Reflection. So What?

My last post on the topic of reflection, Reflection, Now What?, introduced some of the conditions that need to be in place before students can meaningfully engage in reflective activities including student readiness, student cognitive/developmental level, and ensuring that reflection activities are tied to learning outcomes. But why is reflection an important learning tool?

Reflection is about Learning

Reflection is important because it leads to learning.  Reflection is not simply about thinking; it involves purposefully accessing and analyzing our preconceived ideas, values and attitudes, and actively comparing them to new information brought about through experience.  Through this process reflection leads to new understandings, a change in attitude (Bringle & Hatcher, 1999), and engaging in a new course of action (Rogers, 2001).  

Mezirow (1999) stated that reflection can “enable individuals to change their habits of expectation and, as a result, develop more accurate perceptions, avoid premature cognitive commitments, and achieve greater flexibility and creativity” (as cited in Rogers, 2001 p. 48).  In other words, reflection allows us to create a new understanding of experience by challenging our old ways of thinking and allowing us to make better, more informed decisions.  Experiences that lead us to engage in deep reflection however must be cognitively or psychologically challenging and outside of our expected daily routines (Rogers, 2001). 

Outcomes of Reflection 

• Demonstration of greater ownership over learning
• Fostering a deeper understanding of course material
• Increased critical thinking and problem solving
• Openness to new ideas
• Moral development 

Reflection and Service-learning

Reflection is said to be the bridge or the "hyphen" between service and learning (Eyler, 2001).  Understanding that reflection leads to new understandings, changes in attitudes and actions, we can see how this compliments the focus of service-learning, especially from a social justice / social change framework.  By engaging in community service activities students encounter new and challenging situations that encourage cognitive dissonance, opening up the opportunity for deep and meaningful learning.  

Planning for a Reflective Assignment

Context and Readiness Matter: As we learned in in the post Reflection, Now What?  it is imperative that students are ready to take on the responsibility of reflection, and that they have the opportunity to develop their reflection skills.  As well, practitioners must set the right context to ensure a willingness to reflect, which includes “autonomy, feedback, access and connection to others, stimulation by others, and significant performance demands.” (Seibert & Daudelin 1999, as cited in Rogers, 2001 p. 43).  In other words we must continually check-in with student, provide opportunities share ideas and set high expectations for learning. 

Depth of Reflection is important:  Applying a challenging reflection activity in the classroom is a way of “forcing students to confront their own assumptions and pursue hard questions” (Eyler, 2001, p. 36).  Research in this area has also demonstrated that challenging reflection activities have “helped to push students to think in new ways and develop alternative explanations for experiences and observations.” (Ash & Clayton, 2004, p. 140).  Reflective activities that are not well structured, or encouraged may not lead to the intended learning outcomes. 

Barriers to Reflection exist:  As we have seen above there are many barriers to meaningful reflection.  If a barrier exists, or if reflection is not well planned students may  come to conclusions “based on unchallenged assumptions, inappropriate generalizations on the bases of limited data, shallow analysis” (Ash, Clayton, & Atkinson, Spring 2005, p. 52).  To address this issue it is imperative that practitioners regularly check-in with students, provide guidance as needed and be prepared to facilitate tough discussions. 
  
References
 

Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2004). The articulated learning: An approach to guided reflection and assessment. Innovative Higher Education, 29(2), 137-154.

Ash, S. L., Clayton, P. H., & Atkinson, M. P. (Spring 2005). Integrating reflection and assessment to capture and improve student learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 49-60.

Bringle, R. G., & Hatcher, J. A. (Summer 1999). Reflection in service learning: Making meaning of experience. Educational Horizons, 179-185.

Eyler, J. (2001). Creating your reflection map. New Directions for Higher Education, 114, 35-43.

Moon, J. (2001). PDP Working paper 4: Reflection in higher education learning. LTSN Generic Centre, 1-27.

Rogers, R. R. (2001). Reflection in higher education: A concept analysis. Innovative Higher Education, 26(1), 37-57.