On reflection and Alverno's Framework

Today’s session on reflection was very useful. In a way, it was interesting to see that there might be more people for whom reflection is difficult. Before today, I associated my resistance to reflect to the course I teach, rather than to my attitude towards it. The words ‘to let go’ came up again, again the vulnerability of exposing my thoughts, my fears, my limitations.

Understanding the reasons for my objectivity and essay-like tone in my profiles and some structure to devise a way of reflecting were an eye opener. I somehow thought reflecting was writing about it, a little like what ‘grounded theory’ methodology does. Babble, babble and then go back and search for the data (or taxonomize). I like the idea of being selective about what I chose to reflect on and I go about it. It ties in with methodology, which is the subject I teach, but also the one I am going to learn during my PhD. Reflection, for all the areas of my teaching and learning could be the tool that allows me to be one person doing various integrated activities, rather than 3 (teacher, learner, researcher).

Allan’s advice to stick to one thing, keep close to it (instead of going towards National Policy) and analysing it in depth ties in with what Rhed and Leonora said during my peer assessment feedback. It is another piece of evidence showing me how can I improve as a learner, teacher and researcher.

Of all the taxonomies, I found Alverno’s framework the most useful one. Indeed, Bloom is too abstract and manager-like, Biggs’ relate to Learning Outcomes (which we don’t really deal with in Research) and, even if it is useful as a loose fitting classification, I don’t find the categories all that applicable beyond the admission procedure. What I could recognize in Alverno’s framework is, apart from a reflecting cycle, a research cycle. Probably, the two are related because the aim of Alverno is, through reflection, to promote change. And that is also the aim of new knowledge.

I am not sure about the practical applications of making these links but it certainly is giving me confidence that things I thought couldn’t be reconciled are delicately interrelated and that things are either less complicated or can be worked through.

Homework:

How can we devise a strategy to help students to become more reflective?
I think the digram model works and I might attempt to somehow relate it to the mindtools website.