Understanding and Reflection of Self as Learner - Essay Example

REFLECTIVE REPORT by Introduction Not many people are proficient in giving presentations without notes. It is imperative to know ones abilities and settle on how best to make a presentation. An individual might manage his or her talk by using full texts, keywords on cue cards, notes on cue cards, or mind maps (Williams, Woolliams & Spiro 2012). It is entirely natural to feel tense prior to making a presentation. Luckily, there are a number of attempted and tested approaches and methods to manage ones nerves so that an individual can focus on delivering an effective and winning presentation. Written language is objective rather than personal. It, therefore, has lesser words that refer to the reader or writer. This means that the primary emphasis ought to be on the information that an individual wants to give and the arguments he or she wants to make, rather than themselves. Based on this, academic writing is more inclined to use adjectives and nouns according to Wodak (2011), rather than adverbs and verbs. Academic writing is comparatively formal. This means that in an article one should avoid conversational words and terms. Academic writing also presents words and figures precisely. Academic reading entails being selective in the material an individual is reading (Scott 1992). A person is not expected to read every book on their reading list. Reading an academic book differs in various ways from reading novels, comics, and magazines. Academic books deal with notions and ideas associated with subjects that are learned at university or college levels. Group work or collaborative learning is concerned with the notion that knowledge is a collective construct. According to Cross (2000), collaborative activities are mainly based on four principles where the student or scholar is the focus of instruction. Secondly, communication and "responsibility" are of primary significance and working collectively is a significant form of learning. Lastly, well thought-out advances to developing answers to real-world problems ought to be incorporated into learning. Understanding and reflection of self as learner Primarily, we were asked to think of one context where in our personal views if we had learned something in effect outside the classroom. We were then asked to explain to each other how we had gone about our learning. Based on the discussions in these pairs, the lecturer tended to build up the multiplicity of ways we had learned. At this phase, the lecturer was developing an inherent classroom culture, which values diverse ways of learning, yet introducing no precise conclusion or theory as to how students learn. We were then individually required to complete one of the inventories of learning styles. Based on the deliberations that emanated from that exercise, students were officially introduced to empirical learning theories. They were informed on what it implied for them both collectively and individually as learners. It was emphasized to us that though we may have favourite learning styles, it was imperative that we develop the capacity to use the variety of learning styles to develop our overall learning in a multiplicity of situations. Lastly, the lecturer described how this introductory module is structured to identify individual student learning styles. The exercise was mainly effective because the coaching team had previously undertaken the staff development exercise. In any group learning activity, individuals benefit collectively and on a bigger scale, gaining diverse knowledge from a pool of thoughts of the members participating in the exercise (Callens & Elen 2011). During the course of this reflective learning, the most apparent thing that I discovered was the benefit of working as a member of a group. I learned that good quality teamwork is the answer to success in design activities where resources and time are limited. Since everyone had their individual points of view, many different thoughts could be created, and I found that the strength of group input made me feel livelier about contributing to something. Linder, (n.d) argues that even the most uncomplicated things on earth can be curved into something remarkable if enough creativity and effort are put into working on them. In our group, we challenged each others notions about what would not work and what would. We also saw the reality of the way altering a design in fact affected its performance. With regard to large-scale scientific studies into young peoples learning theories, models, and instruments, they remain mostly unproven methodologies. Furthermore, Learning Styles critics and opponents affirm that heavy dependence upon Learning Styles theories in conducting and developing young peoples education, is of debatable benefit, and may sometimes be counter-productive (Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer & Bjork 2009). Application of theoretical concepts learned David Kolbs empirical learning theory is among the best-known learning theories in higher education. The theory brings forth a way of sequencing and structuring the curriculum and points to particularly how a session or a course, in general, may be taught to develop student learning (Jensen 1996). Our lecturer asked us to apply the cyclical view beheld by Kolb, which involves the four stages of sensing, thinking, doing and reflecting. In particular, the most significant attribute of this theory is that different phases are linked to individual learning styles. During our social science fieldwork assignment, I took some short observational notes recording what I observed where this was related to the research questions and, as I intended to get a sense of the culture and work environment, I also made researcher deduction notes. Nevertheless, according to Liu (2010), the dependability of jotted notes alone can be uncertain. For instance, the notes were not a direct recording of what the subjects said but comprised of relevant or interesting