Word limit: 4000 words
Your final piece of assessment is your learning project report.
This should build on your learning project plan, but you will not be held to anything that you have included in your original learning project plan. The total length is to be approximately 4000 words (without references).
The Learning project
is an integral part of the learning process of the course. Real learning does
not happen until ideas are put into practice and tested. It is important
that students not only learn in the workshop settings of the course, but also
students “learn by doing”. The learning project challenges
students to plan and conduct a project where they apply principles and
practices of leadership in a “real life” situation. This could
include activities such as enhancing your leadership practice with an existing
group or organisation, working with existing leaders, or contributing to a
leadership initiative. The learning project can be based on a workplace
or community situation incorporating your normal work or interests. There
is also sound evidence that leadership is best learned in personal situations.
An excellent project
would include:
Consideration
of new concepts and skills learnt that stand out for you.
Test
several new leadership skills and concepts in a small, low-effort, real
world situation during semester, to gain new insights, Identify what you
might do to design or re-design future work to show how you will apply new
skills and concepts to get better results
Not all students may
be able to conduct an active project directly with a current group or leader.
There are various other options (least preferred since these offers you
less practical learning). For example, with the input and approval of the
course facilitator, a learning project could be based on one of the following
activities:
Observe
a situation appropriate to leadership and analyse it using the relevant
concepts, frameworks and techniques from the course
Review,
analyse and redesign a past activity or leadership situation from your
experience.
Time is set aside
during the early workshops or zoom meetings for students to develop their
learning project plan with guidance from the course facilitator. Please discuss
your options with the facilitator. During the semester, please contact the
course facilitator if you have any questions or need any guidance with your
learning project. Module One slides and papers provided in Learning Resources
area offer example situations in which past students have practised and
developed their leadership skills.
Participants must
submit a written report on their learning project. Full instructions will be
given and discussed early in the semester. Your learning project report should
build on your learning project plan but you won’t be held to anything that you
included in your original learning project plan. You need to layout your
learning project report in the way that you feel is best. Using the four phases
of the Learning Cycle can be a useful framework for describing your learning
process. The following is a possible format for your learning project report,
but you may choose to do it another way provided that it includes sufficient
content.
Possible
Format
Introduction
Briefly outline what
issue, problem or opportunity your learning project addresses. Describe why
your learning project is important and relevant.
Context
Brief detail of the
background in which you are operating as it pertains to the learning project. This
situation analysis need not be extensive but should cover the main points that
make your learning project important in your work context. You need to have a clear, logical description
of the issues, problem or opportunity that your learning project addresses. This
need to be clearly connected to the context and the learning objectives of your
project.
Objectives
Provide a succinct
statement of what you sought to achieve with your learning project. These
should include your own learning objectives for your leadership development.
Activities
Briefly describe how
you conducted your learning project. Don’t just list actions, describe the
logic of what you did and why. Describe what happened – how things went doing
your project. Describe what occurred as a result of your learning project such
as what changed in the situation, what benefits occurred, how a desired outcome
was achieved or not achieved, and importantly, what you learned from testing
and improving your leadership practice. Describe the principles of leadership
that relate to approach to the project – these may be from the course content,
from readings or other literature or principles that you feel are
important from your own experience. Describe how you know that what you did was
leadership and not management, particularly by comparing your action to the
Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership (Kouzes and Posner) and the course
definition for leadership.
Critically reflect on
leadership based on what occurred during your project and draw out insights
into leadership. Are there any aspects of rural leadership that you think are
particularly important because of your experiences with your project? Describe
whether you achieved the objectives of your project and if not, what prevented
you from achieving them. Detail what you learned, including improved
confidence, understanding and skills in leadership, and contrast this with
principles and approaches to leadership. Discuss what you would do the same and
differently next time. This section should be a major part of your report and
make sure that you include references.
Conclusion
Draw together the
main implications of your learning project and how your new insights and
improved leadership skills can be used to get better outcomes in your life.
