1. 'It's good to talk’ Making space for reflective dialogue
Debbie Witney, Senior Lecturer Learning and Teaching
Business School
Making space for
reflective dialogue

2. Presentation of case study
Workshop outline
Presentation of case study
Discuss conditions for successful reflective dialogue
Share ideas for introducing reflective practice – let’s talk about it!
Business School

3. Dimensions of employability: Personal qualities
Malleable self-theory
Self-awareness
Self-confidence
Independence
Emotional intelligence
Adaptability
Stress tolerance
Initiative
Willingness to learn
Reflectiveness
Reflectiveness is listed as one aspect of employability under their personal qualities section, but it could be suggested that it in fact it is key to the development process of the other personal qualities listed and some of the process skills listed too. As such the teaching reflection deserves a much higher profile within the curriculum.
Yorke, M, and P.T. Knight (2004)
Business School

4. Background Final year ‘post placement’ honours module
Title: Personal Development and Career Planning
Approx 70 students
Reflection provides basis for assessment
Critical incident workshop
Reflective statement
Concerns over levels of critical reflection
The role of placements in developing employability skills is well recognised and good practice demands that students returning from placement are given opportunities to reflect on their experiences. Whilst the apporach at OBUBS recognises the importance of critical reflection skills for identifying what they might need to do in order to further develop their employability skills the assessement of higher level reflection skills within ‘PDP’ modules has identified areas for improvement in the support and facilitation of critical reflection.
Mentoring is traditionally seen as something that takes place between someone with experience and someone with a development need, however, a number of definitions within the literature do allow for a peer relationship. Faciliation of reflective dialogue is key to the success of a mentoring relationship thus ‘Peer mentoring’ offers students the opportuntiy to develop critical reflection skills in either role – the mentor or the mentee.
This case study builds on previous work undertaken by John Buswell and Angela Tomkins, University of Gloucestershire
Buswell, J. and Tomkins, A. (2007)Enhancing employability through critical reflective learning,. (University of Gloucestershire). The HE Academy Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network.
critical storytelling
Business School

5. Rationale for ‘making space’
enhance levels of critical reflection through dialogue
provide material for inclusion in their reflective assignment
develop emotional intelligence skills
This case study focuses on the role of reflective dialogue in the development of ‘self-awareness’ within undergraduates to support their ability to demonstrate employability in a changing labour market. The module on which this case study is based is a final year honours module for Buisness and Management students who have completed a full year work placement. As the module title, ‘Personal Development and Career Planning’, suggests studnets engage in a range of activities thrugout the module giving them opportunties to reflect on their experience and identify further development needs. Supporting the students development of reflective skills at honours level is one of the main challenges for the module team so this case study project will evaluate the introduction of ‘Peer Mmentoring’ within the module as a vehicle for promoting critical reflection
Business School

6. “promoting reflective learning through reflective dialogue has the potential to develop the autonomy and interdependence of students, preparing them for the rapidly changing and challenging world they will face in the 21st century.”
The notion of the lone reflector is incompatible with social constructivist approaches
Brockbank and McGill 2007
Business School

7. What’s in a name? Peer mentor Learning partner Peer pal
Critical friend
Co-mentor
Mentor communities
Choosing a name that makes sense to the student and relates to the research they will carry out – although Peer Mentoring is the term currently used from next year Co-mentor will be used.
Business School

8. The role of a ‘critical’ friend
“engaging with another person in a way that encourages talking with, questioning, or confronting, helped the reflective process by placing the learner in a safe environment in which self-revelation can take place.”
Hatton & Smith (1995) observed students undertaking a four-year secondary Bachelor of Education degree. They were required to complete several activities designed to encourage reflection. The activities included peer interviews in "critical friend" dyads and written reports where they reflected upon the factors that had influenced their thinking and action. Their research indicated that engaging with another person in a way that encourages talking with, questioning, or confronting, helped the reflective process by placing the learner in a safe environment in which self-revelation can take place. In addition, students were able to distance themselves from their actions, ideas, and beliefs, by holding them up for scrutiny in the company of a peer with whom they are willing to take such risks.
Didn’t go with this name as the ‘critical’ can/has be misinterpreted by some students
Hatton & Smith (1995)
Business School

