Reflective writing www kent ac uklearning First reflective

Reflective writing www. kent. ac. uk/learning

First, reflective thinking There are four main stages: 1 The experience: I lit a candle 2 Reflection/observation: Pain! I burnt my finger 3 Analysis/evaluation: Match was too short 4 Action plan/improvement: Buy longer matches Ongoing, everyday, circular process of learning and improvement, but also a vital professional workplace skill

Reflective writing • Formalises critical thinking process, enabling you to: - Do it efficiently - Time after time • Personal reflective writing - Private diary (reflecting on personal experiences) - Private learning journal (reflecting on academic experiences) • Course assignments or learning journals, helping you: - Develop and practise critical reflection skill - Demonstrate your ability to use it

Personal reflective writing An easy, informal, self-generated learning aid to help you maximise your performance 1 The experience My seminar today – following on from last week’s lecture. 2 Reflection/observation I felt out of my depth. I didn’t say anything. Some of it I didn’t understand. 3 Analysis/evaluation Everyone else brought notes. The same preparation would have helped me. 4 Action plan/improvement I’ll spend an hour before my next seminar making a summary of my lecture notes to take with me. I’ll also jot down some questions to ask.

Reflective writing assignments • Help you develop this important learning tool • Show that you can: - Think critically about your own skills and practice - Analyse rather than just describe what happened - Use evidence to illustrate your reflections - Apply what you have learned in order to improve

Tips - be prepared If you know reflective writing will be required: • Keep a log (journal type entry) to capture your reflections, including: - your thinking behind decisions made - theories you considered or that came to mind - techniques chosen as you work on the project • This will provide the honest and accurate raw material for the final reflective element.

Tips - academic principles apply • Follow guidelines provided • Answer the question (as it has been put) • Organised structure • Clear, formal, concise prose • Critical thinking (analysis + evaluation) • Relevant literature and references One exception: use of the first person permitted: ‘I decided to use Technique A, because…

Tips – Link experience with theory • Did the experience help you understand theory? ‘It helped me understand why best practice guidelines suggest that…’ • Did theory prepare you well for the experience? ‘According to theory x, I was expecting the outcome to…. But instead…’ • Did the experience and theory match up? ‘The theory didn’t allow for the eventuality of… In practice…’ • Are there conflicts between the two? ‘Sticking to theory would have harmed…’

Critical reflection structure • Introduction (brief scene-setting description of experience/event) • Logical, well-structured paragraphs - Focus on successful or challenging aspects of experience/event - Each para focusses on single element, point, or aspect of event - Paras maintain the cycle: experience, reflection, analysis, action plan - Reflections/analyses/proposed actions are discussed with reference to relevant theories, case studies, articles, data and other relevant academic evidence. • Conclusion (Summary of main points plus any overall observations)

The reflective writing process A brief recap: 1 The experience - Briefly, what happened, where and when, who was involved? 2 Reflection/observation - Was it successful - what went well/not so well? What methods did you use? 3 Analysis/evaluation - Why did it work out like it did? How could you have done things differently? 4 Action plan/improvement - Based on this insight, what would you do to improve the outcome if a similar situation arose in future?

Further resources For guidance on the broader range of skills needed to complete a reflective writing assignment - from writing introductions to editing and proof-reading your work - please go to the SLAS webpages http: //www. kent. ac. uk/learning/ where you can: • Book a one-to-one appointment with a SLAS adviser • Attend a range of Online Bitesize Skills Development sessions

Get in touch… SLAS CONNECT To book an appointment: www. kent. ac. uk/learning@kent. ac. uk SLASkent Kent. Uni. SLASkent