A CRITICAL EVALUATION ON ACADEMIC SKILLS AND REFLECTION ON SELF

DEVELOPMENT FOR MASTER LEVEL STUDY

BY

STUDENT NAMES

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
CRITICAL EVALUATION ON SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH MASTER LEVEL STUDY..........3
CRITICAL REFLECTION ON PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF
MASTER LEVEL LEARNERS...............................................................................................................5
SELF DEVELOPMENT PLAN...............................................................................................................8
Table i- Time constraint Action Plan...................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................10
APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................................13
Fig i. Weekly planner............................................................................................................................14
Fig ii. To do List....................................................................................................................................14
Fig iii. Assignment Planner...................................................................................................................15

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 INTRODUCTION
Adjusting and obtaining the right skillset for a master’s level study can be quite challenging,
having to cope with your busy workload and facilitating at the same time. Throughout this
portfolio, I will apply Gibbs (1988) to reflect on the skills I require for a master’s level study, my
current academic preparedness and gaps, and my plan to help me obtain these skills.

I've been battling with adjusting and settling with the correct skillsets I've read a lot about since I
entered the university in 2018. It's something I've always desired for myself in order to track my
progress over time. However, as great as this desire is, the action zeal I'll need to make it a reality
is regrettably lacking.

I've learned a lot about myself thus far after successfully finishing seven semesters at university.
As a complete novice to the key skillsets for my success as a student in general, I gained
admission into Covenant University. Although I didn't write much or have any passion in it, I
had quite a reasonable level of confidence in my ability to write and research. So far at Covenant
University, my self-discoveries have ranged from the necessity to enhance my critical writing,
thinking, and research skills to the importance of developing adequate time management skills.
Most significantly, I learned that I need to become more comfortable with my writing goals and
expectations by the sole art of managing my time better

The objective of this portfolio is to identify gaps in my academic readiness for Master’s level
study and identify strategies or methods that will help me fill these gaps.

CRITICAL EVALUATION ON SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH MASTER LEVEL

STUDY
The key to master's level writing falls into the ability to express more complex concepts in great
detail. Your ability to take your reader on a journey of research in your topic of investigation,
portray previous investigations and discoveries, your investigations and discoveries, your newly
found knowledge base information and your conclusions

Thaiss and Zawacki (2006) defined academic writing as one that has an educational purpose in a
college or university. A substantial quantity of reading and research is required most of the time
to fulfil this purpose. The entire writing process aids in the development of necessary strategies

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such as analysis and the ability to draw inferences. According to (Bacha, 2002), writing is a very
important aspect of a student's academic career because it is required for most exams, reports,
and research projects. Equally, the right quality of critical thinking approach is also required.
Critical thinking deals with evaluating, comprehending, applying, and synthesising evidence
obtained from observation, reading, and experimenting in order to make clear, reasoned
decisions (Burns and Sinfield, 2016). True research winds up from the desire and confidence to
explore and actively confront current schools of thought and established stances on theories and
accepted rules of conduct to generate new ideas and argument. An iterative ponder to the study
question, with continuous refinement based on constant reflection is the part where critical
thinking steps in. Therefore, one can say that the art of writing, thinking and researching are
interdependent and linked together.

Master's level research exhibits your ability to select a topic, justify it, develop clear claims and
objectives that are interconnected, locate and read relevant literature, design data collection
instruments, implement those tools, manage data collection, and make sense of it. But the need to
master how to research is greater than simply finding out how to. Gonzalez (2001) talks about
the prevailing distinction of goals between undergraduate and graduates. There exists the
excitement and intent of undergraduate students to gain access to the world of research but these
interests do not peak as far as that of the graduate or master’s level student.

The importance of evaluation in higher education is clearly demonstrated by research and

experience (Bloxham and Boyd, 2007), a blind spot in the view of an undergraduate.
Undergraduate students more often than I can recall, and writing from personal experience, do
not comprehend or value the true objective of assessment. It is not considered to be a part of an
individual's learning process. It's the impatient desire to complete one evaluation and move on to
the next with little or no feedback analysis. For instance, when a student concludes a topic study,
a summative assessment is required to be completed by the student to identify their strengths and
weaknesses. In situations where a skill or topic is not mastered, a method or plan can be created
to provide aid. This method can be managed and mastered if there exists proper time
management. Planning your time properly will help you not only visualize your goals, but also
maintain a healthy work-life balance while learning. To bend the claws of encroaching deadlines,
mastering time management is a prerequisite for master’s level study (Anciano et al., 2006)

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Overall, understanding the abilities connected with master's level studies has boosted my
theoretical knowledge of academic writing reflection in general and has encouraged me to find
and solve loopholes in my path. As a result of this, I now understand that every student must be
familiar with the field of writing and research. I have a thorough comprehension of many writing
and critical thinking strategies. For example, according to Elbow (1998) we can't confine our
writing to times when our minds are at their best, nor can we stick to the rules we learned or
started with while writing. The intellect, like the craft of writing, has a flexible horizon.

CRITICAL REFLECTION ON PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS AND

EXPERIENCES OF MASTER LEVEL LEARNERS
Time management has been and can be defined in several ways depending on the scenario.
According to Escobar et al. (2015), every student should be able to manage their time well by
creating goals and priorities, utilizing time management mechanisms, and being structured in
their use of time. I got the idea of what the term meant but I was not certain I understood how the
concept evolved. However, I got a better and realistic perception of time management after
Drucker (1967) recognition explained how time management does not flourish on planning tasks
and activities alone.

For instance, in my early years of being an undergraduate, I noticed that I made out drafts on
how I would spend my day and particularly, hours on mostly schoolwork and strict study
durations. For example, My Monday allocation demanded that I dedicate twenty hours out of my
day to studying and the rest to my personal time and leisure. This was not just a timetable draft;
it was an unrealistic one. In my opinion, I suggest that Time management is not just a skill. It is
first, a mentality, then a skill. to boost organizational efficiency, the term "management" has a
basic role of providing control over operational areas. Rather than simply seeking to improve
productivity, the term “management” in its individuality has a basic role of providing control
over operational situations. (Altunok, 2000).

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The concept of time management is an elusive one since time is more or less inaccessible
(Review of time management) and although methods have been proposed (McCay, 1959;
Mackenzie, 1972; Lakein, 1973), the issue of consistency to these methods still remain. College
students may become clouded with overwhelm as they strive to study all of the books and
chapters assigned, meet paper deadlines, and participate in extracurricular activities. The struggle
is obvious; they simply do not have enough time to complete all of these activities correctly.
Despite this, time is still regarded as an infinitely divisible and usable resource with no proof of
its one-dimensionality (Escobar et al., 2015). The key to obtaining life success is to efficiently
manage this resource, which everyone has in equal amounts, and to place adequate focus on
planning (Macan et al., 2000).

Rather than care about the patterns and routines we humans require to attain this skill, we tend to
be more concerned with reaching our desired goals (Kruglanski et al., 2018). This prompts me to
believe that the focus weight of priorities needs to be shifted to suit both the process and result of
the set goal. Human beliefs can be linked to the art of consistency since they are mirrored in a
person's thinking. It is safe to propose that without consistency, the method of time management
cannot be mastered effectively. This moves alongside the proper ranking of wants and needs
according to their importance (Britton and Tesser, 1991) which can be modelled in the form of
short- and long-term goals. Tasks can be graded according to their importance and urgency by
examining what has to be accomplished within a certain timeframe.

