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Critical Reflection Essay Handy strategies for writing

Critical reflective writing

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Page 1: Critical reflective writing

Critical Reflection

EssayHandy strategies for writing

Page 2: Critical reflective writing

What is critical reflection?

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Everyone-Want-to-Read-Your-Diary

Page 3: Critical reflective writing

Critical reflection

www.proprofs.com

‘Maintain a balanced diet’ p.9.

Toney Allman (2010)Nutrition and disease prevention, Infobasepublishing, New York

Page 4: Critical reflective writing

What is critical reflection?Analyse what you think, feel and believe

by exploring social and cultural

contexts.

Critical reflection enables us to engage

in transformative learning by linking

both reason and emotion.(Taylor, 2001).

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Model of critical reflection

with a practical purpose

Page 6: Critical reflective writing

Why critical reflection?Critical reflection helps develop more effective thinking

because it asks for

• Assumption analysis

• Contextual awareness

• Imaginative speculation

• Reflective skepticism

Brookfield (1988, as cited by Clark, 2011)

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ExampleCheckout at Supermarket

• Assumption analysis- check my thought/feelings

• Contextual awareness- observe the situation

• Imaginative speculation- consider possibilities

• Reflective skepticism- question claims

brickstream.com

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Critical reflective writing

Reflective writing encourages us to

• reflect on a deeper level

• show understanding of theory & course content

• link experience and knowledge

• use reflections to inform our professional practice

• extend skills needed for lifelong learning

Page 9: Critical reflective writing

Critical Reflection &

Academic Essay

Like academic essays, critical reflective writing:

• integrates secondary source material

• incorporates discipline/subject-specific

vocabulary

• uses formal English (linked to personal

language)

• follows academic citation and referencing

guidelines

Page 10: Critical reflective writing

Critical Reflection & Academic Essay

(continued)

Critical reflection differs from typical

academic essay writing.

• Include first person (eg. In my life…).

• See yourself as an object of inquiry.

• Your experience is a form of evidence.

Page 11: Critical reflective writing

The structure of reflective writing

Reflective writing, then, essentially asks you to look

at experience and offer

DESCRIPTION

ANALYSIS

IMPLICATIONS

How you organise the ideas in a paragraph will vary.

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The DEAL modelLay and McGuire (2010) adapted Ash and Clayton’s (2004) DEAL model of

reflective writing. They explain the elements of a structured critical reflection:

• Step 1: DESCRIBE the experience. Provide details on the event or activity that prompts this reflection.

• Step 2: EXAMINE the experience through the integration of personal experience and academic content. Using assumption analysis, contextual awareness, imaginative speculation, and reflective skepticism, analyze the experience.

• Step 3: ARTICULATE LEARNING by responding to the questions proposed by Lay and McGuire (p.550):

• What did I learn?

• How did I learn it?

• Why does it matter to me in my profession/ in relation to an assignment?

And sometimes

• What will I do in my future practice/learning in light of this reflection?

Page 13: Critical reflective writing

The structure of reflective writing

You may be asked to create a formal written piece similar to an academic essay in form. This style of response requires an introduction, body, and conclusion. In crafting your response, consider the following

INTRODUCTIONIdentifies an issue and why it is importantMay use theory to explain relevanceOutlines key themes that the paper will address

BODY PARAGRAPHS Each paragraph Introduces a theme or topicProvides evidence from practice or current literature/theoryIntroduces various perspectives on the theme

CONCLUSION

Restates the issueReiterates key pointsEmphasizes the implications of the pointsMay suggest possibilities for the future or suggest changes

(Ryan, 2011)

Page 14: Critical reflective writing

Language use in critical reflective writing (adapted from Ryan, 2011)

Does the writer:

• indicate that he/she is addressing or responding to something he/she has been involved in or observed?

• demonstrate knowledge of the discipline (cultural self awareness and cultural intelligence)?

• relate a referenced idea to similar incidents of personal experiences?

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Language use (cont.)How does the writer:

• Demonstrate interpretation of events?

• Reason and explain why things happened the

way they did?

• Look to the future and indicate how he/she will

reconstruct and apply new knowledge?

• Reinforce the implications?

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CUC107 Paragraph example: personal & analytic

Language is an essential part of communicating

in any cultural context. I grew up learning

English as my third language. Taipale (2012)

stresses the importance of individuals extending

their awareness of a variety of cultural groups in

a globalised world where people travel from

place to place for work or study. Being more

aware of my own use of language has made

me more sensitive to people who find it difficult

to understand Australian English. This has also

helped me adapt to various cultural situations

when working overseas.

Page 17: Critical reflective writing

CheckExpectations for reflective writing can vary.

• Check the assignment guidelines

• Clarify lecturer’s expectations about level of referencing; analysis & use of 1st person.

• Refer to the unit assessment guidelines and the lecturer for clarification on the assignment.

• Determine the form of the finished writing

• a journal?

• Self-assessment?

• Learning diary?

• A more structured research piece?

Page 18: Critical reflective writing

References and additional resources

Clark, D.R. (2011). Learning through reflection. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/development/reflection.html

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Oxford Polytechnic. London: Further Education Unit. ISBN 1-85338-071-7.

Hampton, M. (2010). Reflective writing: A basic introduction. Retrieved from http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/resources/handouts/writtenassignments/filetodownload,73259,en.pdf

Lay, S., & McGuire, L. (2010). Building a lens for critical reflection and reflexivity in social work education. Social Work Education 29(5), 539-550.

Macdonald, L. (2011) Critical reflective writing in social work Dalhousie University. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/dalwritingcentre/critical-reflective-writing

Reflective Writing. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.html

Ryan, M. (2011). Improving reflective writing in higher education: A social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education 16(1), 99-111.

Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012) What is culture? A compilation of quotations. GlobalPAD Core Concepts, 1-22.

Taipale, S. (2012). Mobility of Cultures and Knowledge Management in Contemporary Europe. European Review, 20, pp 173-181 doi:10.1017/S1062798711000445

Taylor, E. (2001). Transformative learning theory: A neurobiological perspective of the role of emotions and unconscious ways of knowing. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 20(3), 218-236.

Writing the sociology paper. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/sociology.shtml