Reflective Learning Sue Daley-Yates / Chris Ireland

1. Reflective LearningSue Daley-Yates / Chris Ireland Part 1 – Learning Theory Break Part 2 – Reflective Learning Writing a learning log

2. How much do you know / remember about reflective learning and PDP ?Try the Quiz

3. What is learning ? In groups of 3 or 4 brainstorm definitions of learning

4. Learning Styles • How you learn may be important • Why ? • May help you to avoid mistakes • Avoid repeating negative patterns of behaviour • May improve quality of life • May improve your performance at work

5. What’s the point ? • For learners – to become more effective, to become more independent, to use strengths and improve weaker processing channels • For teachers – to provide opportunities for students to become more involved in their learning, can improve retention and achievement, can be relevant to widening participation • Relevant for PDP

6. What is a learning style ? ‘Learning Style is the way in which each learner begins to concentrate on, process, and retain new and [possibly] difficult information’ (Dunn,1967) ‘....a biologically and developmentally imposed set of personal characteristics that make the same teaching method effective for some students and ineffective for others,...’ (Dunn, Beaudry, and Klavas, 1989)

7. Learners may use a variety of channels through which they receive information – Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic / Tactile (VAK/T) • One is usually dominant - depends on task to be learned and the situation

8. Do you know your own learning style / learning preference ? • Have you taken a test to determine your learning style ? • Remember not to lock yourself into one preference • Learning Style may depend on the task and the situation

9. VAK – are you Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic ? How do you learn best ? Take a test if unsure - info on Blackboard

10. Learning Style Tests and Models • VAK/T– to determine learning style • Kolb’s ‘Learning Cycle’ / learning styles • Honey and Mumford’s learning styles • Howard Gardner’s ‘Mutiple Intelligences’

11. Kolb’s Learning Cycle Concrete experience Active experimentation Reflective observation Abstract conceptualization

12. David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) 4 distinct learning styles – Diverging (feeling and watching) Assimilating (watching and thinking) Converging (doing and thinking) Accommodating (doing and feeling) Compare to Honey and Mumford’s model

13. Honey and Mumford – Learning Styles • Activists (do) Immerse themselves fully in new experiences • Reflectors (review) Stand back and observe • Theorists (conclude) Think through problems in a logical manner, value rationality and objectivity • Pragmatists (plan) Keen to put ideas, theories and techniques into practice

14. Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Kolb’s learning Styles See handout Honey / MumfordKolb Activists Accommodating Reflector Diverging Theorist Assimilating Pragmatist Converging

15. Consider your learning type Consider 4 group situations e.g. a meeting to discuss a project, when you were : • Activist • Reflector • Theorist • Pragmatist

16. For each situation • Briefly describe the situation • Describe the roles of other members • Say why you took on a particular role • Evaluate the success of your role within the group • Evaluate the success of the situation • What do you think would have happened if you had taken on a different role

17. Now consider how you work with others • See handout Working with others • Does your learning style inhibit your ability to work well in a team ? • Consider which Key Skills are strengths and which are weaknesses

18. When you have finished break time • Part 2 – Reflective Learning

19. What is Reflective Learning ? To cover: What reflective learning is Purpose Methods Evidence of reflective learning Examples of reflective learning accounts PDP / Key Skills / academic context

20. What is reflective learning –one definition - “Reflection, here, means looking back on an experience and making sense of it to identify what to do in the future. It helps you repeat what worked and learn from mistakes.” Drew, S and Bingham R. (2001) The Student Skills Guide.2nd ed. Hampshire: Gower Publishing Ltd.

21. Kolb’s Learning Cycle Concrete experience Active experimentation Reflective observation Abstract conceptualization

22. Without reflection Atherton, J. S. (2003) Learning and Teaching:  Critical Reflection [online]. Available at: <http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/learning/critical1.htm> [Accessed 9th November 2004] I just can’t do it ! Oh well, I’ll have another go I’m hopeless !

23. Consider this account • Handout Example of a Reflective Learning Account Student A • Read and decide if you think it is a good reflective account • If yes – why ? • If no why not ?

24. Stages of Reflection • Basic Observation – describing situations • Standing back / analysing from different perspectives • Identifying problems, weak areas • Identifying strengths • Considering alternatives / setting targets • Action planning • Revisiting to evaluate improvements Material adapted from King, T. (2002) Development of Student Skills in Reflective Writing [online]. Available at: www.csd.uwa.edu.au/iced2002/publication/Terry_King.pdf

25. Revise and rewrite • Return to the account Handout Example of a Reflective Learning Account Student A • Rewrite as a reflective account (if time) • How to structure the account • What to miss out / What to add • Key Skills • Academic context

26. Surface Learning compared to Deep Learning • Now compare the 2 handouts – Student A and Student B • Which is an example of surface learning Which is an example of deep learning Why ? • Notice layout and structure of B Although longer, more concise and ‘business-like’

27. Types of reflective workyou may have to do - Evaluation of work carried out: essay, project, report, group work etc. Reflective log – self reflection / analysis / evaluation / target setting Reflective portfolio – containing evidence e.g. video, report etc.

28. Why do Personal Development Planning ? Apart from personal development as an individual ‘The main attraction of PDP as an employability tool is the way it can help students to get a graduate job….to remain employable and to meet the changing demands of work and society….[it is] a survival skill with longer term benefits in relation to lifelong learning and personal career management .’ University of Huddersfield (2005) The 4 Steps to Career Success. Employability and Progress Files Project

29. Personal Development Plan and Portfolio • Relate your reflective learning to Key Skills for Managers • When writing up your log, identify when a key skill has been addressed • Underpin your reflective writing with learning theories

30. Key Skills / Academic context • Final handout Students commenting on group projects • Identify where Key Skills are being addressed or need to be addressed • Add references to learning theories

31. Reflective Writing - Final Tips • Don’t include unnecessary detail • Don’t just tell a story • Write in a formal style • Add value

32. Follow up references • Learning styles test / multiple intelligences http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#Learning%20Styles%20Explained www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm • David Kolb’s Learning Cycle http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm • Honey and Mumford - Learning Styles http://www.ruby3.dircon.co.uk/Training%20Files/Theory%20Pages/learning%20styles.htm

33. Follow up Tasks • Identify your learning style • Howard Gardner / Multiple Intelligences • Write a reflective account of this session - no more than 250 words (1 side of A4) • Put it in your PDP folder

34. If still unsure about reflective writing, contact – the Academic Skills Tutors Sue Daley-Yates can be contacted by telephone on 473326 or via e-mail at s.daley-yates@hud.ac.uk. Chris Ireland can be contacted by telephone on 473023 or via e-mail at c.j.ireland@hud.ac.uk.