9. Mentoring defined
'off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking‘
(Clutterbuck and Megginson, 1995)
‘A relationship between two people with learning and development as its purpose’
(Clutterbuck and Megginson, 2004)
There are many definitions and they’re all contested!
This definition allows for a peer relationship, if appropriate, and recognizes a learning approach for the mentee which does not exclude that of the mentor.
Off-line - enables a more fully open relationship between mentor and mentee and prevents the mentor from having a conflict of roles.
Help - conveys a wide range of resources that the mentor can provide for the mentee - from direct advice to simply listening.
One person to another - this implies that the hierarchical relationship is not important, more that the experience-gap is the determiner of mentor/mentee relationship. This is more appropriate in developmental mentoring.
Significant transitions - this is about entering a mentoring relationship with a clear purpose and goals, set by both the mentee and mentor in a clear mentoring agreement.
Business School

10. Two stages of skills for employability
During full time education
U51080
Transition from
PDP to CPD
Two stages of skills for employability
How this module fits in with the ‘transition’
Continuous professional
development
Business School

11. Creating conditions for dialogue
Week 3 Reflective Dialogue workshop and learning set allocation
Week 5 Emotional intelligence and mentoring workshop
Week 6-7 small group discussions with tutor
Weeks 9-10 tutor de-briefing
Students are introduced to the concepts and practice of reflective dialogue in a work shop, then divided into learning sets and encouraged to self-facilitate reflective dialogue throughout the module. Later in the semester the role of emotional intelligence and mentoring in enhancing employability skills will be introduced. Within the learning sets peer mentoring partners will be identified and tutors will facilitate a de-briefing session towards the end of the module.
Evidence of reflective dialogue forms part of the assessment criteria for the module.
Business School

12. Reflective dialogue script
Talking about leadership: your placement experience
Purpose
To spend time in dialogue with a colleague, reflecting on your learning about leadership from your placement experience in order to deepen self-awareness.
To practise the skills of empathic listening which is a core skill used by effective, emotionally literate leaders.
Business School

13. Tutor feedback
Reassuring and helpful to compare placement experiences but..
Some said that felt they were feeling quite ‘sad’ now, having released some of their inner fears hopes etc
Some found situation artificial and overly structured but…
Most felt comfortable ‘going off in tangents’ as it felt less like ticking boxes and enabled more relationship building.
Most found it a valuable exercise ‘Useful reminder of practicing active listening skills’
Provided useful material for their reflective work. ' We should be doing more of this’
Business School

14. Suggested Peer Mentoring Process
Stage 1
Present draft Personal Development Plan (PDP)
Stage 2
Encourage the self-management of learning
Stage 4
Assist in evaluation of success
But also used GROW
Stage 3
Provide support during the PDP process by sharing experience and resources
Business School

15. Professionals in dialogue
Listen without interruption?
Respect other’s viewpoint, or status = wisdom?
Collective problem solving, or own agendas?
Stick to topic, or digress?
Able to speculate without fear of being sidelined?
Ask probing questions, or merely pass on ideas?
Prepared to suspend disbelief in relation to the novel or unfamiliar?
Take thinking forward, or going around in circles?
Alexander, 2004
Alexander, R. (2004) Towards dialogic teaching: rethinking classroom talk. Cambridge: Dialogues.
Business School

16. Tutor de-brief shared with students
Most satisfying experience where students have:
Prepared for the role of Mentee
Considered their expectations of the meeting in advance e.g a general discussion of PDP plans, clarifying thoughts, framing problems, seeking support in problem solving
Discussed these expectations at the start of the meeting and formed some sort of ‘mentoring contract’
Prepared for the role of Mentor
by reading round the subject and gaining a greater understanding of the role and obligations
revisiting the reflective dialogue activity (week 5), thinking about some opening/rapport building phrases e.g. how’s it going? How are you getting on?
The strategy to structure this de-brief is based on the Debriefing Questions approach developed by Barry Sweeny of the International Mentoring Association, Most satisfying experience where students have:
Prepared for the role of Mentee by spending some time thinking about their goals, self-evaluation e.g. johari window (week 5)
Considered their expectations of the meeting in advance e.g a general discussion of PDP plans, clarifying thoughts, framing problems, seeking support in problem solving
Discussed these expectations at the start of the meeting and formed some sort of ‘mentoring contract’
Prepared for the role of Mentor by reading round the subject and gaining a greater understanding of the role and obligations, revisiting the reflective dialogue activity (week 5), thinking about some opening/rapport building phrases e.g. how’s it going? How are you getting on?
Business School

