Reflection

What is it?

Students are encouraged to critically analyse their own learning path and their learning progress so far. Ideally, the reflection process is an individual self-assessment, which is conducted regularly. Reflective journals are a good way of helping students to reflect when they are asked to contribute entries regularly, eg weekly or at learning milestones. However, reflection is also useful as a wider strategy to consolidate learning or comprehension of a topic or to realise improvements to work that can be made.

Blogs allow students to easily access, store and share their learning reflections with others. Blogs can be useful for capturing a variety of media, can be mobile and can also allow students to comment on the work of others if they want to. They can also be easily and frequently accessed by teachers without delaying further entries by students. Where appropriate, recording personal thoughts in the audio medium, or with podcasts, can also result in surprisingly personal recounts and reflections from students who are not usually as expressive in a face-to-face group.

Pros and cons

Regular diarising (or blogging) of reflection is a good way of integrating the technique as a regular and crucial part of the learning process.
The reflection process can encourage students to take a conscious step back from their learning and give them time to contextualise the new knowledge.
Students can identify areas of learning they still need to work on and areas of strength that they can build on.
Reflection can help students to be self-motivated and self-governed in their learning, both important planks in the constructivist approach to teaching.
Some students may find it challenging to publish a personal assessment. In this case questions or reflection points may be helpful to guide students as to what is expected or useful.

Fit for purpose?

Allowing time after an event has passed, in order to form a new perspective or consolidate understanding, strengths or weaknesses, is critical to the reflection process.

Reflective journals can be a particularly useful activity for the creative arts. They can be used to capture ideas for future work or to consider techniques that have been tried and thus gauge their level of success.

Regular individual reflections can be used for assessment purposes and by teachers to ensure that students are progressing on larger projects.

The individual nature of reflection means that teachers can use this work to assist students with their personal learning needs or to identify groups of students who need additional help in certain areas.

Alternative means for keeping a reflection journal (such as a paper-based journal) should be an option for students who don’t wish to publish their journals online.

Students need to be the ones to decide who can access their online journal.

Students will need adequate language skills in order to be able to express themselves appropriately.

Find out more

For more ideas of how this strategy can work in practice, go to the following case studies:

Blogs – Connecting with blogs, Rosa Ochoa
Blogs – Seamless learning and fun with blogs, Michelle Dodd
Podcasting – Sharing and creating with podcasts, Rosa Ochoa
Podcasting – Bringing in experts with podcasts, Thierry Demathieu.