1. Learning Module #8: Self Reflection Practice
INSTRUCTOR SAYS: Self reflection is the best way to improve you life. To think about your experiences and understanding what you learned and how you could have responded in a different way to improve your relationships and professionalism.
Jennifer Hellier, PhD. Colorado Area Health Education Center Program Office

2. Reflective Practice
Reflection is what allows us to learn from our experiences
It is an assessment of where we have been and where we want to go next ~ Kenneth Wolf

3. Definition
”…a set of abilities and skills, to indicate the taking of a critical stance, an orientation to problem solving, or state of mind.” (Moon,1999)

4. So, why reflect?

5. Reflection Helps Learners To:
Understand what they already know (individual)
Identify what they need to know in order to advance understanding of the subject (contextual)
Make sense of new information and feedback in the context of their own experience (relational)
Guide choices for further learning (developmental)
Have a PARTICIPANT read this slide.
INSTRUCTOR: Comment from Boud, Cohen and Walker:
“ Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. ” (1985:19)

6. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory
Concrete Experience
INSTRUCTOR: The terms in the diagram come from Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, and in this sequence form the experiential learning cycle. A learner can enter the circle at any point but must follow the stages in sequence and go fully round the cycle. Some theorists and practitioners have proposed different terminology; others have modified the cycle to, they claim. more accurately reflect the process of learning.
Penny Henderson, for example, writes of Experiencing/Sharing/Interpreting/Generalising/Applying/Experiencing and these terms may be particularly helpful where group learning is happening.
Phil Race has reservations, not only about the above terminology but about learning-cycle models in general: "I maintain that human brains are much more sophisticated than merely to perform sequential operations in any particular order. Our brains work on overlapping areas at once." (see and Race, 1994.)
Independent Learning. Education Development Unit. University of Salford
"it is common for reflection to be treated as if it were an intellectual exercise - a simple matter of thinking rigorously. However, reflection is not solely a cognitive process; emotions are central to all learning." (1998: 194).
Active
Experimentation
Reflective
Observation
Abstract
Conceptualization

7. Four Stages of the Learning Cycle
Concrete Experience- A new experience or situation is encountered. Or a reinterpretation of existing experience
Reflective Observation (of the new experience). Reviewing/reflecting the experience. Are there any inconsistencies between your experience and how you understand it? (
Have a PARTICIPANT read this slide.
INSTRUCTOR: Comment from Boud, Cohen and Walker:
“ Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. ” (1985:19)

8. Four Stages of the Learning Cycle
Abstract Conceptualization: Concluding and learning from the experience.
Reflection gives rise to new idea(s) or to modify existing abstract concept. The person learned from the experience (
Have a PARTICIPANT read this slide.
INSTRUCTOR: Comment from Boud, Cohen and Walker:
“ Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. ” (1985:19)

9. Four Stages of the Learning Cycle
Active Experimentation: Planning and trying out what you have learned
You apply your ideas(s) to the world around you and see what happens (
Have a PARTICIPANT read this slide.
INSTRUCTOR: Comment from Boud, Cohen and Walker:
“ Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. ” (1985:19)

10. Taking Stock: What do I know? (individual)
The Learning Cycle
Taking Stock: What do I know? (individual)
INSTRUCTOR: Reads the slide. Give examples from your life for each stage.
Reflection: What do I need to know?
(contextual)
Planning:
How can I take my learning further?
(developmental)
Feedback and Evaluation:
How much and how well do I now understand?
(relational)

11. Personal Reflections Strengths? Priorities? Weaknesses?
Time management?
Motivation?
Direction?
Strengths?
Weaknesses?
Identifying Problems?
Action Plan?
INSTRUCTOR reads the slide. Turn these into questions the participant can use for the ACEP program.
Reflection helps learners to:
understand what they already know (individual)
identify what they need to know in order to advance understanding of the subject (contextual)
make sense of new information and feedback in the context of their own experience (relational)
guide choices for further learning (developmental)

12. How to Reflect INSTRUCTOR reads the slide.
SAY: When you are reflecting, always think of how you can mature and learn from your experience.
How to Reflect

13. Reflection Involves S-L-O-W-I-N-G down
Pause to examine, analyze, inquire about the complexities of life
Active choice to pause and examine. This is not a passive process!
Cognitive processes -- analysis, synthesis, evaluation
Many different forms and functions – many ways to reflect

14. Reflection: A State of Mind
Learning styles show preferences during this activity
Not everyone is as reflective – some are more action-oriented
Reflection can be encouraged by:
Structuring in daily schedule
Journaling
Realistic assessment gives strength
PARTICIPANT reads the slide.
INSTRUCTOR: Lead a discussion with the following statements:
It is not enough just to do, and neither is it enough just to think. Learning from experience must involve links between the doing and the thinking.

15. Become a Reflective Learner
Establish objectives
Recognize current level of performance
Plan how to meet targets
Use effective time management
Use feedback and support
Monitor and review progress
Critically reflect on own learning

16. Relevance to Career Path
Employers look for self-reflective people with:
Skills of analysis
Interpersonal skills
Intrapersonal skills
Self development
Critical reflection on performance