SBM3101 Professional Development and Business Communication€¦ · CHAPTER 5 Writing Reflective Journals The reflective journal’s primary purpose is to provide record of events

Week 7, Lecture 7

SBM3101 – Professional Development andBusiness Communication

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Classroom Etiquette

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CHAPTER 5 Writing Reflective Journals

Today’s Learning Objective:

By the end of today’s lecture, you will be able to:

❑ explain the crucial role of reflective journals in experiential learning

❑ discuss the main features of reflective writing

❑ identify questions to address as you observe, reflect on and make sense of

experiences

❑ explain how reflection enables evaluation and restructuring of experience to gain

insight, formulate new understanding, learn from experience and plan future

action


❑ It is sometimes called learning log or learning diary

❑ It is a record of significant events in your coursework, workplace or life experience

and your response to those events

❑ Reflection involves either subjective intuition or objective analysis (or a

combination of both). The outcome is learning and knowledge from within

yourself.

❑ The process of observation and reflection integrate theory into practice and turn

experience into learning.

❑ Keeping a reflective journal encourages you to think about topics covered in

lectures or readings, take position on issues and think critically about specific

events or experiences.

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5.1. Introduction

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❑ The reflective journal’s primary purpose is to provide record of events in a way

that lets you observe and gain insights into your attitudes, values, perception and

knowledge.

❑ A reflective journal written as part of your coursework evolves into a conversation

between you and your lecturer and enhances the flow of regular, constructive

feedback.

❑ The information in journal demonstrates that you have reflected on your

experience throughout the course, undertaken the course reading and

understood the issues and theories presented.

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5.1. Introduction

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❑ This structured reflection on your experience and actions leads to self-discovered

knowledge.

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5.1. Introduction

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❑ Keeping a reflective journal facilitates an ongoing process of self-development,

realisation and learning from experience.

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5.1. Experiential learning

❑ Effective use of a reflective journal enables you to:

❖ answer questions, and understand and make personal sense of

events, issues and concepts

❖ look back at earlier entries and realise that your ideas have

changed and developed as a result of your learning

❖ develop empathy through understanding and insight into

situations and the needs of clients, colleagues and self

❖ become an active and aware learner with the ability to integrate

your work, readings and experience into new learning and ways of

doing things

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❑ Always aim for a positive approach to the journal as it has the potential to

provide you with much learning that can enrich your life and develop your skills..

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5.1. The experiential learning cycle

The learning cycle of experience


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❑ Kolb (1984) defined experiential learning as ‘the process whereby the knowledge

is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from

combination of grasping and transforming experience.’

Klob’s experiential learning cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp-gaV-uSIo


5.2. The purpose of reflection

❑ Reflective journals are included in a coursework and work placements to allow

you to process and learn from your experiences.

❑ The expectation of lecturers and supervisors is that students will engage in

thoughtful reflection of their activities and roles, and make the link between

theory and action by observing, speculating, questioning and relating

experience back to the theory.

❑ Some of the communication skills applied as you keep a reflective journal

include recording, observing, listening and nonverbal communication.

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5.2. The purpose of reflection

❑ An effective journal facilitates reflection on what works or does not work and

connects new learning to previous learning from your course, work placement,

readings or experience

❑ Reflection is a way of:

❖ listening to and valuing your own feelings and intuitions

❖ analysing experiences objectively to find meaning and formulate

new understanding

❖ synthesising or pulling together ideas to find connections and

relationships between the concepts and ideas covered in class, in

readings, in work placement and experience

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❑ Experiential learning involves you as a whole person – your intellect, senses

and feelings in reflecting and critically thinking about your experiences

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5.3. Journal Entry

❑ Journal entries are a valuable record of the development of your ideas and

insights into concepts, ideas and main points from experience and theory

❑ Entries may include:

❖ information and ideas from coursework and readings

❖ insights that develop self-awareness and an ability to evaluate your own

work

❖ your thoughts, perceptions and feelings about a critical incident

❖ helpful and unhelpful ways in which you relate to others and how others

relate to you

❖ daily activities, experiences and your perceptions of a field practice

visit for use as partof the post-visit debriefing

❖ Various activities, a range of administrative tasks, types of problems

and how they are dealt with


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5.3. Journal Entry

❑ Typical elements in a reflective journal are information, observation,

speculations, understandings, questions and critique.

❑ Good reflective journal entries are specific and non judgemental, recording

both the event itself and your inner reactions to the event.

