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Defining Critical Reflection. “Reflective learning involves assessment or reassessment of assumptions. Reflective learning becomes transformative whenever assumptions, or premises are found to be distorting, or invalid.”
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Defining Critical Reflection “Reflective learning involves assessment or reassessment of assumptions. Reflective learning becomes transformative whenever assumptions, or premises are found to be distorting, or invalid.” “To the extent that adult education strives to foster reflective learning, its goal becomes one of either confirmation or transformation of ways of interpreting experience.” Mezirow, J. (1998). On critical reflection. Adult Education Quarterly, (48)3, 185-197. How does this excerpt mirror or differ from your own definition of critical reflection? What does the ‘critical’ in critical reflection imply? What is the value of critical reflection and encouraging/enhancing our own and students’ ability to critically reflect?
Designing for Critical Reflection Techniques for encouraging critical reflection include: • journals, scrapbooks, logs • portfolios (dossiers, statements of philosophy) • mentor/peer relationships • peer/peer relationships • conferences, seminars, etc. • group discussions • meta-learning What strategies and techniques have you used to successfully encourage critical reflection in your course(s)? What obstacles have you encountered? How have you overcome those obstacles?
Assessing and Providing Feedback Scenario: Two semesters ago, Professor Flow integrated a learning journal to help students in her course enhance their abilities to critically reflect on their learning. It was not a graded activity and very few students handed anything in. Last semester, she made the journals mandatory and assigned it 15% of the course mark. Everyone handed it in, but the level of reflection was very diverse and she was not sure how to grade the assignment. There were several student complaints about the grading. What would you suggest to Professor Flow? What examples have you seen that might help? How do you assess student reflection in your course(s)?
Four Lenses of Critically Reflective Practice Our own experiences as teachers and learners Our students’ experiences of us as teachers Theoretical and research literature Dialogue amongst colleagues Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. How do you incorporate these lenses to explore your own teaching? How might you bring into focus these or other lenses to help you become more reflective about your own teaching practice?