Overview

This subject has several aims. In conjunction with the ENFB11-100 Business Model

Generation subject, Business Model Execution is designed to help you integrate and apply content from several of your foundation subjects while providing you the opportunity to

launch, operate and shutdown a value generating enterprise. Viewed as an integrated

whole, the various active learning approaches inherent in the design of this subject is likely to be quite different than those incorporated in other subjects you have taken previously.   This is by design. This subject is designed to facilitate learning by doing (i.e., experiential

learning). Learning about a topic is very different than demonstrating that you know both     how and why a phenomenon occurs and that you can perform some task or behaviour. This higher level of learning is commensurate with the higher expectations for students in these  subjects.

Reflection

Over the course of your life, the vast majority of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you accumulate overtime will be learned through experience. However, just because you

accumulate experiences during your life does not necessarily mean that you will learn anything from them. Learning from experience requires reflection.

What is reflection? The Latin origin of the verb ‘reflect’ means ‘to bend back’ . When we look in the mirror, our image is bent back (i.e., returned, reflected) for us to see. Similarly,

reflection in this context means to direct one’s thoughts back in time to examine a previous experience. As you can imagine, reflection is difficult to do in the heat of the moment while  you are busy processing everything going on, including your mental, emotional and physical state at the time, your environment, and your interpretation of the presence and behaviour of other people around you. Simply processing all that information while determining how    and when to appropriately act can often be a challenge for many people. Reflection occurs   most effectively after that moment has passed and you have the opportunity, adequate

time, and the appropriate personal and situational state to look back and evaluate the  experience. Although there is noone best way to reflect, some common questions you might consider when reflecting, include:

.    What happened (i.e., describe the experience)?

.    How did you feel about what happened?

.    How did others perceive the situation? How did they feel about it?

.    What assumptions did you have prior to this experience?

.    Why do you think events happened in the way that they did?

.    What could you have done differently? What might have happened if you did?

.    What will you do differently next time?

Notice that describing the experience is only a small part of the reflection process. The bulk of reflection is about digging deeper to explore questions of “ how”, “why” and “what if” .

Only through these types of questions and examining your experience from different

perspectives will the process of reflection enable your learning and personal growth.

Although reflection is a process, it is also askill that can be learned and improved overtime like any other skill. Done regularly and effectively, reflection can promote deep, lasting learning.

Learning Journal

In this subject, you will practice reflection using a learning journal. Although this term is

used frequently in higher education, it has many different uses and interpretations. For our  purposes,a learning journal is NOT an event diary,a record or a log of what occurred. It is a

tool for you to facilitate reflection using questions and other prompts like the ones

presented above. The focus of your reflections each week during the semester should be

your experiences relating to this subject – both inside and outside of the classroom. When I say “relating to this subject”,a useful guide for you to consider is the subject learning

objectives. You can also consider similar experiences (e.g., previous group projects) from    your pastas a point of comparison. One of the benefits of reflecting in a learning journal is to help you integrate your current understanding (i.e., mental model) with new learning.    Often, this integration will occur overtime as an outcome of the reflection process that is   captured in your journal.

Each week you are expected to reflect on your experiences relating to this subject using the  journal tool in iLearn. Ideally, you will write a reflection in your journal at least three times    per week (e.g., after each class or team meeting). As with most forms of practice or training, shorter, more frequent reflections are better than longer, more infrequent reflections.

There is no prescribed structure for your journal entries and all entries will be private (i.e., no other students can read your journal entries). Neither the content, nor the structure of your reflections will be graded. However, I will periodically check the frequency of your entries and your general level of effort as these dimensions of your journal entries will be assessed as part of your reflective essay. Having ample quality journal entries will not only    enhance your learning in this subject, but also serve as a critical resource when writing your reflective essay at the end of the semester. If you would like feedback on your individual

journal reflections at anytime during the process, just ask me.

Reflective Essay

At the end of the semester, you will submit a reflective essay summarising what you have learned in this subject. The purpose of this essay is for you to demonstrate the depth and breadth of what you have learned throughout the semester and what effect this learning  has had on you. This is your opportunity to draw reflectivelyon your learning journal to     further develop both your writing and your learning.

As much as possible, your essay should draw on the content of your learning journal entries  as the source or content of the themes you present. Each of the identified themes should be a separate paragraph in the body of your essay. There is no minimum or maximum number   of themes, but the other requirements of the essay will provide additional guidance for you. As you explore and explain each of your themes, try to be as specific as possible, giving

examples from the experiences and reflections captured in your learning journal. In short,   you will synthesise and organise what you have learned during the semester and present it in a clear, coherent, and professional piece of writing.