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Reflection

“We had the experience but missed the meaning. And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form.” – T.S. Eliot

Reflection is a key component of experiential learning pedagogies, including problem-based learning (PBL), and a tool employed regularly within many professional disciplines. It serves as a critical link between thinking and doing and can be the transformative catalyst for the development of life-long learning skills. Reflection encourages students to describe what they learned, how their thought processes may have changed, and consider the future real-life implications of new knowledge and perspectives. It is also a skill that can be learned and strengthened through practice, modeling, and feedback (Dewey, 1916; Rodgers, 2002; Schӧn, 1983).

Reflection has also been defined as a metacognitive process that supports a greater understanding of the self and situations. This enhanced understanding allows for novel situations to be informed by prior experiences (Sanders, 2009). Metacognitive practices, such as reflection, are recognized for supporting students’ ability to develop strategies for deeper learning, critical-thinking skills, and problem-solving skills that can then be transferred to professional settings.

The PBL cycle is innately reflective, requiring students to identify knowledge gaps, gain new knowledge, and revisit the problem to apply the new information. Simultaneously, the facilitator supports the development of reflective practice using various strategies during the PBL experience. While reflection should permeate the entire PBL process, it is also crucial to close each PBL module, or course, with a reflective activity. Reflection can be completed on an individual or small group basis, can occur in a variety of formats (e.g. discussion, written, or other discipline specific activity), and is the most effective when shared with others. Gibbs’ reflective cycle is one model noted for supporting this element of PBL.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (Adapted from Gibbs, 1988)

Experience Prompts:

  • What happened?
  • When and where did it happen?
  • Who was present or members of the team?
  •  What did you and the other group members do?
  • What was the outcome of the situation
  • Why were you there? What was your purpose?
  • What did you want to happen?

Feelings Prompts:

  • What feelings did you experience during the experience?
  • What were you feeling before and after the experience?
  • What do you think the other group members were feeling about the experience? Why?
  • What were you thinking during the experience?
  • What do you think about the experience now?

Evaluation Prompts:

  • What was good and bad about the experience?
  • What went well?
  • What did not go well?
  • What did you and other people contribute to the experience (positively and negatively)?

Analysis Prompts:

  • What went well?
  • What did it not go well?
  • Why did things go well or not?

Conclusion Prompts:

  • What did you learn from this experience?
  • How could this have been a more positive situation for everyone involved?
  • What skills do you need to develop to handle a future, similar situation better?
  • What else could you have done to improve the experience for yourself and/or the group?
  • Did any of your perspectives change? If so, which ones?

Action Plan Prompts:

  • If I had to do the same thing again, what would you do differently?
  • How will you develop the required skills you need?

References:

Barrett, T. & Moore, S. (Eds.). (2011). New approaches to problem-based learning: Revitalising your practice in higher education. Routledge.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. The Free Press.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit.

Rodgers, C (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking. The Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.

Sanders, J. (2009). The use of reflection in medical education: AMEE Guide No.44. Medical Teacher, 31(8), 685-695. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590903050374

Schӧn, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.