Engineering Professional Practice

What you need to do

You must submit four written reflections about the Industry Placement component of your professional practice, mapped to the Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 Competencies.

Download the SEAL reflections template (DOCX, 165.2 KB) and write all four reflections in this document.

Your reflections must:

• Identify one or more learning events that you have encountered whilst undertaking your industry placement.
• Address 4 different EA Stage 1 competencies (one per reflection).
• At least 3 reflections must address Sections 2 and 3 of the EA Stage 1 Competencies.
• Use the SEAL reflection framework (Situation, Effect, Action, Learning).
• Be 300 words per reflection.
• Be written in your authentic voice.
• Include the AI/MT declaration page.

Optional support: Introduction to the SEAL Reflection Method Module

How to choose a “learning event”

A learning event is something meaningful from your industry placement that helped you better understand what it means to be a professional engineer.

It can be:

• Something that went well (and why).
• Something that didn’t go to plan (and what you’d do differently next time).
• Feedback you received and applied.
• A moment where theory met reality (and changed how you think or work).

Aim for events that show growth, not just a list of tasks.

How to write reflectively

• Reflections are personal so your writing should be relaxed and conversational as opposed to the more formal style of academic writing.
• Give examples or evidence to show on which basis you believe your statements to be true.
• Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them.
• Reflective writing often involves ‘revealing’ anxieties, errors and weaknesses, as well as strengths and successes. This is fine as long as you show some understanding of possible causes and explain how you plan to improve.
• Select just the most significant parts of the event or idea on which you are reflecting.
• It is often useful to ‘reflect forward’ to the future as well as ‘reflecting back’ on the past.

How to structure each reflection using the SEAL format

Use SEAL to keep your writing clear and assessable:

• S — Situation: What happened? What was the context or challenge?
• E — Effect: What impact did it have (on you, the work, the team, the outcome)?
• A — Action: What did you do and why? What decisions did you make?
• L — Learning: What was the outcome, what did you learn and how will you apply it in the future?

How you’ll be assessed

Reflections are marked pass/fail.

You’re more likely to pass when your reflection:

• Is written on the reflection template, following the SEAL format.
• Is specific (real details, not generic claims).
• Clearly connects to the chosen competency.
• Explains what changed in your thinking or behaviour.

If you receive a fail, you will need to revise and resubmit until you receive a pass. If you receive a pass, it will display in Blackboard.

Marking is managed by Schools, so we can’t advise when your reflections will be marked. If you submit by the deadline, it will be prioritised for graduation checks, and time is built in for resubmission if needed.

Students are reminded to familiarise themselves with the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and to ensure that all information submitted is accurate and all reflections are entirely the student’s own work, or sources are referenced appropriately.

Use of AI/MT in EPP reflections

We expect these reflections to be the equivalent of conveying your reflection in an interview. It is your authentic voice we want to hear. A reflection that is clearly based on personal experience without being polished will pass but a polished generic response that could have been written by anyone will not.

UQ's Student Code of Conduct requires that all information submitted is accurate, and all reflections are entirely the student’s own work or sources are referenced appropriately. If you use AI or MT tools (e.g. ChatGPT, CoPilot, Grammarly etc), you must acknowledge this in the AI/MT Acknowledgement Coversheet and submit it with your reflections. This includes your prompts in your authentic voice to allow your workflow to be evaluated. Unsatisfactory acknowledgment/referencing or failure to comply may constitute an investigation.

Submit your reflections

When your reflections are complete in the SEAL template, submit them via Blackboard.

Submission checklist:

• Completed 4 reflections in the SEAL template.
• Chosen at least 3 competencies from Sections 2 and 3 of the EA Stage 1 Competencies.
• Completed the AI/MT acknowledgement coversheet.
• Uploaded the correct final version.