Essay using gibbs reflective cycle

Reflection and Reflective Practice

Jeanette Sumler-Hutchinson

Session content:

Reflection and reflective practice

Reflective frameworks

Learning journals

Reflective writing

Why the emphasis on reflection?

“Reflective skills are widely regarded as a means of improving students’ lifelong learning and professional practice in higher education” (Rogers 2001)

Reflection

In pairs consider the following questions:

What is reflection?

What is reflective practice?

What is the relationship between reflection and action?

What are the benefits of becoming a reflective practitioner?

What are the challenges/difficulties of becoming a reflective practitioner?

So why bother?

An intellectualisation of experience

An active process of thinking and learning from that thinking

Links thinking to prior practice and learning based on your experience

Become more conscious of your responses to situations/experiences

Broadens your perspectives to create a change in behaviour

The goal is to develop higher order skills

So, you have had exposure of a variety of Leadership styles and theories within the modules and in life. You will

undoubtedly have had experience in some context of being a leader and/or being lead.

The speakers at the Conference showed different styles of leadership as did each of you in the way you engaged

with each other and the challenges. Use all of this information to inform your thinking.

Your Leadership Line….

How do I get started with reflection?

There are a number of reflective frameworks you can use as a template:

Kolb’s (1984) Experiential learning Cycle

Rolfe’s (2001) Reflective Framework

Gibbs (1998) Reflective framework

KOLB (1984)

DOING

THINKING BACK

LEARNING

CHANGE TRY SOMETHING NEW

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Rolfe (2001)

What worked well and why? Description of the experience

So What didn’t work well and why not?

Critical and evaluative analysis

Now What will I do the same and what will I do differently to improve performance?

Taking positive action

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Gibbs (1998)

Greatest difference with Gibb’s model is that it relies on emotional honesty and integrity.

Self explanatory, but students can find out more after our session through this link.

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Challenges of becoming a reflective practitioner

Some people find reflection difficult – it may not be their ‘preferred learning style’

It takes practice!

You need to learn how to reflect e.g. using a reflective framework

It involves being critical of ourselves

It involves allowing others (peers, tutors, colleagues, mentors) to be critical of us

Activity 2

Let’s have a go – (remember to be honest with yourself)

Think of your experience at the Conference and using Rolfe’s framework for reflection use the template provided to reflect on that experience.

Discuss your reflection with a partner– are there any similarities?

Reflective writing quiz... (True or False?)

.. is straight forward description

..has a conclusion

..can include descriptive elements

..is instruction or argument in a report or essay

..is writing about a straight-forward decision e.g. whether something is right or wrong, good or bad etc

..involves critical writing, questioning viewpoints, examining reasons

.. is about simple problem solving like recalling how to get to the nearest station

..is a process through which people develop or change their opinions and/or behaviours

..involves expressing ideas, feelings and behaviours

..enables you to learn something new or reflect more with further input

False

False

False

False

True

True

True

True

True

True

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Reflective learning journals

Keep a ‘learning journal’ on a weekly basis – use any reflective framework

Reflect on learning activities (group & individual) you undertake during modules and life experiences

Remember the reflection is personal so you can use the first person ‘I’

Consider knowledge you have gained, competencies you have acquired or strengthened while undertaking activities, tasks and discussions

Consider also anything you didn’t understand, theories, concepts or tasks you found difficult and why?

Use the language of reflection outlined in the reflective writing help guide

Questions to get you started

1. What happened?

2. How did you (and others involved) feel?

3. What can you learn from it?

4. What changes need to be made?

5. How can you make those changes

6. How can you develop?

7. What is the impact of what you have learnt?

And finally…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUzPEaJeMbk