Helping students with reflective analytical writing NOPT Conference 2010 Birmingham Lynne Rutter - Bournemouth University

2 Writing - what is required? Higher Education generic criteria - Subject knowledge and understanding Thinking skills, e.g. analysis, evaluation, critical judgement Subject-specific skills, e.g. problem solving Transferable skills incl. communication and presentation Reflective levels – from description to critical analysis to evaluated learning Style – development of an ‘argument’

3 Issues? What is the required ‘academic style’? How achieve it with practice-based, experiential /reflective learning? Bournemouth University guidance: The reflective assignment is not expected to be written in the traditional style of an academic essay which would argue for a particular theoretical /research-based conclusion. Reflective assignments are about your view/perspective on what you have learnt and/or understood for your professional context/practice/service, and should provide a line of reasoning and evidence (using theory/research, policy/legislation etc or evaluated experience) to critically discuss this.

4 Frameworks to help

5 Framework 1. Reflection Description - what, when, where, how?... More details than the ones that were initially noted need to be identified so that significant but less obvious features are not lost or ignored... Analysis – why, why not, what else?... Consideration of assumptions, givens, connections; also active exploration of alternative ideas, views, perspectives, decisions, interpretations, actions... Evaluation –how well, so what?...reconsideration... Meet objectives, goals...? Feedback... Was it done ‘right’ --- was it the ‘right’ thing to do --- how do we decide ‘what is right’? What was learnt – what does this mean for practice?

6 Framework 2. Developing an ‘argument’ 1.From reflection - develop and make explicit overall ‘idea’ or ‘learning’ gained from experience 2.Identify key ‘reasons’ to support the above 3.Read and develop points/issues of discussion for each reason, include:  Explanation/exploration/critical view....  Theory-practice connections... 4.Link to next point - ‘signpost’

7 Framework 3. Linking ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ Practice on its own can be too limited/contextual and miss wider issues – will not demonstrate understanding of abstract ideas/concepts...use theory to explore / explain, or to inform/ influence practice experiences and understandings or predict outcomes Theory on its own will be too wide/vague and miss situational issues – will not demonstrate practical understanding...use practice ‘examples’ and situations to support, enlighten, enhance, particularise or extend theoretical ideas ‘Practitioner moves between a subjective perspective and an objective view of that perspective and back ’ (Kondrat 1992 )

Thank you Lynne Rutter