Reflective Thinking

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Reflective Thinking
Ken Harbit
East Carolina University
Reflective Thinking
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While there are many skills involved with e!eriential learning" # will foc$s on reflective
thinking for two reasons% Reflective thinking is at the core of e!eriential learning" so m$ch so"
that e!eriential learning does not eist witho$t reflective thinking% &y other reason is more
!ersonal' reflective thinking is not something # do well%
While researching reflective thinking # had an ()h*Ha+ moment when # reali,ed that scholars are
not thinking in terms of teachers and st$dents' they are thinking in terms of facilitators and
learners and in many cases the facilitator and learner are one and the same% How can this be-
How can # be both teacher and learner- #t came to me thro$gh reading abo$t .ohn /ewey 011223
and reflecting on his theories of learning% /ewey4s starting !oint was the trials and trib$lations of
everyday life% That is im!ortant beca$se in today4s world ed$cation is no longer confined to
!rimary thro$gh 5h/ levels% 6eca$se of today4s fast*!aced society and ever*changing knowledge
base" learning today m$st go on indefinitely" and it m$st be more a !art of o$r everyday life than
a formal (ed$cational+ e!erience%
What /ewey 011223 was saying was that ed$cation is an e!erience in which we make a
connection between what we do to things 0or !eo!le3" and what ha!!ens to them or $s in
conse7$ence% The val$e of an e!erience lies in an individ$al4s !erce!tion of relationshi!s or
connections among events or sit$ations% Those connections and !erce!tions come to $s thro$gh a
!rocess of making the s$b8ect of o$r thinking become the ob8ect of o$r thinking% 9or eam!le" #
solve a !roblem $sing s!ecific strategies" # then think abo$t the strategies" assimilate them and
relate them to new !roblems or for rea!!lication to !revio$s !roblems to yield new or $!dated
res$lts%
Reflective Thinking
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E!eriential learning is learning thro$gh reflective thinking on doing something or something that has
been done% E!eriential learning foc$ses on the learning !rocess in the style of the learner' that is" the
learner determines how to learn" a (h$man+ teacher is not an essential !art of e!eriential learning% The
most critical !art of e!eriential learning is !$r!osef$l reflective thinking for analy,ing and making
8$dgments abo$t what has been done" or what the learner may believe will ha!!en in the f$t$re% /ewey
011223 s$ggests that reflective thinking is an active" !ersistent" and caref$l consideration of a belief or
s$!!osed form of knowledge" of the gro$nds that s$!!ort that knowledge" and the f$rther concl$sions to
which that knowledge leads% :earners are aware of and control their learning by actively assessing what
they know" and what they need to know" then how to a!!ly newly ac7$ired knowledge in order to make a
!ro!er 8$dgment of a sit$ation or come to a concl$sion or reassessment of a !roblem%
Reflective thinking also !rovides an o!!ort$nity for an individ$al to ste! back and think abo$t how to
solve !roblems and how a !artic$lar set of !roblem solving strategies is !ro!er for achieving the goal%
This is becoming increasingly im!ortant in today4s world beca$se o$r society is becoming more com!le"
information is becoming available and changing more ra!idly than in the !ast% This in t$rn is !rom!ting
individ$als to rethink" go in new directions" and change !revio$sly a!!lied !roblem*solving strategies%
This is why it is im!ortant to !rom!t reflective thinking d$ring learning' it will hel! learners develo!
