Development

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
E-Portfolio Development.................................................................................................................1
Discussion of skills..........................................................................................................................3
To successfully execute the various challenges taken up, it is essential for me to develop certain
skills. In order to be able to complete the T-shirt challenge, it is necessary that I possess effective
communication skills to actively coordinate with my friend and complete the challenge. This
challenge is largely linked to spontaneity displayed by an individual to take quick decisions.......3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
E-portfolio is a collection of digital files which are shared by electronic media for the
reflection, evaluation and comment (Van Merriënboer and Kirschner, 2017). Skills development
is a process by which an individual enhances one’s existing skill sets to meet the needs of
organisations. This assignment includes the creation of an e-portfolio as well a brief analysis of
challenges faced while developing skills. Also, it includes a discussion of existing skill sets along
with an action plan to develop necessary skills within specified timeline.
E-Portfolio Development
An e-Portfolio is a document that generally consists of work that a student has gathered,
designed, reflected and published in order to show a presentation of personal learning and
growth across the process with passage of time (van der Schaaf and et. al., 2017). It also includes
peer reviews along with experiences derived from team working. This provides a detailed
analysis and evidence of personal achievement of students in relation to learning and developing
skills. This fosters student’s reflection over their own learning abilities creating a widespread
analysis of ways and strategies for carrying out this process.
In this relation, I have also made my portfolio on the basis of feedbacks from peer as well
as instructor so as to review and evaluate my existing skills and certain challenges faced by me
while developing necessary skills. The stages of this portfolio are discussed below:-
1. Plan: It has been assessed by me that there are certain necessary skills that need to be
possessed by me so as to operate in a manner that co-relates with the working of a
business enterprise. These skills are communication, time management and meeting
skills. Also, I need to possess abilities to work within a team so as to be able to develop
competencies to operate in a business environment. These skills are necessary to deal
with challenges like apprentice, presentation, t-shirt and hotel challenge. Thus, I have set
personal learning goal to inculcate such skills within me.
2. Draft: Here, I do research to determine, develop and design effective strategies to
implement the plan so that the before mentioned goals and objectives can be achieved in
a timely manner. The strategies devised by me are participating in group behaviour, case
studies, peer learning and short demonstrations within the university to learn by
observing and practically informing.
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3. Complete: In this stage, I implement the plan designed and developed by me in the
previous stage. This is done so as to ensure that I inculcate the required skills and
competence to operate within organisational context. This is carried out by way of
effective learning strategies to function in a suitable manner that coordinate within an
organisation.
4. Document evidence: Here, evaluation by me is done as per the available alternatives to
develop learning skills. Then, the most feasible and suitable strategy that can deliver
quick and effective results is selected (Medeiros, Watts and Mumford, 2017). Post
analysis, the selected learning strategy is structurally executed such that the required
skills can be developed within me.
5. Review and reflect: Since the strategy adopted by me is implemented wide across, it is
essential for me to determine its feasibility. Also, here review is carried out for
determining the short-comings associated with learning strategy that is selected by me.
This helps in ascertaining variances between existing and desirable skill set to further
determine areas through which I can inculcate necessary skills required to work
professionals in a company
6. Present: At present, my skill set is not so diversified to perform within a organisation.
With flux of time, it is required by me to draw necessary feedback from peers as well as
colleagues to gain information about the impact of existing learning strategy. It is also
ascertained by me that I need to possess certain effective strategies that can be replaced
within existing skills set.
Analysis of Challenges
There are 4 challenges that have been highlighted as these need to be assessed by
individuals while developing skills for future. These challenges are Apprentice (during Induction
Week), presentation, T-shirt and Hotel challenge. In this context, apprentice challenge is
associated with the problems linked with being a beginner to develop skills. It is important for
personnel to start working upon development of their skills so that within a certain passage of
time, essential skills can be adopted. Another challenge that has been analysed is related to
presentation. This is largely concerned with enhancing and developing such skills that are key
for an individual to start working as a part of any business entity.
