Fortune Cookie Reflections

Tasler, N. (2014) Fortune Cookie Reflections. [Website]

Abstract

This active learning strategy was devised to help students gain more ownership of their academic and critical writing. The students in Health and Life Sciences have to learn reflective writing; contemplating their placement experiences. One of the biggest problems most students have is linking their experience to theory and research. That problem places writing sometimes into the category: deliberations in a teenage-diary. The students are not happy with their writing, and often express frustration that they sound corny, cheesy, and repetitive. Expecting the students to use the Gibb’s cycle for reflection, just makes the matter worse, not at least because this model redefines ‘evaluation’ and ‘analysis’. Analysis—as commonly defined—the: establishing of ‘What is?’ should come before ‘evaluation’ the value-judgement of ‘What is?’. So besides the messy terminology, the six steps make the model very mechanistic and most students become stuck in the actualities of dealing with the model instead of focussing on their actual reflection.

• Item Type: Website
• Keywords: Reflective writing, learning development, academic writing, undergraduate.
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Tasler, Dr Nathalie
• Authors: Tasler, N.
• Subjects: L Education > LA History of education
• College/School: University Services > Learning and Teaching Services Division; University Services > Student and Academic Services > Academic Services