strategies to a!!ly new or changing knowledge to com!le sit$ations and !roblems% Reflective thinking
hel!s individ$als develo! higher*order thinking skills by !rom!ting them to relate newly ac7$ired or
changing knowledge to !rior $nderstanding' think in both abstract and conce!t$al terms' a!!ly s!ecific
strategies in new ways" and $nderstand their own thinking and learning strategies%
Can reflective thinking be ta$ght- # str$ggled with that 7$estion% # began my research with 6o$d" Keogh
and Walker 011;<3" and Eyler" =iles and >cmiede 011??3" who em!hasi,ed $sing a str$ct$red a!!roach to
Reflective Thinking
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kee! the mind on*track d$ring reflection% Why (str$ct$re-A Reflective thinking is more than 8$st
thinking of ways to solve !roblems' it4s an organi,ed tho$ght !rocess% /a$delin 011??3 defined reflection
as (B the !rocess of ste!!ing back from an e!erience to !onder" caref$lly and !ersistently" its meaning
to the self thro$gh the develo!ment of inferences+ 0!%213% That !rocess forms a str$ct$re $sed when
reflecting on how to a!!ly !revio$s strategies to new !roblems% That str$ct$re can be develo!ed thro$gh
many forms of individ$al reflections and social interactions s$ch as disc$ssions" reflective 8o$rnals" and
reflective essays" all of which co$ld be !erformed online%
/isc$ssion boards have been aro$nd for a long time and have been one of the mainstays for b$ilding
relationshi!s among st$dents% #n Reflective Teaching Cnline" /r% 5awan 02DD23 s!eaks of asynchrono$s
disc$ssion boards $sed to facilitate (reflection*in*action+ and (reflection*on*action%+ Reflection in action
refers to st$dent reflections while doing an assignment s$ch as writing a !a!er% >t$dents talk among
themselves" gaining insights to the s$b8ect matter from each other while refining their individ$al !a!ers%
Reflection on action ha!!ens after a reading or writing assignment% >t$dents disc$ss newly fo$nd data"
teacher remarks" and how they co$ld im!rove on their writing' st$dents co$ld reflect on strategies $sed
and how they might be a!!lied to the net assignment or lesson%
/isc$ssion boards also serve as a comm$nal diary and 8o$rnal for st$dents to refer back to and refine their
reflections as they !rogress thro$gh lessons% 9acilitators can monitor the disc$ssion boards" reflect on
st$dent res!onses" and fine*t$ne the disc$ssions to kee! them on track% The str$ct$re !rovided by the
disc$ssion board hel!s to kee! st$dents on track while they do research% 0=$thrie" &cCracken 2D1D3
(&yself and another st$dent always seemed to be on the disc$ssion board at the same time% We were
talking in almost real time% #t was a great way to reflect on the material+ 0!%123% 6$ilding st$dent
relationshi!s is another benefit of online disc$ssion boards%
Reflective Thinking
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Reflective 8o$rnaling !rovides an inner dialog that connects the learner4s tho$ghts" feelings" and actions%
The rational for $sing reflective 8o$rnaling in higher ed$cation is gro$nded in general learning theory"
ad$lt learning theory" e!eriential learning theory" and in the im!ortance of co$nseling st$dent4s !ersonal
growth and !rofessional develo!ment% Knowles 011E<3 says (6eca$se of o$r e!erience we have often
develo!ed habit$al ways of thinking and acting' !reconce!tions abo$t reality" !re8$dices" and
defensiveness abo$t o$r !ast 0!%@3% Knowles goes on to say that (To overcome this !roblem" ad$lt
ed$cators are devising strategies for hel!ing !eo!le become more o!en minded+ 0!%@3% &any scholars"
s$ch as 6o$nd 02DD13" =oldsmith 0111?3" and &oon 011113 believe that reflective 8o$rnaling is a most
s$ccessf$l strategy for moving learners to a higher level of critical thinking and !ersonal insight%
&any st$dents are frightened of reflective 8o$rnaling beca$se they fear !$tting so m$ch of themselves in
the eye of an instr$ctor 0# am one of those3% There are also st$dents that may fear re!risals from their
instr$ctor abo$t what they !$t in their 8o$rnal abo$t the class% #t will be im!ortant for the instr$ctor to
make clear how the 8o$rnal will be $sed" s$ch as for !rivate dialogs strictly between st$dent and teacher
