Paper Example on Reflecting on Learning: Making Meaning of Theoretical Knowledge

Introduction

Reflection is of great importance as it provides an opportunity for learners to make meaning out of theoretical knowledge (Ong, 2010). In this regard, Ong (2010) defined reflection as a deliberate cognitive activity through which students can connect experiences, thoughts, and feelings related to specific learning activities. This aspect enhances an understanding of the discipline since it allows learners to compare class activities to prior knowledge (Ong, 2010). Throughout the trimester, I have been reflecting on what I learned in workshops and other academic activities through reflection journals. To me, weekly reflections on lessons have made the course enjoyable. The reason is that it provided an opportunity for me to communicate the knowledge I learned in class and connect them to how it will help me build my career.

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Additionally, this learning activity has deepened my understanding of the course materials, which, in turn, enabled me to understand problems and design their solutions. Tanner (2012) corroborated that reflective post-assessments, reflective journals, and reflective pre-assessments improve an understanding of course materials. Mann et al. (2009) also said that this learning technique supports the development of reflective capacity in learners. In this view, reflection journals have helped me build my reflective skills, which I believe it will allow me to nurture active engagement in various work processes. From my experience this trimester, I have noted that reflections are a critical tool that can empower students as learners and thinkers that can apply critical thinking skills to solve problems. The paper critically evaluates what I learned during the trimester and how the course has changed my approach to solving problems.

Problem-Solving Techniques

The ability to solve problems, according to Jonassen (2000), is an essential cognitive activity not only in a professional context but also in everyday life. Research has demonstrated that problem-solving is a challenging task for a vast majority of students because they do not have an inadequate understanding of the processes they ought to follow to find appropriate solutions (Yu et al., 2015). Before the start of the trimester, I had a little mastery of methods and steps that one ought to follow in solving problems. However, class materials have shaped my comprehension of the subject since they have topics that cover various aspects of problem-solving in detail. To me, the resources that we used this trimester are not only insightful but also informative. I think the assigned readings have the right content and can potentially help learners to nurture problem-solving skills that they can apply in their everyday life.

The key takeaway from this course that I believe will have a profound impact on my professional life is the tools and the skills that one should possess to solve problems effectively. During this course, I noted five different techniques that I will be using in the future to solve problems. These tools are Cause and Effects Diagrams (CED), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Decision Matrix. The other aspects are Pareto Charts and flowcharting problems. To me, topics about the instruments for solving problems were the most intriguing part of the class readings. These strategies, according to Doggett (2000), provide not only effective solutions to a problem at hand but also creative ones. This phenomenon implies that the five methods are evidence-based practices that enhance mastery of problems and their solutions.

The course has influenced how I will be resolving challenging issues in two different ways. First, I will be following the five main steps discussed in class to solve problems. These phases are identifying the issue, analyzing it, generating potential solutions, testing probable solutions, and lastly, evaluating results to determine the most appropriate method. This idea has changed my approach to problems since, in the past, I used to address issues at hand without considering alternative methods. Secondly, I will be utilizing knowledge about the tools for solving problems to enhance my competency in addressing challenging issues. Going forward, also, I will be using RCA and CED to enable me to identify a fundamental cause of the problem and also the relationship between the issue and its potential causes.

Teamwork and Collaborative Problem-Solving

Another intriguing thing in the course is about problem-solving skills. I learned that essential skills that I should possess to improve my competency in resolving challenging problems are creativity, communication, team-building, analytical, and decision-making skills. Other elements are research, active listening, and dependability skills. I practised these elements during in-class group discussions, and I noted that collaboration is key to solving problems. I was surprised that through teamwork, we managed to solve multiple problems that I could not address on my own. In this view, Laal and Ghodsi (2012) said that collaborative learning promotes critical thinking skills, which are essential for solving problems.

I will embrace interpersonal problem-solving in my personal and professional life since the course has led me to understand the power of teamwork in solving challenging issues at hand. Goltz et al. (2008) said that problem-solving and teamwork skills are the key competencies of effective business leaders in today's world. In this regard, educational institutions have developed team-based and problem-based teaching methods to help students nurture such skills (Goltz et al., 2008). I believe that the skills that I have acquired by learning this course have prepared me as a competent and effective leader capable of solving a wide range of problems.

