Designing for reflective learning: why, when and how

1. Designing for reflective learning:  why, when and how OTLT Workshop March 21, 2013 Vicky parker

2. Overview & Agenda Experiential reflection activity Discussion/debrief Why reflection? Phases of reflection Types & dimensions of reflection Examples & discussion

3. Reflecting on experience Take a few moments to think of a recent interaction with a student that left you feeling uneasy or uncertain about how you handled it. what was the situation and what did you notice about it? What concerns did it raise for you? why was this an important interaction? Why do you think it happened the way it did? how is this situation related to others? How might it connect with a more generic teaching concept or precept in some way? How might you approach it differently? What are the implications of your thinking for dealing with similar situations in the future?

4. Discussion/debrief What can you get from a structured reflection activity like this? What was different/the same from how you might usually deal with such a situation?

5. Why reflection? • Structure learning from experience • Ex. Team assignments – learn about the process as well as the content • Ensure that lessons learned follow from experience • Getting beyond “I hate group assignments” to learning how to make them work better

6. Phases of reflection • Problem articulation - What happened? What did you see, think, feel? • Analysis – Why was that important? Why do you think it happened? • Forming/testing theory – How is this situation related to others? How might you approach it differently? • Deciding to take action – What are the implications for future/further action?

7. Types of reflection Subject – what am I learning about the subject I’m studying? (this can be via reading or experience or both) Personal – what am I learning about myself as I learn about the subject? Critical – what are the broader implications of my learning?

8. Dimensions of reflective activity • Time: before, during, after • Ex. Reflect on what I already know (or think I know) about disparities in health care before course content/activities about disparities; reflect on how my thinking is evolving in relationship to new knowledge/ideas; reflect back on evolution in knowing/thinking and implications for future work • Mode: solo, with coach, or group/collective • Ex. Journaling; discussing reflective assignments with partner/coach; discussing with small group and working towards joint sense-making

9. Assessing reflective activity • Consider dimensions that can reasonably be assessed: • Clarity of thinking/writing • Connections between experience and concepts • Depth/detail about experiences/thinking; has the student engaged the questions? • Handout – blog post with possible rubrics

10. Using technology Consider extent to which reflective assignments should be private/shared, depending on content/scope Possible options – Blackboard discussion boards, blog posts, e-portfolio assignments

11. Experiences/thoughts/discussion