or if it will be shared with other a$diences and who the other a$diences are% 9or reflective 8o$rnaling to
work" st$dents m$st be confident of the tr$stworthiness of the reader%
)s st$dents reflect on assignments" readings" !ro8ects" co$rse iss$es" and their own learning e!eriences"
teachers can observe st$dent entries and give feedback that reinforces reflections com!atible with the
8o$rnaling and lesson goals% Teachers can also $se reflective 8o$rnal entries to develo! g$iding 7$estions
for disc$ssion boards" allowing 8o$rnals and disc$ssion boards to reinforce each other with g$iding
content%
Reflective Thinking
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The strength of reflective 8o$rnaling lies in the collaborative st$dent*teacher effort of st$dent entries being
reinforced and g$ided by teacher comments" and a tr$st that allows st$dents to !$t away fears and give
honest reflections%
# look at the reflective essay as a contin$$m from the reflective 8o$rnal% ) 8o$rnal need not be organi,ed'
it can be o$r reflections as they occ$r" and often incl$ding tho$ghts that have no relevance to the goal we
wish to reach% This is why g$idance and reinforcement is !rovided at the 8o$rnal level' it hones yo$r
reflections on the way to yo$r goal% The reflective essay is an organi,ed doc$ment" !a!er" !resentation"
or m$ltimedia !ro8ect that brings together relevant reflections" !rior and newly ac7$ired knowledge to
form str$ct$red strategies to reach the intended goal% The reflective essay gives st$dents the chance to
take ownershi! of the learning !rocess% 6ased on constr$ctivist !ers!ective of learning" reflective essays
allow st$dents to $se !rior" ongoing" and socially constr$cted knowledge to derive !ersonal meaning from
enco$nters with new information and e!eriences%
This is where the s$b8ect of o$r thinking 0!roblem" !ro8ect" or goal3 becomes the ob8ect of o$r thinking
and strategies are form$lated% These strategies are made $! of o$r reflections that have gained
organi,ation and str$ct$re thro$gh reflective 8o$rnaling with reinforcement and g$idance from the
instr$ctor in combination with !rior and newly ac7$ired knowledge% The strategies may then be
reintrod$ced into the cycle of disc$ssion and reflective 8o$rnaling for a!!lication to new !roblems"
!ro8ects or goals" thro$gh a new reflective essay%
/isc$ssion boards" reflective 8o$rnaling" and reflective essays $sed in con8$nction with each other can
form the basis of a strategy for Reflective Thinking to facilitate meaningf$l learning%
Reflective Thinking
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References
6o$d" /% 02DD13% Using .o$rnal Writing to Enhance Reflective 5ractice% New Directions for Adult and
Continuing Education" 1D" 1*1E%
6o$d" /%" Keogh"R%" F Walker" /%" 0E/s3% 011;<3% Reflection Turning Experience into Learning% :ondonG
Kogan 5age%
/a$delin" &% W% 011??3 :earning 9rom E!erience Thro$gh Reflection% Organizational Dynamics" 2@023"
2?*@;%
/ewey" .% 011223 How e T!in"# A Restatement of t!e Relations of Reflecti$e T!in"ing to t!e Educati$e
%rocess% 6ostonG /%C% Heath F Co%
Eyler" .% =iles" /%" E%" F >chmeide% 011??3% A %ractitioner&s 'uide to Reflection in (er$ice Learning#
(tudent )oices and Reflections% ) Technical )ssistance 5ro8ect f$nded by the Cor!oration for
Hational >ervice% Hashville" TH%G Ianderbilt University%
=oldsmith" >% 0111?3% .o$rnal ReflectionG A Resource 'uide for Community (er$ice Leaders and
Educators Engaged in (er$ice Learning% Washington" /CG The )merican )lliance for Rights and
Res!onsibilities%
=$thrie" Kathy" :%" &cCraken" Holly% 02D1D3% Reflective 5edagogyG &aking &eaning in E!eriential
6ased Cnline Co$rses% T!e *ournal of Educators Online" IolGE" HoG2%
Reflective Thinking
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Knowles" &% >% 011E<3% (elf Directed Learning# A 'uide for Learners and Teac!ers% Hew JorkG
)ssociated 5ress%
&oon" .% 011113% Learning *ournal# A !and+oo" for Academics, (tudents, and %rofessional De$elopment%
:ondonG Kogan 5age%
5awan" 9aridah% 02DD23% Reflective Teaching Cnline% Tec!Trends% IolG@E" #ss$eG@" 2D*2@%