Workshops have had significant impacts on my teamwork skills as well as problem-solving skills. Throughout the trimester, workshops involved intensive research, study, and discussion of different subjects among participants with common interests or problems. I was able to improve my research and critical thinking skills during this academic program since participation in workshops requires rigorous research and presentation skills. From my observation, I noted that the workshops that I managed to attend had three goals, namely, problem-solving, information sharing, and training. Most of the facilitators in this learning activity were experts in different fields, a situation that enabled me to develop multidisciplinary knowledge in the various issues. Fatumo et al. (2014) said students should utilize their skills and hands-on experience during workshops to implement the skills they are learning.

An essential strength that I depicted during the workshops is the ability to explore new areas of interest. The reason is that the student participants in this activity introduced diverse topics that required everyone to exercise critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills. From my assessment, I noted that I was able to utilize these skills to enhance my performance and competency in the group. Besides, I gained valuable hands-on experience through individual and group tasks in various areas of research. I also noted during the workshop that collaboration is of great importance for the success of activities that require group participation.

School workshops, according to Fatumo et al. (2014), addresses varying needs, and educators or facilitators can tailor them to enhance the development of specific skills among learners. I observed that the weekly workshops were appealing to most students since they offered hands-on experience in various analytical techniques. These programs, in my opinion, have been successful throughout the trimester since most of them respond to the needs of student members. For this reason, workshops were relevant and timely. In each session, I actively worked on hands-on exercises that I believe have enabled me to gain valuable knowledge on various topics. From the analysis of the feedback from other student participants and the instructor, I have observed that the exercises were tremendously involved.

Group presentations and feedback sessions have been of great importance to me since through, such activities, I have built effective oral communication skills. Through the workshop, also, I have improved my listening skills, leadership skills, and, more importantly, nurture, team behaviour. In this view, I have realized that I have a positive team behaviour since, throughout the course, I have maintained a constructive engagement with other members of the groups.

On several occasions, most student participants proved me wrong in various discussions, and I did not lose temper at any time. By not losing temper, I have demonstrated that I am mature enough to participate in constructive engagements in my profession. I consider this positive team behaviour an essential strength that places me in a better position to build my professional life through meaningful interaction with other experts in my area of study.

During the first two weeks of the trimester, I had difficulty maintaining meaningful eye contact in workshops. Through practice and active participation in this school activity, however, I can now show appropriate facial expressions and also maintain a confident posture that can potentially create a good impression among the facilitators and other student members. From the assessment of my progress in this area, I believe I have developed a positive non-verbal behaviour through active participation in school workshops. This aspect is vital to my profession as I can demonstrate relevant personality factors such as defensiveness and self-confidence. These elements would enhance my productivity in activities that require teamwork.

Creativity and Innovation

Innovation and creativity are of great importance in solving problems as it propagates the need for both convergent and divergent thinking (De Jager et al., 2013). I learned in this course that I should be innovative and creative to become an effective problem-solver. These aspects are vital to any problem solver for two reasons. First, creativity enables one to come up with something new and, secondly, innovation propagates an idea of doing things differently. I consulted various online materials to gain an in-depth understanding of creativity and innovation, and more importantly, to enable me to attempt class exercises. I found in my research that for one to be an entrepreneur, he/she ought to be creative and innovative.

The knowledge that I have acquired in this course concerning creativity and innovation would be useful in my career and professional life. An essential takeaway concerning this subject matter is that I should nurture a culture that promotes creativity and innovation at a personal level. In this view, research has indicated that there is a direct correlation between culture, innovation, creativity, and culture (Martins & Terblanche, 2003).

At an organization level, I have understood that successful companies have to change their structures and strategies first as a way to support innovation (Martins & Martins, 2002). After that, managers need to establish guidelines to help creative individuals during change management. These ideas will shape my profession since I believe creativity and innovation would enable me to build my career. I think participation in the workshops has prepared me to become innovative since it trained me to be a creative thinker and a problem solver. Moreover, the course has changed my thinking concerning creativity and innovation. Initially, I thought creativity is limited to mu...