I thought the following might be of interest when undertaking your Critical Reflection:
1. You might consider providing each section with a sub-title to indicate to you and the reader the focus of learning being explored, e.g. First main paragraph could be 'Developing my Critical Reading Skills'. Then fully explore this.
2. Only include description that is absolutely necessary. Blow by blow account of 'what happened' is less important than what was learnt.
3. Don’t make statements about ‘agreeing with the Reader on ‘X’ or person 'A's comments. Rather focus on how the Reader might have altered your perspective, viewpoint, and knowledge.
4. Avoid general ramble through ideas. Be specific and focused.
5. You need to put yourself into a position of arguing the relative merits and usefulness of particular ideas … indicating any level of measurement in your judgement …
6. The main point of Critical Reflection is to encourage you to question the views of others and those you hold in a critical way, which means to stay engaged with an idea, exploring from different angles, constantly questioning it, assessing its likely value (truth; usefulness; meaning) to you and / or others. Also see this as a practice not a ‘text’. It is something to develop, something that is learnt, not something you already know and simply need to express.
7. Your text needs to be two things. Firstly a means to explore ideas, as the object to be crafted as your thinking develops and deepens. Secondly, the representation and means of communicating your ideas. So see a piece of critical reflective writing as both the means to craft your ideas (through drafting and iteration), and the sum of your thinking at submission date (but with the intention that the work is not finished, but an idea in progress).
That's incredibly helpful and constructive. The above ideas and thoughts on Critical Reflection have really made me think, question and consider both my approach to developing my opinions as well as analysing my interpretations and conclusions.
ReplyDeleteHi Alan,
ReplyDeleteit is this process of learning from learning that is a constant journey I think. As we mould ideas from one source of knowledge, new information arrives which then seems to re-shape my thinking entirely.
Today I was contemplating the idea that the exact time and place that I sit and write has such an impact on what is produced...if I were to sit down the day before or the day after, my thoughts could have told a completely different story.
From this vast catalogue of information, it is narrowing down the ideas which I feel are most relevant and positive to my experience and reflection. Equally, I have to consider why I have chosen NOT to focus on other ideas.
At present I am trying to keep an open mind with what I include and as the process continues, I hope to understand which thoughts are more relevant and need further exploration.
Although...do we then have to critically reflect our critical reflection...?!