17. Conditions for reflective dialogue
Trust
Student to student
Student to teacher
Common understanding of purpose
Briefing
Safety to take risks
Formative feedback
Shared values
Student cohort
Trust stduent to student
Safety to take risks, cope with failure, respond positively to new challenges
Shared values
Common understanding of purpose
Knowing the context
Business School

18. Preparation is key
“As I had never done it before it made me feel very confused. I wish I could have done my reading in advance, in order to have an opportunity to clarify uncertain points with the module leader. I should probably try to change the ‘last minute’ habit by setting early deadlines.”
Business School

19. Understanding the role and purpose
“…just an opportunity to explore different approaches to reaching goals and objectives…understanding that allowed me to avoid some unrealistic expectations and eliminate distress in the relationship”
“… I felt the need to resolve her problem but quickly realised all I needed to do is encourage her to explore her own problems further.”
Business School

20. Emotional environment
“Initially I found the role of mentee difficult as I was unsure of what was appropriate to discuss and how ‘deep’ into my true thoughts and feelings I should go. After forming a contractual agreement of confidentiality with my mentor I began to break down these uncomfortable barriers.”
Business School

21. Improves self-confidence Encourages reflection on practice
Benefits for students
Improves self-confidence
Encourages reflection on practice
Provides personal support
Gives access to a ‘sounding board’ for concerns, issues and ideas
Enhances satisfaction and motivation
Encourages self-reflection
Enhances peer recognition
Encourages a proactive role in learning and development
Business School

22. More quotes
…reassuring me I was not alone in deciding my future career path
… helped me become more motivated about my career and become a lot more proactive…
…we realised we shared similar issues that talking through gave me a deeper understanding and in return was motivational for me
…vital in developing my self-awareness
…would have been more valuable if I used my mentor more continuously.
Business School

23. Improves communication Encourages reflective practice
For Module Team
Improves communication
Encourages reflective practice
Promotes a climate of professional development
Builds mentoring capacity
Theirs and ours!
Business School

24. What would need to change to meet conditions for reflective dialogue?
Speed co-mentoring!
Think of a current workplace challenge, or project, (does not have to be teaching) where space for reflective dialogue would be useful.
What would need to change to meet conditions for reflective dialogue?
3 different people
5 mins each round
I’ll keep you to time
Business School

25. Any questions? For more information dwitney@brookes.ac.uk
Business School

26. Bibliography
Alexander, R. (2004) Towards dialogic teaching: rethinking classroom talk. Cambridge: Dialogues.
Boud,D., R. Keogh, and D. Walker "Promoting Reflection in Learning: a Model," in Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. Edited by D. Boud, R. Keogh, and D. Walker, London: Kogan Page.
Brockbank, A. and McGill, I.(2007) Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education, Buckingham: Open University Press
Hatton, N. & Smith, D. (1995). Reflection in Teacher Education: Towards Definition and Implementation. The University of Sydney: School of Teaching and Curriculum Studies
Megginson, D. & Clutterbuck, D (2004) Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring, Oxford: Buterworth Heinmann
Parsloe, E. (1992), Coaching Mentoring and Assessing, Kogan Page, London.,
Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning. Routledge Falmer
Schön, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action, London: Temple Smith
Schein, E.H. (1993), "On dialogue, culture, and organizational learning", Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 22 No.2, pp
Yorke, M, and P.T. Knight (2004)Employability in Higher Education: what it is, what it is not. Learning and Teaching Support Network, Higher Education Academy
Business School