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Other challenge that has been taken upon by students is T-shirt challenge which is largely
concerned with risk taking abilities of an individual. This is a friendly game conducted in
classrooms where students play around with their friends and challenge them upon the ability to
remove one’s shirt totally and then replacing it again as early as possible. Here, the major skills
that are under check in this are risk taking capabilities of an individual which are very essential
for any person who is considering to join a business firm.
The last challenge taken up by personnel as a part of their college curriculum to make
them ready to join any business entity to function properly there, is hotel challenge. Here, the
major task is to make an attempt of controlling and running a business venture in the Sims 3. It is
upon the discretion of personnel to ascertain an appropriate size for hotel. This becomes essential
as determining an optimum size makes sure that the operation is not too big, yet it is able to
accommodate required number of rooms to serve all the guests and focus upon all such activities
that are essential and integral part of a company. All these challenges are collectively able to
equip individual with the knowledge in relation to how a business is run and the manner in which
it functions effectively so as to avoid any indulgence of law in operations.
Discussion of skills
To successfully execute the various challenges taken up, it is essential for me to develop
certain skills. In order to be able to complete the T-shirt challenge, it is necessary that I possess
effective communication skills to actively coordinate with my friend and complete the challenge.
This challenge is largely linked to spontaneity displayed by an individual to take quick decisions.
Furthermore, to be able to complete the hotel challenge, the foremost skills required to be
possessed by me are good communication and business skills so as to develop behavioural
characteristics that are aligned with required business conduct. Also, team working skills are
necessary so that contracts can be signed with various service providers linked with hotel
business to be able to deliver such services that ensure maximum satisfaction to customers. Also,
I should emphasize upon time management skills such that each activity related with such
venture could be taken up and completed in a timely manner.
Also, I demonstrated my emotional intelligence while taking up presentation challenge as
it is highly required to maintain stability while delivering any business presentation in front of
business professionals within corporate world. I am also required to regularly be a part of
meetings so as to observe the ways in which others deliver information and statistics in any
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conference. When I am going through induction week, it is required by me to all the skills so as
to make myself capable enough to deliver effective results when I join work at any business
organisation.
Action Plan
To make myself capable for delivering performance as required by any business
organisation within corporate world, I have developed an action plan. Such action plan is
formulated below and includes ways in which I can make myself suitable for the job role. The
smart plan has been made in terms of SMART objectives that assist in fulfilment of desired goals
within a timely manner (Driessen, 2017).
Specific: To develop essential skills that are required for becoming a good business
person and running a venture effectively
Measurable: To enhance sales of company by 25% which would reflect my high
dedication and loyalty towards the company
Achievable: I will take up personality development classes and being part of various
workshops and programmes to develop skills required in an entrepreneur
Realistic: I will work collaboratively within teams so as to develop knowledge about
business environment
Timely: Within 6 months from start of business venture or entering any new organisation
CONCLUSION
With the help of above mentioned report, it has been concluded that to develop skills in
an individual, e-portfolios are developed. Also, it has been assessed that it is important to
continuously review and monitor the skill set of individuals to prepare them for working in
business organisation. Besides this, it is evaluated that there are certain skills which are essential
to work in an entity. These are communication, time management and business skills along with
team work.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Van Merriënboer, J. J. and Kirschner, P. A., 2017. Ten steps to complex learning: A systematic
approach to four-component instructional design. Routledge.
van der Schaaf, M. and et. al., 2017. Improving workplace-based assessment and feedback by an
E-portfolio enhanced with learning analytics. Educational Technology Research and
Development. 65(2). pp.359-380.
Driessen, E., 2017. Do portfolios have a future?. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 22(1),
pp.221-228.
Medeiros, K. E., Watts, L. L. and Mumford, M. D., 2017. Thinking inside the box: Educating
leaders to manage constraints. In Handbook of research on creative problem-solving
skill development in higher education (pp. 25-50). IGI Global.
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