On the other hand, critical thinking is a systematic approach used to apply previous information
to new observations (Al-Husban, 2020). It is a skill that forms the bedrock for writing and
research. Flavell (1979) defined critical thinking as the process of thinking about thinking. This
is a learning strategy that is barely used by students when compared to memorization. Part of the
reason stems up from the seed of its application requiring a stream of thoughts and research.
Unlike memorization, Critical thinking employs questioning strategies that challenge students to
examine, synthesize, and evaluate material rather than simply repeat it to solve issues and make
conclusions (Snyder and Snyder, 2008). Although the ability to think is dependent on memory
(Klemm, 2007), it requires reflective and independent deliberations. “As human beings, it is
natural for us to think uncritical” (Canagarajah, 2013) but the concept of writing and thinking
critically can bring into life, fresh orientations of oneself and the world. Therefore, critical

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thinking does not just provide aid to a student academically, it relishes the power of being able to
solve all-round problems effectively. A critical mind yields a positive mind, and this has its
effects on both personal and professional levels. Ideally, it also plays a part in the execution and
planning of time management method. The process of critical thinking can be compared to that
of self-discovery. views it as "healthy" and "useful" in separating the variables that contribute to
and detract from our well-being through time.

During my Industrial training in 2021, I was and still am a student who generally liked to read up
on texts and books, non-genre specific. I began to admire the art of writing when I was required
to prepare and submit a description report of my entire Industrial training experience on my
return to school but I realised I was lacking the ability to effectively communicate what I needed
to in exchange for good grades (Defazio et al., 2010) stated the great need for students at every
level to possess the written ability to communicate and critically assess other writings. This
statement resonates with me in the sense that I still do not possess this ability and have to work
towards developing the skill of writing. “Writing is the edifice on which the rest of education
stands” (Bartlett, 2003). Writing is important not only to improve our communication and
cognitive skills, but also to preserve our thoughts, learning, and memories. Effective writing
entails the acquisition, comprehension, application, and synthesis of new information (Academic
literacy)

Students have to learn to think critically first, before they can apply the skill into writing and
research (Snyder and Snyder, 2008). In this context they require guidance towards mastering this
skill, since they are not born with the ability.

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 SELF DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Table i- Time constraint Action Plan

No. Target Activities Strategies Target Resource

Date Sourcing if any
Project -Source for Provide answers April 27th - -Outliers
1 development: journals to the following May 10th, (Malcolm
Complete -Identify questions: 2022 Gladwell)
Chapters 1-2 of Objective -What is your
project -Identify project about?
statement of -What problem is
problem it solving? How?
-Identify -Has this solution
significance been proffered
of study before?
-Review, -What techniques
compare and were used?
make notes -What are your
-Review aims and
referencing objectives?
style -Why is your
system needed?
-What makes
your system stand
out?
- Are there any
distinctions to the
technique you
want to use?
2 Thought -Become Brainwriting May 1st - Dare to lead

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 development: team lead in session: May 5th, (Brene Brown)
CSC 423 -Why do we study 2022 -The five
-Organize the concept of dysfunctions of a
and prioritize programming team
tasks among languages? (Patrick
teammates Discuss and Lencioni)
organize
presentation

3 Project -Complete -Download spacy April 5th – -Handbook of

Implementatio week 2 of library April 30th, Natural
n natural -Download 2022 Language
language en_core_web Processing (Nitin
processing model Indurkhya and
course Fred J. Damerau)
-Fix
extractive
summarizer
code

CONCLUSION
To improve in these areas, I am willing to make a conscious effort to apply the action plan that
has been established for myself and my academics in order to change my thought process and
methods in order to better grow myself and cultivate these talents. I'll start using ways to
improve my critical thinking skills so that I can devote more time to writing and research. Most
importantly, I need to consider the ramifications and consequences of my actions in terms of
time management and develop a personal belief in approaches and consistent mindsets that will
enable me to make the most of whatever time I have given to a task.

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REFERENCES

Al-Husban, N. A. (2020) ‘Critical Thinking Skills in Asynchronous Discussion Forums: A Case

Study’, International Journal of Technology in Education, 3(2), p. 82. doi:
10.46328/IJTE.V3I2.22.

