the reflective learning information video transcript

Presented by Vancouer Community College – Baking and Pastry Arts Department

What is reflective learning?

In short, it’s a practice that helps you become an active learner.

Many of us have been passive learners.

Passive learning goes a bit like this:

We read textbooks, we follow everything our instructor or teacher tells us (sometimes we tune out), we write exams and then… we forget what we learned.

It’s common and though not everybody goes through this, historically, it happens more often than not.

Does it sound familiar to you? Do you know anyone who goes through this kind of learning?

Active learning, on the other hand, goes more like this: We engage in conversations with our classmates and teachers. We do so as part of a community. We ask questions. We figure out answers. We contribute and learn and teach each other.

And ultimately, we engage with ourselves. (and seldom tune out as a result)

Oxford Dictionary defines reflection as “as serious thought or consideration… an idea about something, especially one that is written down and expressed”.

Donald Schon, an influential thinker in developing the theory and practice of reflective learning, defines reflective learning as “the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning”. He further introduces the concept of “reflection-in-action” and “reflection-on-action”.

“Reflection-in-action” refers to the idea that at any given moment, when faced with an issue, you can “think on your feet” to resolve the issue.

“Reflection-on-action” however, refers to you trying to make sense of the experience after it had occurred.

To learn deeply, we need to do both or else the experience just comes and goes (just like passive learning)

In short, through reflection, we challenge our assumptions, ask new questions, make sense of our experience and in the process, put what we’ve learned into deeper memory… as active learners.

The reflective learning information video

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