Being reflective

Like many other aspects of studying, reflective learning is highly individual. There’s no guidebook
on how or when to do it. Rather than thinking of reflection as yet another task to be added to the
‘to do’ list or squeezed into a busy study schedule, it could be viewed as a process that can be
practised at any stage. Think about what it means to you to be a student rather than what you
actually do as a student. The emphasis is on being a reflective learner rather than doing reflective
learning.

Reflecting on what works well in your studies helps you to develop your skills, as you try out
different approaches and review their effectiveness. It is easy to become stuck in a study routine
that is not effective for the task in hand. Thinking about your own skills and being aware of those
you tend to use may help you to

see how you might make changes

develop new ways of working
become more aware of the different techniques you could devise.

Reflection has an important role to play in learning and self-development. There are some key
elements of reflection, and you'll need decide on your preferred ways. Reflection could be
described as

thinking with a purpose

being critical, but not negative
analysing how effective your learning is
questioning and probing
making judgements and drawing conclusions.

Get used to reflecting on your experiences as part of your everyday learning. In this way, each
experience - whether positive or negative - will contribute to your development and personal
growth. An experience that is repeated without reflection is just a repetition, which does not help
you to learn. Record your reflections in a learning journal or on audio.

See reflection as complementary to your study

Use it to clarify your thoughts and focus on your development
Record your thoughts on any difficulties or challenges you are facing
Think about any strategies that might help you deal with difficult tasks or assignments
Use it to help you think about how the course topics relate to other areas of your experience

I’ve come a long way since doing my first TMA – I suppose I’m starting to develop some reflective
skills in that I’m looking back at how my study sessions have gone and having a go at identifying the
strategies that work well for me. This has helped me to plan my approach to study.
Benefits of reflection

Reflective learning can help you to get more out of your studies in several ways.

Planning and prioritising

You may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer range and number of activities you’re expected
to tackle while studying. Figuring out how to plan your time and prioritise study tasks, and how to
juggle all your other commitments (such as work, family, friends and hobbies), can prove quite
challenging. It’s worth thinking ahead to organise your time and reflect on why, what, how and
when to prioritise.

Setting and achieving goals

Your motivation for studying can be improved if you reflect on your study goals and relate them to
the broader goals in your life, both personal and professional. At different stages of your studies –
while preparing assignments, for example – reflection can help you to define immediate goals and
then devise strategies to achieve them.

Dealing with procrastination and anxiety

Procrastination, the art of putting things off until they absolutely have to be done, is both a cause
and a symptom of anxiety. It can lead you to miss deadlines or fall behind with your study
schedule and can severely affect your confidence. Reflecting on how, when, where and why you
procrastinate can help you to recognise and challenge your routines and habits.

Recognising and overcoming self-limiting beliefs

How often do you make assumptions about your ability to study by using sentences that start
with:

”I’m no good at …”
”I’ve always been terrible at…”
”I’ll never be able to…”

These beliefs may echo negative comments from teachers, parents, employers or peers, or you
may just believe them to be irrefutably true. They can make it harder for you to study because
they undermine your confidence and motivation. But by reflecting on the assumptions you make
about yourself you can make positive changes in your study routines.

Making effective use of available support

Your course tutor may have suggested that you get in touch to discuss any problems you have
while studying, and you’ve probably received information about the range of other support
services available to OU students. But sometimes it’s not so easy to ask for help, perhaps because
you don’t always know what you actually need. Reflecting on how you are coping with your studies
can make it easier to request and respond to available support

Keeping a reflective learning journal

Write in your journal regularly, even if individual entries are sometimes short
Focus on a specific event or issue for an individual entry – think about how you could address
or resolve the issue, or what you’d like to improve
Use questions or prompts to help you focus on the task
Avoid descriptive writing, take an analytical approach
Use techniques such as mind mapping, diagrams, sketches or cartoons. Use colour to make
these more engaging and memorable
Review the entries that you’ve written to see if you can find key themes and recognise what
longer-term action you might need to take (e.g. to improve a particular study skill)
Remember that writing itself can be used as a learning tool: you can use writing to explore
ideas as a way of understanding them

Tools for reflection

The areas you focus on for reflection differ from person to person, as can the tools you use to
record your reflections. You may need to try a few different types to find the one that is most
beneficial, and your method of recording reflection may change as time goes by.

Common tools for reflection are

learning journals, diaries - jotting notes down in written prose

tables, mind maps, lists and bullet points – your notes summarised in note form
recordings: CDs, digital recorder, video – documenting by voice recordings
creative representations - icons, mind maps and diagrams.

The use of a reflective learning journal is a common and valuable approach, and you can adopt a
structure for each journal entry, which could include the setting and date, what you did, and key
critical notes on your reflections about the activity and what you think you learned. It is worth
experimenting with different tools that have different structures.

Some could be ready-made, such as a diary with ‘a day to a page’.

Use your own creation – a note book in which you’ve stuck your study timetable at the front,
and your favourite postcards here and there to inspire you.

Whichever course you study, there are four stages you are likely to encounter.

Deciding to study
Embarking on a particular course
 Engaging with the coursework
Completing the course

Each of these stages is associated with specific priorities and concerns. In order to help you reflect
on how you learn, there are certain questions you can ask yourself at various stages of your
course.

Course-start review
Mid-course review
End-of-course review

When you’re completing each review, choose how you wish to express your responses. The
following guidelines will help you.

Let go of judgements – remember that there are no right or wrong answers.

Be honest, open and direct – reflection is most effective when you can be yourself.