Essay Sample on Reflective Learning

Introduction

Reflective learning is a different method of learning that allows students to think about past experiences in various social settings, be it in class or at an event, and make analysis regarding what they did, and would do in future if a similar occurrence took place again. This type of learning is not dependent on specific mathematical or scientific formula hence may not be regarded as a conventional form of learning. It, however, uses a different approach to enforce overall learning. This type of learning incorporates the use of various learning material and memories of past happenings, thereby being able to equip students with important skills such as analytical abilities and critical thinking (Xhaferi, B & Xhaferi, G., 2017). According to Xhaferi, B. & Xhaferi, G. (2017), the use of reflective ensures that students can think about their learning and identify any hurdles that may provide hindrances to effective learning. On a personal level, learning through reflection has helped me to be more self-efficient and self-aware in terms of my thought process. Through the inclusion of critical thinking, learning has been useful in helping me to acquire skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, which are both efficient tin school and in the corporate world. Additionally, I have become more responsible and deductive both inside and outside of class.

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I have chosen to reflect on week 8 which happened to be one of the most hectic for me in the EVRE module. This week is significant to me for some reasons. Firstly, I was able to learn how to work with class groups and how to juggle between work and school. I was also able to learn the importance of prioritizing my activities based on their importance, a skill that I discovered was a very efficient tool for me as a student. Due to the numerous assignments that I had to work on during that week, the art of prioritizing would have come in handy had I mastered it earlier.

I will use the Gibbs reflective cycle since it allows for in-depth reflection with the six steps that it outlines. Furthermore, the model is designed in a way to ensure that any individually can systematically think about an event or a situation and be able to come up with solutions of how to best address the situation and even try it out to know if the outcomes are better than the initial experience In comparison, using a different model would not allow me to fully and satisfactorily reflect on my experience during that week, since most models only provide four steps for the reflective process.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs reflective cycle is a more developed model of the Kolb's learning cycle, having been broken down into six steps to allow for expression of opinions, feelings, and hypotheses on how best to approach a repetition of the situation. The six steps in the Gibbs cycle include the description of the event as the first phase of reflection. During this stage, an individual is required to include details of who was present, where the event happened and why the event took place. The other stages include a record of feeling evoked, an assessment of these feelings, an analysis of the lessons learned, a conclusion and the action plan.

Description

During week 8, we were supposed to juggle among some activities, including numerous assignments, various projects, and for some of us, after-school jobs. We had a group research project to work on, and my group members seemed to have decided on the meeting schedule without including me. I tried to coordinate my schedule with theirs, but they kept complaining that I had to avail time around their schedules since they had their plans to stick to. They also failed to consult me when delegating work, and I felt that they had given me the hardest part of the research because I was constantly absent from their meetings. My inability to attend was because I had to rush to work every day at 3 o'clock. Two days before we were to hand in the project, the team leader inquired that we hand in our sections for compilation, and I had not finished my bit since I found it difficult and too much, and because I had other things to do.

Feelings

As a result of the intensity of my situation, I felt left out by my group members since they could not create a schedule that would accommodate everybody. I also felt demeaned for being unable to participate in the group and for the group members failing to include my input. However, since I am an introvert, I thought I was better off working alone. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do, and my inability to prioritize and plan my work well worked to my disadvantage. I initially thought that working on the project last would allow me to have enough time to complete my assignments. Additionally, the fact that I kept postponing to work on the project also made it difficult for me to be efficient and reliable as a group member, a factor that made me feel sad. I also felt fatigued due to my inability to coordinate my schedules, what with having to work every evening, attend classes and participate in the group discussion.

Evaluation

After realizing that this situation was an opportunity to grow, I assessed my feelings to understand why I had failed to be an active participant in group work and organize my activities in order of their importance. I figured that my group members had failed to consider my contributions because I was the least vocal and failed to be persistent when making my suggestions. Although my introversion always comes in the way of me working with other people, I chose to try and be more cooperative with the group. This experience happened in this way since I lacked the necessary organizational skills to plan my work to ensure that I completed my work on time. My role as an inactive and disorganized member prevented the members of my group from being efficient, resulting in the delayed submission of the assignment. The good thing about the experience was the fact that it sensitized me on the importance of group participation and the need to acquire good planning skills to ensure that I had a good school-life balance and prioritized school work depending on their importance and urgency.

Analysis

From experience, I can make some insightful conclusions. Based on prioritizing, the group work should have come first in my list of things to do. According to Banard (2015), group work requires active participation to lighten the workload and promote the comprehension of concepts learned during a lecture. Additionally, group participation is about being vocal, an attribute that requires courage (Barnard, 2015). It is thus important that I gain the courage to be able to deal with a similar situation shortly. Furthermore, group work provides an opportunity to obtain various capabilities, and it thus should have come top in my list.

Moreover, Barnard (2015) explains that by being active, group participation helps to build our confidence and enhance our skills, thus provide an opportunity to grow and learn through different experiences. Secondly, the conflict that arose from my inactive participation made it difficult for me to be fruitful, and this provided an opportunity for me to practice responsibility. Finally, I should have prioritized my assignments overwork, since my education is more important. Finally, procrastination was a sign that I needed to improve on my planning skills, by completing assignments that had shorter deadlines first rather than piling them up to the last minute.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of occurrences during the event, there are some alternative actions that I would have chosen. Being more vocal would have allowed me to be an active participant and given me a chance to be heard. This way, the group members would have been a little more considerate with their scheduling. I did not take this alternative as I am usually shy and I felt that I would inconvenience the members if I asked them to reschedule. Another alternative would have been to choose my school work over my employment, as my academic work is more important. I would have asked for one of my workmates to cover my week to allow me to focus on completing my assignments and group work. I opted not to do this since I felt that I would burden the others. Finally, having a plan is essential to ensure that I complete my work on time.