What is the value of reflection online?
Some key words are mentioned by Brockbanks and McGill (1998). Transformational learning, critical learning, and life long learning. There is mention of “deep” as apposed to surface learning and to me this is the strength in reflection and attributes to life long learning. Deep learning is described and quoted in Brockbanks and McGill (1998) originally by Marton, 1975:137.
those who succeed best.....seem to have an approach that aims beyond the written or spoken discourse itself towards the message the discourse is intended to communicate and these students feel themselves to be the agents of learning.
As an educational institute we can achieve a higher level of reflective processing through web 2.0 tools to assist our community of enquiry and what of the value if the students themselves feel they are agents of learning?
They also put common terms into more specific meaning, such as “learning process” meaning the context and conditions in which learning takes place. And “relationship” meaning current circumstances that we (the teacher) and learners can actively reflect upon the issues and material before us. I raise these issues because as an educator, if you can see the true value in reflection and its intended use in a community of inquiry then why are we not all facilitating such environments?
Brockbanks and McGill (1998) mentions that creating effective dialogue in reflective situations requires the teacher to play a different role to the student. The teacher is the facilitator allowing the focus to be on the learner and allowing the learner to undertake a learning process of understanding. This is not to say we as educators do not participate in the reflective processing but understanding the context and the current situation before we engage ensuring that we have a positive impact rather than dominating dialogue, after all we must be able to sustain a positive emotional connection from the students to hopefully break away from single loop learning connecting variables towards double loop learning. Argyris and Schön (1978: 2-3) use a simple analogy to explain single loop and double loop learning.
When the error detected and corrected permits the organization to carry on its present policies or achieve its presents objectives, then that error-and-correction process is single-loop learning. Single-loop learning is like a thermostat that learns when it is too hot or too cold and turns the heat on or off. The thermostat can perform this task because it can receive information (the temperature of the room) and take corrective action. Double-loop learning occurs when error is detected and corrected in ways that involve the modification of an organization’s underlying norms, policies and objectives.
During this reading I could not help but think about our current department situation. It is often said that staff resistance to integrating web 2.0 tools is from lack of understanding, but I would hope that it is more from lack of understanding the value rather than understand the tools. There is a significant difference, and in reflection this is a critical message that is not being shared well enough in our department. I have spent countless hours promoting, sharing web 2.0 tools within our department when I think I need a stronger focus on “why”.
Reference:
Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1978) Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective,Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley.
Brockbank Anne, M. I. (1998). Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education. Buckingham, SHRE and Open University Press, .
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