Journal

(Worth 20% of your total mark across 2 submissions x 10% each)

The following Course Learning Outcomes are assessed in this assignment: CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 5,
CLO 6

Purpose:
Both in traditional and online classrooms, journal entries are used as tools for student reflection. By
consciously thinking about and comparing issues, life experiences, and more, you are better able to
understand links between theory and practice and generate opinions related to your own personal and
professional development.

This kind of writing assignment is meant to be interactive, as you engage with ideas and experiences
that bring about questions, comparisons, insights, criticisms, speculations, and tentative conclusions.
Although somewhat less formal than essays or other course writing assignments, journal entries should
still construct a coherent narrative, use complete sentences, be grammatically correct, and demonstrate
evidence of critical thought.

Instructions
The reflective journal is intended to be a space to make connections – your connections among the
various complementary elements of the course. The object of the journal is not to think like someone
else but to develop your own reflective practice.

Each week you will be provided with a journal prompt related to course themes under the broader
umbrella of management and leadership. Take the time to consider the weekly prompt and
demonstrate critical thinking and reflection in your writing.

Although there no rigid format or template that must be followed, each weekly entry should be
approximately 150-200 words and a title page is required.

The journal is evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Content Reflection

• Connections

• Critical Thought

• Knowledge and Skills

• Strategic Management

• Personal Growth & Awareness

• Writing Quality & Mechanics

• Completeness & Format

Submission
There are two submission periods:
 1. Journal Submission #1, inclusive of Weeks 1-7
2. Journal Submission #2, inclusive of Weeks 1-14

Submit your written assignment to the corresponding dropbox folder (Journal Submission #1 or Journal
Submission #2) in D2L/Brightspace. See Course Overview and Schedule for assignment due dates.

Assignment Rubric
Criteria Exemplary (4 Accomplished (3 Developing Beginning Unsatisfactory
marks) marks) (2 marks) (1 mark) (0 marks)
Content Reflection Reflection Reflection Reflection lacks Content reflection
Reflection demonstrates a demonstrates some demonstrates critical thinking. is incomplete.
high degree of degree of critical limited critical
critical thinking in thinking in applying, thinking in
applying, analyzing, and/or applying,
analyzing, and evaluating key analyzing,
evaluating key course concepts and and/or
course concepts theories from evaluating key
and theories from readings, lectures, course concepts
readings, media, discussions and theories
lectures, media, activities, and/or from readings,
discussions assignments. lectures, media,
activities, and/or discussions,
assignments. activities, and/or
assignments.
Connections Insightful and Connections made Minimal Superficial No connections
relevant through connections connections are made.
connections explanations, made through made with key
made through inferences, and/or explanations, course concepts
contextual examples. inferences, and course
explanations, and/or materials,
inferences, and examples. activities,
examples. and/or
assignments.
Critical Conveys strong Conveys evidence of Conveys limited Conveys No evidence of
Thought evidence of critical thought and evidence of inadequate critical thought
critical thought reflection on own critical thought evidence of included in written
and reflection on work with a and reflection on critical thought submission.
own work with a personal response own work in and reflection
personal to the self- response to the on own work in
response to the assessment self-assessment response to the
self-assessment questions posed. questions posed. self-assessment
questions posed. questions
posed.
Knowledge & Describes Describes with use Some Poor No description
Skills effectively and of examples the description description provided about the
with use of knowledge and skills provided about provided about knowledge and
examples the required in the knowledge and knowledge and skills required in
knowledge and management skills required in skills required in the management
skills required in environments of the management the environments of
the management today. environments of management today.
environments of today. environments
today. of today.
Criteria Exemplary (4 Accomplished (3 Developing Beginning Unsatisfactory
marks) marks) (2 marks) (1 mark) (0 marks)
Strategic Conveys strong Conveys evidence of Conveys limited Conveys No evidence of
Management evidence of critical thought and evidence of inadequate critical thought or
critical thought analysis about the critical thought evidence of analysis included in
and analysis challenges facing and analysis critical thought written
about the businesses today. about the and analysis submission.
challenges facing challenges facing about the
businesses today. businesses challenges
today. facing
businesses
today.
Personal Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Personal growth No evidence of
Growth & significant satisfactory some personal and awareness personal growth
personal growth personal growth growth and are not evident. and awareness
Awareness and awareness of and awareness awareness with Lacks enough included in written
deeper meaning through some inferences made, inferences, submission.
through inferences made, examples, examples,
inferences made, examples, insights, insights, and/or personal
examples, well and challenges. challenges that insights and
developed Some thought of are still challenges,
insights, and the future developing. and/or future
substantial depth implications of Some thought of implications are
in perceptions current experience. the future overlooked.
and challenges. implications of
Synthesizes current
current experience.
experience into
future
implications.
Writing Well written and Above average Average and/or Poor writing Writing quality is
Quality & clearly organized writing style and casual writing style lacking in unsatisfactory.
using standard logically organized style that is standard
Mechanics English, using standard sometimes English, clarity,
characterized by English with minor unclear and/or language used,
elements of a errors in grammar, with some errors and/or frequent
strong writing punctuation, usage, in grammar, errors in
style and basically and spelling. punctuation, grammar,
free from usage, and punctuation,
grammar, spelling. usage, and
punctuation, spelling. Needs
usage, and work.
spelling errors.
Completeness Journal contains a Journal contains an Journal is Journal is Several weekly
& Format complete entry entry for each week missing an entry missing 3-4 entries missing
related to the in the course, 1-2 for 1-2 weeks weekly entries and/or incomplete
weekly journal entries are and/or 1-2 and/or contains entries.
prompt for each incomplete. incomplete incomplete Major issues with
week in the Minor issues with entries. entries. APA citations, title
course. APA citations, title Minor issues Several minor page and body of
Correct use of page and body of with APA issues with APA the paper as
APA citations, the paper as citations, title citations, title appropriate.
title page and appropriate. page and body of page and body
body of the paper the paper as of the paper as
as appropriate. appropriate. appropriate.