Core Activity 2.5

How adequate is this advice, in your opinion, to assist students in writing the kinds of reflection that teachers and other assessors would recognise as evidence of development?

Based on Penn State University guidance to reflective writing.

I think that it is adequate to introduce the topic of reflective writing for those that are new to the process. I don't think that it should be used as a generic process to reflect. I feel that this formal structure goes against the natural process of reflection, I consider it to be more organic process. If I were given the following steps to use on this OU course it would just inhibit and constrict my thinking:

1) Select a specific incident, event, experience, project, etc. that strikes you as particularly interesting or that highlights a personal quality.

2) What happened? Fill in enough context to give the event meaning. Answer the question in away that makes sense to you. Don't interpret here - just tell the story.

3) What might this mean? There is no one answer. Explore the possible meanings rather than determining the one true meaning.

4) What implications are there for future practice? Consider how your practice might change given any new understandings that have emerged.

Reflection is a personal process its different for every individual. I think that using this structure will result in weak generic surface level reflections.

With reference to the ‘Reflective Narrative Style’ guidance on the website:

"In terms of style, your readers will be happier if your information is clear and your ideas fluid. Therefore, as you compose your annotation or analysis, employ the following stylistic benchmarks:"

I wonder if the student will be more concerned with how their reflection is written than the actual content. Is the student writing it for the benefit of assessment, for the benefit of the tutor, or are they doing it to develop themselves? I would argue they should be reflecting to support their own individual learning. As soon as you start to enforce reflection within a framework it dilutes the impact. I'm not a great writer so If I spent my time conforming to the suggested ‘stylistic benchmarks’ then I wouldn't have the time to write the blog and reflect at a deeper level.