❑ When your lecturers or supervisors assess your journal entries, they look for:

❖ Examples of observed behaviours or characteristics of client setting

❖ Insight into reason behind the observation and objective descriptions

❖ A view of broader context in which the experience or event is situated

❖ The ability to differentiate between personal belief, stereotypes and

legitimate difference of viewpoint

❖ Acknowledgment and interpretation of conflicting goals within and among

the individuals involved in a situation

❖ Ability to challenge self and change actions on basis of learning

❖ The capacity to think critically, draw conclusions, and make

recommendations based on understanding, reasoning and evidence.


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❑ Three modes of writing are appropriate to reflective journal writing

❑ Explanatory writing to explain why or how something happened

❑ Expressive writing to give a clear picture of how you think, feel or believe

❑ Descriptive writing to outline what something is or how something was done.

❑ The expectation of lecturers is that reflective writing will be creative, logical,

hypothetical and offer critical comments about personal experience as you

explore interactions and events.

❑ Reflective writing style is informal but use full sentences and complete paragraphs

rather than bullet points.

❑ Personal pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘we’ are usually acceptable.

❑ Use of colloquial language such as ‘kool’, ‘kid’ etc should be kept to a minimum

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5.4. REFLECTIVE WRITING

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5.4.1 Features of reflective writing

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The learning cycle of experience

5.4. Writing Strategies (contd.)

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❑ The DIEP – Describe, Interpret, Evaluate and Plan- provides a useful approach to

follow as you write and reflect on your journal.

❑ A useful rule is write first and reflect later.

❑ Choose what you will write about and get started.

❑ Record date as you make an entry.

❑ Stimulate your writing by thinking about recent course readings, discussion in a

class, work placement or any other relevant matter and identify a topic that

interests you, an issue or a problem, an argument or debate.

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5.4.2 Applying the DIEP formula

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The DIEP formula

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❑ Write freely without worrying about grammar and spelling in your first draft

❑ Remember to correct grammar and spelling before you submit the final

draft of your journal for assessment

❑ In your first draft note any observations, random thoughts, images and impressions

that you can expand later into a more detailed record of information, speculations,

questions or understandings

❑ As you reflect, meditate on your observations, experiences and feelings,

particularly any aspects that continue to impress or trouble you or cause you

concern

❑ Write in a way that is self-expressive and non-derogatory to yourself and other.

❑ If you need to make a judgement, do it in a way that states how you feel, by using

‘I’ statements, rather than ‘you’ statements.

❑ Write honestly and openly10


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5.4.3 Writing strategies

❑ The following three techniques can help to prevent blocks or barriers to writing in

your journal:

❖ Write so fast that there is no chance for you to think and become self-

conscious about your writing

❖ When you are overwhelmed by too many thoughts or feelings, create a list

of the most important points

❖ Relax by closing your eyes and going back over the day by listening to

music, practising your favourite meditation technique

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5.4.4 Using Strategies to prevent barriers to writing

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5.4.5 Recording your entries

❑ When the reflective journal is required as part of your work placement, the

expectation is that you will record experiences as soon as possible after they

happen and as fully as possible

❑ Find the time to write, rather than letting time slip away without using the journal,

because ideas recorded as soon as possible after the event are more likely to

be accurate

❑ You may choose a regular time each day or week to write the entries and a

definite time each week to think about and reflect on them.

❑ Alternatively, you may prefer to write the entries as they happen and then

reflect on them at a time when you are ready to think

❑ The purpose of the journal is to enable you to learn from your experiences

actions, knowledge, reflection, learning and more actions. To do this you need

to reflect on your success and mistakes and become an active and aware

learner.

❑ You need to set time to reflect on the entries that you have written and review

your learning.

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5.5. Recording Entries – More than a Diary

❑ Reflective journals are more than a diary or simple recount of the events of the

day

❑ Although entries are based on the activities of the day, they are specific and

non-judgemental and record not only events but also your inner reaction to

these events, such as

❑ Record the events that are of the deepest or most importance to you in your

journal. May include diagram, symbols or newspaper cuttings

❑ Time period covered by your entries may vary from very short to very long.

❖ a lecture, tutorial, webinar or discussion

❖ a reading in a text or a case study

❖ an experience in work placement or field practice

❖ a family matter that relates to your work or coursework

❖ any other matter relevant to your coursework or field practice.

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❖ What happened? What was the setting?

❖ What was my role and what did I do?

❖ What were the facts?

❖ What feelings and senses surrounded the event?

❖ How and what did I feel about what I did? Why?

❖ What were the important elements of the event?

❖ What happened before and after the event?

❖ What should I be aware of if the event recurs?


5.5. 1 questions to address while recording entries.

❑ You should demonstrate active and reflective judgement

engagement in the experiences, issues and ideas you encounter

while writing your reflective journal,

❑ The following questions will provide a framework to help you start

writing the first draft.


