If you are not used to writing reflectively, it can be hard to know where to start the process. However, there are models you can use to guide your writing. Below are brief outlines of two of these models: one for beginners and one for more experienced students.
You will notice many common themes in these models. Both of them take a slightly different approach but cover similar stages. The main difference is the number of steps included and how in-depth their creators have chosen to be. Different people will be drawn to different models depending on their own preferences. Experiment with these models to figure out what works best for you.
The ERA cycle (Jasper, 2013) is one of the simplest models of reflection and contains only three stages:
1). Experience
2). Reflection
3). Action
The cycle shows that we will start with 1). an experience, either something we have been through before or something completely new to us. This experience can be positive or negative and may be related to our work or something else.
Once something has been experienced we will start to 2). reflect on what happened. This will allow us to think through the experience, examine our feelings about what happened and decide on the next steps.
This leads to the final element of the cycle - 3). taking an action. What we do as a result of an experience will be different depending on the individual. This action will result in another experience and the cycle will continue.
For a more detailed explanation of the ERA cycle, take a look at Chapter 4 of Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development (https://books.dbs.ie/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=33826) by Gillie Bolton
References:
Jasper, M. (2013). Beginning Reflective Practice. Andover: Cengage Learning.
This model is one of the more complex models of reflection but it may be that you find having multiple stages of the process to guide you reassuring.
Gibb's cycle contains six stages:
Description - What happened? Give an outline of your experience.
Feelings - How did you feel during the experience? Are you happy with how it went?
Evaluation - What was good about the experience? What was bad about the experience? Was the experience valuable for you?
Analysis - How does the theory you have learned link in with this experience? What can be learned from the experience?
Conclusion - What other choices could you have made during the experience?
Action Plan - How can you apply what you have learned to future experiences?
As with the previous model, Gibb's begins with 1). an outline of the experience being reflected on. It then encourages you to 2). focus on your feelings about the experience, both during it and after. The next step involves 3). evaluating the experience - what was good or bad about it from your point of view? You can then use this evaluation to 4). analyse the situation and try to make sense of it. This analysis will result in a 5). conclusion about what other actions (if any) you could have taken to reach a different outcome. The final stage involves 6). building an action plan of steps which you can take the next time you find yourself in a similar situation.
For a more detailed explanation of Gibbs’ reflective cycle, take a look at Chapter 16 of Reflective Writing (https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/dbsie/detail.action?docID=6273961) by Kate Williams, Mary Woolliams, and Jane Spiro.
References:
Gibbs, G. (1998) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechic.
Williams, K, Woolliams, M, & Spiro, J 2020, Reflective Writing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London.
