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Integrating Reflection

The document discusses how reflection connects theory to practice and generates breakthrough moments that bring learning to the next level. It outlines four key principles of reflection and explains that the deepest learning occurs with reflections that are part of a reflective classroom environment. It also discusses different forms reflection can take and how critical reflective thinking can be incorporated into nearly every aspect of a course.

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10 views

Integrating Reflection

The document discusses how reflection connects theory to practice and generates breakthrough moments that bring learning to the next level. It outlines four key principles of reflection and explains that the deepest learning occurs with reflections that are part of a reflective classroom environment. It also discusses different forms reflection can take and how critical reflective thinking can be incorporated into nearly every aspect of a course.

Uploaded by

deangimsr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Integrating Reflection

Connecting Theory To Practice


As John Dewey observed, we do not learn from experience so much as we learn
from reflecting on experience. It is reflection that connects theory to practice and generates
the breakthrough moments that bring learning to the next level.

The four key principles of reflection are that it is:

1. continuous, occurring both before and after a


student’s experience,
2. connected to both academic content and personal
development,
3. challenging enough to critically engage participants
in the issues, and
4. contextualized to the content of the course (Eyler,
Giles, & Schmiede, 1996).

The deepest learning occurs with reflections that are part of a reflective classroom
environment, rather than just a reflective component that has little relation or effect on the
other components of a class.

Reflection comes in many forms, including writing, telling (presentations and discussions),
responding (to peers or materials relating to issues being reflected upon), and doing
(culminating projects). The various forms of reflection used in a course should provide
opportunities throughout the semester for students to think about three key questions: what?,
so what?, and now what? It is critical that students have structured opportunities to address all
three stages of thought. It is only at the now what? stage that experiences can be converted
into learning and growth, but students typically need a teacher’s guidance to reach this stage.
While reflection is sometimes thought to be suitable only as an informal activity, separate
from major assignments and accorded little or no weight in students’ grades, critical
reflective thinking can in fact be incorporated into nearly every aspect of a course, including
existing assignments. Lab work, group work, field experiences, and reading assignments can
all lend themselves to critical reflection when purposefully done.

Service-Learning is a form of experiential learning particularly suited to reflection. It


intentionally links course learning objectives to direct or project-based service with
community partners that both contributes to student learning and meets a community need. At
Northeastern service-learning is found in a variety of courses and forms: for example,
Biology students work with area youth to learn the fundamentals of science, students in
Advanced Writing develop content for organization newsletters and websites, and students in
Communication Studies courses conduct research with partners to discover how to better
connect with their clients. Each of these opportunities lends itself to deep learning through
both experience and reflection, bringing the course objectives to life for students.

You can learn more about Service-Learning by visiting Northeastern’s Community Engaged
Teaching and Research website.

References

Eyler, J., Giles Jr., D. E., & Schmiede, A. (1996). A practitioner’s guide to reflection in
service-learning: Student voices & reflections. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.
Mathos, E., Tullier, S., and Nevalga, A.D. (2010). Presentation from Michigan Campus
Compact 2010 Meeting.

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