Reflective Writing for Assignments

Russell Delderfield

Academic Skills Adviser

This workshop will look at what reflection actually is,

explain how to approach reflective assignments in the

preparatory stages and offer tips on how to write up critical

reflective work for assignments.

The plan…

1. What is reflection and why is it important?

2. Being reflective…but academic.

3. Producing reflective academic work – the

process.

4. Using reflective models.

Activity 1 – Why are you here today?

• Share with the person sitting next/near to

you why this workshop interested you.

• Are their reasons the same as yours? Why

(not)?

1. What is reflection?

Why is it important?

“Those who cannot remember the past

are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

Poet & Philosopher

What is it? Why is it important?

- The ability to use past experience

to inform future action.

- The active allocation of time to this

review of past experience.

- During this time, the analysis of that

past experience to identify its

features, components, causes and

effects.

- The identification of where help,

improvement, knowledge or support

can be gleaned from.

- The commitment to an idea that

nothing is perfect – everything can

be built upon.

-You don’t rely on others to learn,

grow and improve.

- You take forward positives and

develop strategies to deal with

negatives.

-It adds to your critical thinking

toolkit.

- It improves the experience of those

you serve, help or work with through

your self-development.

-Graduate-level professions rarely

want unthinking people who

cannot learn from mistakes or

enhance the field they work in.

1. What is reflection?

Why is it important?

2. Being reflective…

but academic

Academic reflection is impossible if

you don’t know some theory!

Activity 2 – Do or don’t?

Sort the following phrases into things you should do or things

you should avoid when it comes to be being reflective but

academic in writing...

• Use informal

language

• Simply state

what happened

• Set the scene

• Write in

chronological

order

2. Being reflective…

but academic

• Use ‘I’

• Use citations and

reference sources.

• Use ‘you’

• Report complete

conversations

• Avoid taking up

word count with an

introduction

• Use professional

terminology and

concepts

• Assume your

reader knows you

• Use full critical

paragraphs

Academic reflective writing

Theory and

evidence

Self-questioning/

analysis

Relevant professional experience

2. Being reflective…

but academic

The assignment brief or question

Two basic approaches in writing:

Discussion of the theory

Elicit the reflective point

Add evidence as appropriate

2. Being reflective…

but academic

Identify and explore the reflective point

Introduce the theory that can help

Add evidence as appropriate

Activity 3 – the 7-stage writing process

3. Producing reflective academic

work – the process

? ? ?

? ? ?

?

3. Producing reflective academic

work – the process

Analyse the question, brief

or problem

Produce reflections

Research

Map or plan draft Revise & edit

(redraft)

Proof & submit

Three stage reflection process:

What was good?

What could have

been better?

How might it be

improved in future?

4. Using reflective models

4. Using reflective models

Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle

Experience (what happened)

I had a scary experience on placement

when a client got very angry.

Observation (what did you notice)

I noticed that the client had several

unresolved MHIs listed on their

intake sheet.

Application of theory (possible explanation)

Fairburn et al. (2011) found that people often suffer

from mood swings and short-temperedness when

they feel no therapeutic progress is being made.

Analysis (what have I learnt)

I have learnt that if a patient gets

angry easily, it may be an early sign

that other treatment is not proceeding

effectively and I need to be mindful of

this!

Gibb’s (1988) Reflective Cycle

4. Using reflective models

Description Delia was criticised and

stormed out

Analysis Academic theory here!

Groups often fall out as they become more open (Tuckman, 2004)

People want to be valued in a community (Weiss, 2000)

Conclusion Conflict is common but could

be prevented if people are

mindful of respect when

providing feedback.

Feelings I felt a bit bad for Delia.

Evaluation Delia probably needed the

feedback but it was

poorly delivered

Action plan Read a bit more about

being assertive

without being rude.

A member of the group, Delia, stormed out when Rob and

Shireen pointed out that her performance was not very

good. They were being honest with Delia, even if it was not

very sensitive. Tuckman (2004) has found that during the

‘storming’ stage of groups, group members often argue as

they feel more comfortable in being honest but might not

have yet developed ‘norms’ of acceptable group behaviour.

It is important to demonstrate respect when working with

others if you want them to feel valued (Weiss, 2000). I now

know how important this is and will try to learn more about

respectful, assertive communication.

In a paper...