information. A tape recorder would certainly have been a more suitable and accurate method. However, one student who had carried a tape recorder was requested to switch it off by a member of our group who was uncomfortable about her observations being openly recorded. Thus, different individuals feel differently about being photographed or recorded hence specific approval should be sought before applying certain technologies in-group workings. . Individuals vary in their ideal learning styles, taking note of this fact is the first step in raising students’ understanding of the different approaches possible, and assisting them to become more open to meeting, the diverse demands of learning conditions and styles (ONeil 1978). Instructors also need to identify their learning styles as a base for the growth of effective learning and teaching approaches. Learning may suffer when there is a clear mismatch between the method of the learner and the approach taken by the teacher. As with various behavioural and individuality models, interesting relationships exist linking Kolbs theory and other theories. Different resources refer to the terms pragmatist, ‘activist, reflector, and theorist, which represent the four major stages of learning that seek to elucidate Kolbs model. Indeed, reflector, activist pragmatist and ‘theorist are sourced from a learning style model created by Honey and Mumford, which while based on Kolbs work, is different (Cross & Talbot 1984). Arguably, as a result, the terms ‘reflector, pragmatist activist, and theorist, in fact belong to Mumford and Honey. However, though directly derived from Kolbs theory, Honey and Mumford created their own Learning Style Questionnaire. Therefore, instead of asking people straightforwardly how they learn, as Kolbs theory provides, Mumford and Honey gave them questionnaires that probed general behavioural inclinations. Their reasoning was that the majority of people have never consciously thought about how they learn (Kappe, Boekholt, den Rooyen & Van der Flier 2009). During our group work learning, I discerned that majority people would rather different methods of learning, depending on the circumstances and their experience levels; hence they shift between the four stages of learning, rather than being dominantly sheltered in one mode. Mumford and Honeys learning cycle gave us the option of having an experience, which we would reflect on and theorize to draw our conclusions where we had the option of putting the theory into practice to see the outcome. Our results enabled us to move around Mumford and Honeys cycle where we viewed the term ‘theorist as abstract conceptualization of our learning experience and terms like ‘reflector as reflective observations while stages like the ‘activist and ‘pragmatist stage were viewed as active experimentations and concrete experiences respectively. Conclusion As a result of the reflective study, we learnt so many things both as a group and individually. I discovered that definite goals had largely a greater chance of being achieved than a common goal. By answering so many questions about who would be involved in my quest and my accomplishment goals, as well as the period needed and the constraints I would encounter, I would undoubtedly achieve my objectives. Measuring my progress would certainly keep me on track as I strive to reach my target dates in an effort to reach my goal eventually. In light of this, I would develop my skills, financial capacity, abilities, and attitudes in order to reach my desired goals. My development and growth in these aspects would make me expand to a point of moving closer to such goals and making them attainable. Being especially realistic about what I intend to achieve would also play a major role in my overall success hence higher goals for me would be easier to reach as I would exert a little extra effort in my bid to achieve them. A period is imperative for me to have in order to possess a sense of urgency in accomplishing my goal. It would be more encouraging if I can experience my goal with one of the five common senses, which would make it tangible and easy to measure thus definitely attainable. In this regard, I would employ SMART as my driving force in achieving my desired goals. Bibliography Callens, J., & Elen, J. (2011). The impact of approaches to reflection and learner control upon critical reflection. Reflective Practice, 12(4), 495-506. doi:10.1080/14623943.2011.590338 Cross, K. (2000). Collaborative learning 101. Mission Viejo, Calif.: League for Innovation in the Community College. Cross, S., & Talbot, R. (1984). A comparative study of the Kolb learning style inventory and the Honey Mumford learning style questionnaire. Manchester: UMIST. Jensen, P. (1996). The application of Kolbs experiential learning theory in a first semester college accounting course. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI. Kappe, F., Boekholt, L., den Rooyen, C., & Van der Flier, H. (2009). A predictive validity study of the Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) using multiple, specific learning criteria. Learning And Individual Differences, 19(4), 464-467. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2009.04.001 Linder, P. An Analysis of Self-Directed Learning of First-Year, First-Generation College Students. Liu, J. (2010). Language Learning Strategies and Its Training Model. IES, 3(3). doi:10.5539/ies.v3n3p100 ONeil, H. (1978). Learning strategies. New York: Academic Press. Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2009). Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science In The Public Interest, 9(3), 105-119. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x Scott, M. (1992). Reading "Academic Writing". AJTE, 17(1). doi:10.14221/ajte.1992v17n1.1 Williams, K., Woolliams, M., & Spiro, J. (2012). Reflective writing. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Wodak, R. (2011). Language, power and identity. Language Teaching, 45(02), 215-233. doi:10.1017/s0261444811000048 Read More