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Reflective Writing Notes (1)

Reflective writing encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills by allowing individuals to analyze their experiences and learning processes. It involves a framework with four stages: descriptive writing, descriptive reflection, dialogue reflection, and critical reflection, each building on the depth of analysis. Additionally, tools like SWOT analysis can help students assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in their academic journey.

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Reflective Writing Notes (1)

Reflective writing encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills by allowing individuals to analyze their experiences and learning processes. It involves a framework with four stages: descriptive writing, descriptive reflection, dialogue reflection, and critical reflection, each building on the depth of analysis. Additionally, tools like SWOT analysis can help students assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in their academic journey.

Uploaded by

victorious Makola
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reflective writing

To reflect means to think deeply or carefully about something that has occurred.

Reflective writing helps with promoting critical thinking and problem solving skills by
preparing students for the world of work and encouraging them to develop a habit of
analyzing actions and events.

Levels of reflection

You might have kept a diary in the past or may still keep. It might be in a form of a
reflective journal. The value of any of these forms is that they:

(a) They help with recording events.


(b) Building up an understanding of events
(c) Allows one to write freely and make sense of things

However, in order to be useful in academic study, a diary needs to be more than this. It
needs to track how a person learns from experience. It also enables them to reflect
upon experience and develop their awareness of the way they learn.

Moving through levels

Few writers saw a link between reflection and problem solving as a key skill in academic
study. There was a research conducted on reflective writing and there was a framework
that was developed to describe reflective writing. The framework moved from phase
description to the writer conducting a dialogue with self and finally standing back and
reflecting on events to put them into a broader context.

The researchers define the framework with its four stages as follows:

(a) Descriptive writing- which talks about straight forward account of events
(b) Descriptive reflection- which talks about an account where one tries to reason,
justify and explaining certain events.
(c) Dialogue reflection- is when the writer begins to stand back from the account
and analyse.
(d) Critical reflection- it is when the writer puts their account into a bigger or
broader perspective.
Examples of reflection

Example one

Last week was the start of the new term; I have lectures on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays until the end of semester. That gives me a lot of free time, which was great.
It also means I can carry on with my part time job.

(The writer simply describes a situation, starting of a new term and their time
table)

Example two

Last week was the start of the new term. I have lectures on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays until the end of the semester. That gives me a lot of free time, which is great.
It also means I can carry on with my part time job but I will have to be very organised in
the way I manage my time.

(The writer mentions part time work and the need to be organised)

Example three

Last week was the start of a new term. I have lectures on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays until the end of the semester. That gives me a lot of free time which is great.
It also means I can carry on with my part time job but I have to be very organised in the
way I manage my time. I don’t want to end up in the same situation as last year, when I
was constantly running a standstill and always handing in work in the last minute. It
really put me under pressure and made me realise the value of planning ahead.

(The writer is exploring on the impact of something and resolving to do better)

The language of reflection

There is freedom in writing reflectively. The use of ( I ) is allowed along with


contractions, exclamation marks, stray thoughts and unfinished sentences. In the
examples above, the writer uses I, talks about feeling ( great, put me under pressure)
and uses casual language that is not allowed in academic writing.

Reflection on studies
One can reflect on their studies based on the following:

(a) Preparation

You reflect on how you chose a topic for an essay, how you planned the essay and how
you prepared for a seminar or a class.

(b) Performance

One can reflect on how they took notes, how they performed in a test or assignment,
how they conducted an experiment and what are the experiences gained from some
part time job.

(c) Problem solving

You can discuss and analyse, reflect on how you contributed in a group work, how you
solved a particular math problem and how you understood a complex theory.

SWOT Analysis

It is a tool that is used in business but can be used in other ways. One can use it to
think about the abilities as a student and the environment they are studying in.

Strength- talk about the things that you are good at, skills that you already have. For
example: being a quick reader or typist.

Weaknesses- talks about the things you need to improve on, the skills you do not have.
For example: time management skill.

Opportunities- talks about career opportunities in your subject area.

Threats- talks about things that might get in the way of the career opportunities.

There are further areas that one could use for reflection on the way they learn.

(a) Study habits

What time of the day do you prefer to study (late at night or first thing in the morning).
Do you prefer to work in complete silence or have a background noise? Whether you
prefer to work in a group or on your own and also get to know about your concentration
span.

(b) Assignments
You reflect on how well you planned your time, how good are you at managing
deadlines, whether you leave a thing to the last minute.

(c) In class

You reflect on how easy you find to speak out in a group. How good you are at giving a
presentation, whether you ask questions if you do not understand. Whether you join in
class discussions or prefer to stay quiet.

(d) Learning strategies

You reflect on what use you make of any feedback you get, whether you enjoy problem
solving exercises, ways you like to make notes (be it diagrams or mind maps). How you
use information technology in your learning.

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