Reflective Writing

This guide is adapted from the Reflective Practice Toolkit by the University of Cambridge.

Please click the link above for more information.

As you study here at DBS, you might be given an assignment that requires you to write reflectively- that is to look back over the work you have done in order to learn from it. Reflective writing is a skill that can help you learn from your real-life experiences. 

In this guide, we will give you some tips and pointers for forming and practicing this skill. 

You can use reflection in many ways; it can be assigned to you by a lecturer but you can also use it when studying, when preparing group work or when working on other assignments, in order to improve them. It is also useful beyond academia when you are applying for jobs, as part of a professional qualification or just as a way of thinking about your role.

As reflective writing can be quite a personal experience, there is no definitive way to do it. However, when you are writing reflectively as part of an assignment, there are a few elements that should be included. Please see them listed below.

Reflective writing is…

1. Written in the first person - using words like ‘I’ and ‘me’. This makes reflective writing different to most other academic writing, which requires writing in the third person.
2. Analytical - Reflective writing is not just a description of an event or a process. Instead, it is an analysis of those events. Ask yourself questions like ‘Am I happy with the work I produced?’ ‘How could I have done better?’
3. Subjective - Reflective writing is your own opinion on your learning experience. The purpose of it is to let your reader understand your viewpoint.

Please note that reflective writing is still academic! Use your other academic writing skills when you write a reflective piece and, if you use someone else’s material to support your argument, remember to provide a reference.