Characteristics of reflective learning: how to engage

Reflection has been described as a:

"... deliberate process during which the candidate takes time, within the course of their work, to focus on their performance and think carefully about the thinking that led to particular actions, what happened and what they are learning from the experience, in order to inform what they might do in the future"
(King, 2002).

Reflective learners continually think about:

• what they are learning
• why they are learning it
• how they are learning it
• how they are using what they are learning
• what their strengths and weaknesses in learning are
• what their learning priorities are
• how they can improve and build upon their learning process
• how well they are working towards their short-, medium- and long-term goals.

Reflective learners consider:

• their motivation
• their attitudes and ideas, and changes in these
• the skills they need for different components of their study and learning
• what (if anything) is blocking their learning
• the gaps in their knowledge and skills, and how they might best work towards filling these.

Reflective learners engage with:

• the specialist discourse of their subject area
• discipline-specific conventions
• the ways in which knowledge is constructed and meaning is created in their particular subject area(s).

Reflection can be undertaken in many ways: individually or in groups, orally, through pictures or in written format. It can be descriptive and functional, critical and analytical or creative and imaginative. (See unit, ‘Creative thinking & critical thinking’). It usually follows the approach outlined in the reflection model of ‘What? So What? Now What?’ This entails giving an objective description of what was learnt, followed by an analysis of its significance and finally its implications for future learning and behaviour.

To be an effective reflective learner, students must recognise that 'failure' is part of success. Learning what does not work is on the same path as learning what does work. There must be room for failure in the reflective process. Do you agree?