MGMT1007 (WK2, Tut 1) - University Professional Practice: Reflective Practice and Workforce Planning Study Guide

Academic Technologies and Communication Standards

• Students must familiarize themselves with several key university platforms:

  • Turnitin: Used for assessment submission and original writing checks.

  • Leganto: The platform for accessing unit readings and resources.

  • Echo (Echo360): The system for viewing recorded lectures.

• Proactive communication is essential. If students encounter difficulties, they are encouraged to reach out via email or schedule an appointment.

• The preference is for quick chats via Zoom rather than lengthy email exchanges to ensure questions are answered accurately and efficiently.

• Initiative and proactivity are highly valued; however, students should seek assistance immediately if they cannot find an answer themselves. Communication regarding assessment difficulties must occur well in advance and never on the day of a deadline or at the very end of the semester.

Attendance and Engagement Tracking

• Engagement is tracked through multiple methods by the unit convener and tutors:

  • Roll calls are conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of each tutorial session.

  • Zoom generates automated reports detailing the exact duration each student spends in a session.

  • iLearn (the Learning Management System) tracks student activity, including how much time is spent on specific assessment tabs, browsing unit descriptions, or preparing for tutorials.

• Establishing a routine of regularly checking unit announcements is critical for achieving high marks in the engagement criteria of the assessment table.

Assessment Task 1: Annotated Bibliography

• Due Date: Week 6 ($September\,4$).

• Requirement: Students must annotate four academic articles.

• Source Constraints: All four articles must be selected exclusively from the high-quality, peer-reviewed list of journals provided on the assessment page. Non-academic sources (blogs, Wikipedia, random websites) or articles outside the provided list are not permitted.

• Structure of Part 1 (Annotations):

  • Each annotation must be between $300$ and $350$ words.

  • Full Reference: Must use APA 7th Edition style.

  • Introduction: Provide an overview of the specific subtopic chosen.

  • Findings: Focus on two or three key findings from the article rather than trying to summarize every point.

  • Evaluation of Usefulness: Explain how the article specifically addresses the research question.

• Structure of Part 2 (Synthesis):

  • Students use the annotations to construct an answer to the main research question: "How can workforce planning help organizations prepare for the challenges and opportunities of an aging workforce?"

  • This section requires proper in-text references and a matching reference list.

• Subtopics for Consideration:

  • Demographic changes.

  • Labor shortages.

  • Succession planning.

• Submission Tip: Articles must be uploaded in full along with the bibliography to verify that the correct sources were annotated.

Assessment Task 2: Infographic and Presentation

• Due Date: Week 9 (submission of the visual component).

• Word/Source Count: Requires at least $8$ academic articles from the approved list.

• Visual Guidelines: The infographic should be portrait-sized and visually appealing. While graphic design expertise is not expected, the use of pleasant colors and relevant images is required.

• Presentation Component:

  • Duration: $3$ to $4$ minutes.

  • Schedule: Topics 1, 2, and 3 present in Week 10; Topics 4, 5, and 6 present in Week 11.

  • Format: Students share their screen and present their findings. Reading from a script is discouraged; students should aim for eye contact with the camera and professional body language.

• HR Topics for Infographic:

  • Recruitment and Selection.

  • Learning Development and Retention.

  • Managing Performance.

  • Rewards Management.

  • Workplace Health and Safety.

  • Workplace Negotiation.

• Extension Policy: No short extensions are available for this task. Medical certificates are required for any late submissions or missed presentations.

Assessment Task 3: Reflective Practice

• Due Date: Week 13.

• Requirement: Produce five reflections of $200$ to $250$ words each.

• Scope: Students must choose five tutorials between Week 2 and Week 9 to reflect upon.

• Structure: Each reflection must identify the week and date, address specific reflective questions regarding classroom activities, and describe what was learned from group or individual work.

• Evidence Requirement: Every reflection must be accompanied by evidence, such as screenshots of Photovoice activities or notes produced during the tutorial. Links to shared drives are not accepted; evidence must be embedded directly in the document as an appendix or under each entry.

• Non-Academic Sources: Unlike the first two assessments, reflections can refer to the unit textbook or popular articles to demonstrate familiarity with concepts.

Key Concept: The Right to Disconnect

• Definition: The legal and workplace right of employees to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to work-related communications (emails, calls, texts) outside of their designated working hours.

• Context: Technology has made workers available $24/7$, leading to potential burnout and a lack of privacy. The Right to Disconnect aims to restore work-life balance.

• Distinction by Channel:

  • Emails: Generally carry an expectation of a response within $2$ to $3$ business days.

  • Text Messages: Often perceived as more urgent depending on the professional relationship, but the right to ignore them after hours remains.

• Legislative Debate (Australia):

  • Peter Dutton: Criticized the reforms, suggesting they might harm productivity or be impractical for small businesses.

  • Tony Burke (Minister): Aimed to protect the lowest-paid workers and those in the gig economy from being "on-call" without pay.

  • Senator Barbara Pocock: A key advocate for the Right to Disconnect to modernize labor laws, noting that current laws were designed for a blue-collar workforce rather than the modern retail and health sectors.

  • Senator David Pocock: Successfully negotiated to include provisions allowing casual employees to convert to permanent status after six months if they work regular hours.

• Economic Impact: Labor productivity growth was noted as the slowest in $60$ years during the decade ending in $2020$, averaging only $1.2\%$. Advocates argue that a rested workforce is more productive, whereas opponents fear the rigidity of the law.

Photovoice Activity Guidelines

• Photovoice is a qualitative method used to document and communicate reality through images.

• Instructions:

  • Identify or take an image that represents a specific concept (e.g., the Right to Disconnect).

  • The image can be a personal photo (e.g., a phone, textbook, or home office) or a sourced online image (which must be properly credited).

  • Annotation: Explain why the image was chosen and how it symbolizes the topic.

  • Avoid: AI-generated images are not permitted.

• Weekly Photovoice activities serve as the primary evidence for the final reflective submission in Week 13.

Questions & Discussion

• Question: Is attendance compulsory for the assignments?

• Response: Assessment 3 requires reflections on at least five tutorials. If you miss too many, you will not have enough material to submit. You can miss up to three tutorials between weeks 2 and 9 without a negative impact on the reflective task.

• Question: Do we need to submit a final version of our notes every week?

• Response: No, you submit a draft. It serves as an indicator of engagement. You will refine these for the final submission in Week 13.

• Question: For Assessment 1, part 1, do we need to compare the usefulness of the different sources against each other?

• Response: No. Evaluate each article independently based on its own merits and relevance to the question. You are not expected to do a massive comparison like a PhD thesis.

• Question: How many assessments are there in total?

• Response: There are three main assessments: the Annotated Bibliography, the Infographic/Presentation, and the Reflective Journal.

• Question: Do we include group members in our weekly notes?

• Response: Yes, your shared group document should include the details of members present during the breakout activities.

• Question: Where do we submit the weekly tutorial work?

• Response: There is a specific link on iLearn labeled "Weekly tutorial activity." You use this same link every week to upload your drafts by $8\,PM$ on the day of the tutorial.