Detailed descriptions

❑ Ensure that your description is detailed when you write about an

aspect of your course or work placement or to an event in the

course/work placement.

❑ The description in your journal should be so clear that someone

not connected with the event can understand what went on.

Tentative Explanations

❑ The tentative explanation that you first write in your journal is your

interpretation of the event.

❑ Over time, you can decide whether you want to stay with your

original tentative explanation (hypothesis) or alter it.

Personal preferences

❑ Avoid writing derogatory comments about others . Instead record

specific entries about actions that you find unpleasant or ways of

doing things that are different from how you would do them.

❑ You can comment on difficult work environments.

❑ Take care to avoid criticising, interpreting, feeling guilty, censoring

or judging yourself.

❑ Simply record the facts and events openly, directly and

objectively.

❑ There are two main sections in the journal:

❖ The log or entry section records your experiences from a specific

unit or period of time

❖ The entries are a factual and objective description of the event

❑ The reflection or feedback section contains your feelings, attitudes, values

and perceptions of the recorded entries

❑ The feedback describes how you are subjectively affected by an event or

experience

❑ Occasionally you may include past or present experiences that

become part of the event

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5.6. The Layout of the Journal

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❑ Reflection helps to give a perspective to an event because at a later

date it is possible to detach from the event, rather than completely

involved, and this helps develop your insight into what really happened.

❑ This leads to new learning, growth, change and a more effective ways of

acting in that situation in the future.

❑ Reflection allows you to do more than answer questions

❑ It allows you to dig deeper and stay focused on:

❖ what you have learned about yourself through the experience

❖ what underlying or overarching issues influenced the problem

❖ what you would change in the future as a result of your learning from

the experience.

❑ Once you have recorded the information in your journal you may

decide to read the entries

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5.7. REFLECTION

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Reflective Writing: (Hull University) : 6 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1eEPp5VSIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1eEPp5VSIY


❑ Cooper (2011) discusses three lenses that can be used to focus reflection on

experiences.

❑ Mirror lens—provides a clear reflection of the self by looking at what we

have learned about ourselves as individuals and members of teams.

❑ Microscope lens—makes the small experience large by looking at what we

have learned about organisations and issues.

❑ Binocular lens—makes what appears distant closer by looking at what we

have learned about broader issues and social problems.

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5.8. Reflecting Through three Lenses


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5.8. Reflection Through Lenses (contd.)

Sample Questions using three lenses

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❑ Reflecting on your experience in a situation can be used to develop

your personal skills in:

❖ working alone, as part of a specialist team or as part of a

multidisciplinary team

❖ understanding the level of your abilities in relation to others

❖ accepting others, demonstrating empathy and accepting self

❖ sharing with others and developing interpersonal relationships

❖ working towards specific goals and objectives

❖ critical thinking, problem solving and decision making

❖ questioning what you do, think and read to formulate new

understanding

5.9. Outcomes of Reflection


❑ Many professions encourage practitioners to continue their professional

development through reflective practice

❑ Using reflective practice, professionals observe problems, reflect and analyse

the problems to find meaning and then formulate new understanding and ways

to address the problems in the future

❑ Two issues to consider when using reflection in professional practice—be it part

of your fieldwork during your course or in your work after you graduate—are

accountability and confidentiality

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5.10. Using Reflection in Professional Practice

❑ Accountability is the state of being accountable or answerable or having the

obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected

❑ Confidentiality describes a form of privileged communication passed from one

individual to another and intended only for the individual to address


❑ An essential component of successful practice involves understanding the

policies and procedures that an organisation has in place to prevent breaches

of confidentiality

❑ These policies and procedures will address:

❖ documented client information

❖ electronic client information

❖ discussion of client information

❖ disclosure of client information over the telephone

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5.10. Using Reflection in Professional Practice (contd.)

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❑ When writing journal entries, issues to consider include:

❖ who owns the information in the journal

❖ who else is going to read the journal

❖ what will be done with the information after the writer has finished

with the journal

❖ how to ensure that the journal meets the profession’s standards

and complies with legal requirements

5.10. Using Reflection in Professional Practice (contd.)

What did we learn today?

1. Introduction

2. The Purpose of Reflection

3. Journal Entry

4. Writing Strategies

5. Recording Entries

6. The Layout of the Journal

7. Reflection

8. Reflection Through Lenses

9. Outcomes of Reflection

10. Using Reflection in Professional Practice


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SBM3101 Professional Development and Business Communication€¦ · CHAPTER 5 Writing Reflective Journals The reflective journal’s primary purpose is to provide record of events