Looking in the Mirror…How technology can enhance reflective practice.

                         
                          Damn I look good. Photo.  Retrieved http://themetapicture.com/damn-i-look-good/

 

 

Reflective practise and reflective journaling have been used in nursing education for decades.  I know this because it’s more than two decades since  I was doing it as a student nurse and have been involved with students and professional development ever since (no hiding my age now)!

Reflective journaling by students nurses has been used to encourage them use a systematic approach to analyse clinical practice, ethical issues, or just their personal thoughts on situations This reflection allows them to improve future actions and responses (Sherwood, 2012). 

Historically, when being used as a learning/assessment piece to show critical thinking, students write a journal which is reviewed by a supervision/teacher. Or they present a reflective experience through tutorial forum.  There is no doubt it’s an authentic skill, and one that aids in becoming a nurse that is open to feedback, reflection and critical thinking.  In my own Intensive Care Unit, this practice is encouraged in practitioners of all levels.

This area of learning and assessment now can be adapted to todays learners via a number of modes.  Having students do microblogging via twitter, on line blogging via LMS or open blogging tools like wordpress or blogspot, has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of the reflective exercise. The learning theory of constructivism suggested that using these social modes of ICT, the learner will be much more involved and actively participate, also in sharing the experience with peers and facilitators can create knowledge based on reflection of experiences (Harasim, L. 2012).

 Timeliness of feedback is important to learners, with the advent of twitter and blogging, students can get formative feedback instantaneously, which may be more meaningful being closer to the time of the experience upon which they reflect.  This is inline with the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education which Chickering and Erhmann(2006) updated to reflect (today’s catch word getting plenty of use) today’s technology.   These ICTs also encourage contact between faculty and students and collaboration by peers.

 The great thing about bringing reflective exercise into open forums, means not only the person writing the reflection may learn from the experience, so too may the reader.  And my eyes are always on the end goal…learning.

 

Retrieved: http://reganjpreston.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/gibbs.gif

 

References

 

Chickering and Erhmann(2006). Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a lever. Retrieved from http://www.unc.edu/courses/2007fall/germ/700/001/downloads/Chickering.pdf

 

Harasim, Linda. (2012) Learning Theory and Online Technology. Taylor and Francis: New York

 

Sherwood, G. (2012, Oct 12). Reflective Practice: Narrative Pedagogy Can Transform the Educational Paradigm. Guest post. http://www.rwjf.org/en/blogs2012, /human-capital-blog/2012/10/reflective_practice.html