Tools for reflection
The areas you focus on for reflection differ from person to person, as can the tools you use to record your reflections. You may need to try a few different types to find the one that is most beneficial, and your method of recording reflection may change as time goes by.
Common tools for reflection are
- learning journals, diaries - jotting notes down in written prose
- tables, mind maps, lists and bullet points – your notes summarised in note form
- recordings: CDs, digital recorder, video – documenting by voice recordings
- creative representations - icons, mind maps and diagrams.
The use of a reflective learning journal is a common and valuable approach, and you can adopt a structure for each journal entry, which could include the setting and date, what you did, and key critical notes on your reflections about the activity and what you think you learned. It is worth experimenting with different tools that have different structures.
- Some could be ready-made, such as a diary with ‘a day to a page’.
- Use your own creation – a note book in which you’ve stuck your study timetable at the front, and your favourite postcards here and there to inspire you.
Whichever course you study, there are four stages you are likely to encounter.
- Deciding to study
- Embarking on a particular course
- Engaging with the coursework
- Completing the course
Each of these stages is associated with specific priorities and concerns. In order to help you reflect on how you learn, there are certain questions you can ask yourself at various stages of your course.
When you’re completing each review, choose how you wish to express your responses. The following guidelines will help you.
- Let go of judgements – remember that there are no right or wrong answers.
- Be honest, open and direct – reflection is most effective when you can be yourself.
Other Websites
- Audacity – Open source recording software
- What is blogging? – an introduction to blogging from BBC Webwise