Altunok, G., 2000. Managementality: management as a political mentality (Doctoral

dissertation, Bilkent University).

Anciano, F., Mistry, J. and Berardi, A., 2006. Skills at masters’ level in Geography Higher E:
Teaching, learning and applying.(Escobar et al., 2015)

Bartlett, T., 2003. Why Johnny can't write, even though he went to Princeton: Many top colleges
fear that their students lack basic composition skills. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(17),
p.A39.
Bacha, N.N., 2002. Developing learners' academic writing skills in higher education: A study for
educational reform. Language and Education, 16(3), pp.161-177.

Bloxham, S. and Boyd, P., 2007. Developing Effective Assessment In Higher Education: A
Practical Guide: A Practical Guide. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Britton, B. K. and Tesser, A. (1991) ‘Effects of Time-Management Practices on College Grades’,

Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(3), pp. 405–410. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.83.3.405.

Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (2016) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at
University (4th ed.) London: SAGE, p94.

Canagarajah, A.S. (2013). Critical Academic Writing and Multilingual Students. Ann Arbor:
University of Michigan Press

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Critical Thinking Towards Time Management | Active Learning Solutions (no date). Available
at: https://active-consultants.com/critical-thinking-towards-time-management/ (Accessed: 4 May
2022).

Defazio, J., Jones, J., Tennant, F. and Hook, S.A., 2010. Academic Literacy: The Importance and
Impact of Writing across the Curriculum--A Case Study. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning, 10(2), pp.34-47.

Drucker, P.F. (1967), The Effective Executive, Harper & Row, New York, NY.

Elbow, P., 1998. Writing with power: Techniques for mastering the writing process. Oxford
University Press.

Escobar, G. et al. (2015) ‘The Impact of Time Management on the Students’ Academic
Achievements Related papers Role of Classroom Cult ure in Academic Learning of St udent s at
University Level. By: Tamoor … Tamoor Zulfiquar Reflect ive Teaching and t he Teachers’ Self
Efficacy in t he Post Met hod Era: A Case St udy of Jazan U… The Impact of Time Management
on the Students’ Academic Achievements’, An International Peer-reviewed Journal, 11.
Available at: www.iiste.org (Accessed: 2 May 2022).

Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of

cognitive-development inquiry. American Psychologist, 34, 906–911.

Gibbs G. Learning by Doing:A Guide to Teaching andLearning Methods. Oxford, Further

Education Unit OxfordPolytechnic: Oxford; 1988

Gonzalez, C., 2001. Undergraduate research, graduate mentoring, and the university's
mission. science, 293(5535), pp.1624-1626.

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Klemm, W.R., 2007. What Good Is Learning If You Don't Remember It?. Journal of Effective
Teaching, 7(1), pp.61-73.

Kruglanski, A.W., Jasko, K., Milyavsky, M., Chernikova, M., Webber, D., Pierro, A. and Di
Santo, D., 2018. Cognitive consistency theory in social psychology: A paradigm
reconsidered. Psychological Inquiry, 29(2), pp.45-59.

Lakein, A. (1973), How to Get Control of your Time and Life, Nal Penguin Inc., New York, NY.

Macan, T. H. et al. (1990) ‘College Students’ Time Management: Correlations With Academic
Performance and Stress’, Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(4), pp. 760–768. doi:
10.1037/0022-0663.82.4.760.

McCay, J. (1959), The Management of Time, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Mackenzie, R.A. (1972), The Time Trap: Managing your Way Out, Amacom, New York, NY

Snyder, L.G. and Snyder, M.J., 2008. Teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills. The
Journal of Research in Business Education, 50(2), p.90.

Thaiss, C.J. and Zawacki, T.M., 2006. Engaged writers and dynamic disciplines: Research on
the academic writing life. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

APPENDIX

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Fig i. Weekly planner

Fig ii. To do List

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Fig iii. Assignment Planner

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