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Writing Development

Studying at the University of Lincoln? We can help you achieve your potential by improving your writing skills.

Reflective writing

  • Reflection is far more than just summarizing events, it is about a process of active thought. This means replaying to yourself and deeply examining your experiences to understand your learning and growth.
  • This self-analysis should not feel passive but is an active engagement with your thoughts, feelings, and actions to identify existing patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement.
  • Reflection has two essential poles. What you did/thought/felt and what happened in the external world. Good reflection works in a balance between understanding what was going on with yourself and its relation to other people/events.

  • Reflection develops critical thinking and self-awareness - it helps you spot your patterns and enables you to make different choices.
  • This in turn improves learning and problem-solving skills.
  • Helps you understand yourself better and in what ways you need to improve to achieve your goals.
  • Provides valuable insights for future endeavours.
  • It is a key skill for academic success and professional development.

There are various reflective models to help you structure your assignment, however they all in some form can be reduced to these steps:

  • Describe: Accurately recount the experience. Say what happened relevantly and concisely. Do not get tied up in irrelevant details.
  • Analyse: Examine your thoughts, feelings, actions, and their consequences. Identify any underlying assumptions or biases.
  • Reflect: Connect your experience to relevant theories. Analyse what you learned about yourself, the situation, and the subject matter.
  • Evaluate: Assess the effectiveness of your actions and identify areas for improvement.
  • Conclude: Summarize key learnings, identify areas for growth, and consider how to apply these learnings in the future.

  • Gibbs' Reflective Cycle: A structured framework for analysing experiences.
  • Driscoll's What-So What-Now What: Focuses on identifying key learnings and planning for future actions.
  • Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle: Emphasizes the cyclical nature of learning through experience.

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