Reflecting on Reflection

09-August-2007

comments (2)
[ e-Portfolios ]
More thoughts about the issue of skills and competences for reflection - are there gender diffderences?

I had an interesting exchange of emails this morning with Ben Scoble from Staffordshire University.

Ben had picked up on my list of different skills / competencies for reflection

• Forming an opinion
• Expressing an opinion
• Articulating an opinion
• Justifying an opinion
• Defending an opinion
• Supporting the opinions of others
• Challenging others opinions
• Questioning others opinions
• Seeking clarification of others opinions
• Representing other opinions
• Building on others opinions
• Sorting fact from fiction

Ben says: "Reflection is a particular concern - as it often plays a crucial role in eLearning and developing higher level (deeper) learning - is this an inherent 'feminine' skill [or a skill that is easier to hone]?"

He goes on to ask: "So would the lack of knowledge of and/or the inclusion of a framework for engaging in reflection activities - adversely affect male students engaging in eLearning?"

I'm not sure of the answer to this - but suspect that gender does make a difference. But of course it is not just gender. Many individuals do not take easily to reflection (my daughter would be a prime example!). Given the importance of reflection in learning (or at least I think it is) then the inclusion of a framework for reflection would benefit those learners who may be at a disadvantage in this form of learning.

Yesterday I was in Leicester for a training day for the launch of our new e-Portfolio system - Freefolio (lots more about that soon - it is fabulous).

In the morning we ran a hands on session for the e-Portfolio and in the afternoon I ran a workshop on reflection. It was a bit like being hoist with my own petard. For some time I have been berating e-Portfolio 'experts' who say how important reflection is in the e-Portfoliod development process - but then have nothing more to say on the subject. I was a little nervous about 'teaching' refection. But the workshop was a lot of fun and the participants seemed to enjoy it - and said, at least, they found it useful.

Now I would like to take this forward in tow ways:

a) To develop the framework Ben talks about
b) To develop on line tools / activities to develop competences in reflection.

The only problem is I need some funding - anyone any ideas?


Graham Attwell; 09-August-2007 11:01:44;

2 Replies (comments)

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1 Freefolio

Hi Graham Have you Googled Freefolio? It's already out there. Al
Al Harris, 09-August-2007 15:47:28

2 Evidence for effectiveness of reflection for learning

What research has been done that shows that reflection affects learning in a significant way?
I value reflection, too, but most learning is mostly unconscious with reflection acting often as a hindsight justification/rationalization. So, I'm curious: Is there research that goes past documenting that reflection occurs to showing that it significantly affects learning outcomes?
Charles Nelson, 09-August-2007 16:24:56