CA2.4-Criteria for reflective writing

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4 Oct 2008, 11:54

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Jose Martel-H808-CA2.4-Criteria for reflective writing

-In good reflective writing you need to describe what happened/what the issue was AND THEN write down HOW that made you feel (i.e. your reflections):

- Description provides context

- Reflections share meaning (PSU, 2006).

- Try to work systematically:

- chose what you want to reflect on

- write:

- what happened, try to keep to the facts, be precise (include enough detail)

- how you felt about this

- about the various things this could mean, to you, and to others

- what the consequences are, immediate and future

- as you write:

- ask yourself questions

- answer those questions

- try to see things from

- a different point of view

- the point of view of other people involved

- think about how past events may have influenced

- what happened

- your reactions to it

- other peoples' reactions to it

- compare these with your own reactions

- perhaps

- initially

- consider the details, the "small picture"

- then

- stand back, consider the "big picture"

- think about

- what you can learn from

- what happened

- your ongoing reflections

- what conclusions you can draw

- and the reasons why

- specific evidence

- to validate your conclusions

- already in your eportfolio (or that could be included)

- be honest

- tell the truth as you

- see it

- feel it

- try not to censor yourself

- be creative when looking for alternative solutions

- brainstorm; mind-map, etc.

- but don't be too fanciful with the results

- use

- an honest, upbeat, sincere tone

- short paragraphs starting with

- topic sentences, e.g.

- "From Jack's point of view nothing had changed."

- "The next day, I tried again."

- "Despite their assurances, nothing was the same any more."

- transition words, e.g.

- Besides; For example; Since; Thus; In order to; However; Overall (Moon, 2001; PSU, 2006)

References

Moon, J. (2001) ‘PDP working paper 4: reflection in higher education learning’ [online], The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id72_Reflection_in_Higher_Education_Learning.rtf (accessed 29 June 2007).

Penn State University (PSU) (2006) REFLECT: providing insight, http://portfolio.psu.edu/reflect (accessed 1 July 2008).

Jose Martel-H808-CA2.3-Reflection and learning-FINAL DRAFT

4 Oct 2008, 07:00

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Jose Martel-H808-CA2.3-Reflection and learning

Oh dear, I have been pushing myself quite hard in an effort to catch up and be in a position to interact (in a timely manner) on the forums. But that has meant - as Agatha Christie's well known Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, may have put it, "Mon amie, ze leetel graie cells, zay are in need of ze taim to cogitet!". Reflection benefits greatly from time (Moon, 2001); are we - paradoxically - learning quick time the virtues of careful reflection?

- Moon (2001) affirms that when it is assumed "that reflection has a valuable role to play in higher education", the curriculum designer should have a clear understanding of the desired reflective outcomes and how those outcomes should be brought about; this is especially so if the reflective activity is to be assessed. Moon comments that reflective learning has found particularly strong support in professional-education and development.

- I think it is common knowledge that some people (e.g. both teachers and students) are better at reflection than others (Moon, 2001). I take this to mean that the perception of a problem (on which to reflect) can be different from person to person. Some people perceive a particular problem and immediately "see" the solution - with no laboured reflection - while other people - with reference to the same problem - may need guidance and time to reflect. Moon (2001) points out that there are different types of reflection that may be more or less effective when applied to different situations. Within our learning context an "academic" reflective style - characterised by a higher level of structure, formality and depth - is the most suitable. This depth of reflection is enhanced when reflective dialogue and feedback is maintained between students, and students and teachers.

After reading Moon (2001) I now have a greater store of reflective techniques I can apply to situations or problems that arise. Both in a learning or a professional context, I would imagine that I would try to use techniques that seem/are most suitable. As to whether there is a qualitative difference between reflecting on professional practice and reflecting on learning, perhaps a difference could stem from the importance one ascribes to each reflective event.

- At the moment I type this, I think that writing may be the most practical way to reflect (and communicate reflection) on this course. Unless one is proficient in the use of the various electronic media that could be used (recording/editing/conversion/storage devices and types of image/sound/data files) then valuable time could be wasted in trying to produce reflections of a similar calibre to that which could be more immediately/readily produced via a pen and paper or keyboard. Of course, as already mentioned above, Moon (2001) indicates, that the time spent on the reflective activity is, itself, of great value, and so using unfamiliar media/devices can help provide the time factor - and also a new range of tools - with which to interact with/tackle the subject of our reflection. New/different tools can provide new/different approaches and insights, furthering and deepening our reflection. However, when time is a major constraint, one may opt for the familiarity and immediacy of text, eschewing the uncertainty of learning to use a new media sufficiently well (in the given time) to develop reflections of worth. Another concern that comes to mind is that other possible forms of recording reflection (camera, video, sound) are so, or too, immediate and perhaps not expressive or precise enough or lack a common language with which to guarantee communication of a particular reflection. The saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words", but can that apply to our postgraduate learning context where lack of time for reflection (and to prepare for reflection) is an important factor? The "picture" in question would need to be loaded with so much (viewer-perceptable) value that its conception and realisation could take substantially more time than simply sitting down at one's table to write. In an ideal world would I prefer to experiment with multimedia?...Yes. But the realities of my world are such that I think I may not venture far from the tried and trusted.

The above notwithstanding, I hope that the Open University (OU) eportfolio "MyStuff" will prove to be a valuable resource for providing structure to the powers of reflection I have developed over the years, as well as to help produce alternative reflections to those that I may now take for granted.

In my opinion, the OU's Blog and Wiki could be valuable community platforms and resources, but I think the nature of study in the OU may limit their effectiveness beyond the minimum course requirement for use and interaction. At the moment I feel that the OU Forums are the only place with the sufficient sense of community for effective, reflective interaction to occur.


References:

Moon, J. (2001) ‘PDP working paper 4: reflection in higher education learning’ [online], The Higher Education Academy. Available from:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id72_Reflection_in_Higher_Education_Learning.rtf (accessed 29 June 2007).