Reflecting on experience (2024)

A range of models that can be used to prompt and structure reflection on experience.

Using reflective models is one of the easiest ways to engage with the reflective process. The ones highlighted below will support you with structure, guidance and questions. Your use of these models might change depending of why you are doing reflection:

  • Private reflections can take on any form and language you want. You can be as creative or structured as you want as long as you ensure you go through the reflective process of self-questioning.
  • Reflection for an assignment often requires a particular language and structure.Youshould therefore always follow the guidelines provided by the staff who assess the assignment. Moreover, here you might want to keep somethings private – that’s okay. You should never share something you are not comfortable with.

More information about the different places reflection may happen and how to produce reflections for assignments can be found on:

Producing reflections (within Reflectors’ Toolkit)

The last thing to consider is that viewing the reflective process as a structured model is just one approach; you might prefer to reflect freely with no structure. In that case see:

Free-form reflection (within Reflectors’ Toolkit)

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

Reflecting on experience (1)

One of the most famous cyclical models of reflection leading you through six stages exploring an experience: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.

What? So what? Now what?

Reflecting on experience (2)

One of the simplest frameworks of reflection - by moving through three reflective stages, you will think about an experience, its implications, and what that means for the future.

The Integrated Reflective Cycle

Reflecting on experience (3)

The Integrated Reflective Cycle draws on other models and takes you through four steps to consider: the experience, your actions, relevant theory, and preparation for the future.

The four F's of active reviewing

Reflecting on experience (4)

The four F’s of reviewing will help you to review an experience and plan for the future by moving through four levels: Facts, Feelings, Findings, and Future.

The CARL framework of reflection

Reflecting on experience (5)

This framework takes you through Context, Action, Results, and Learning.

The 5R framework for reflection

Reflecting on experience (6)

The 5R framework for reflection will guide you through Reporting, Responding, Relating, Reasoning, and Reconstructing to make sense of a learning experience.

Reflecting on experience (2024)

FAQs

How to write a reflection on an experience? ›

Tips on writing a reflection paper
  1. Choose an interesting topic. ...
  2. Keep information relevant. ...
  3. Keep your tone professional. ...
  4. Select a topic and summarise the material or experience. ...
  5. Review and analyse the material. ...
  6. Select a theme. ...
  7. Make connections between your opinions. ...
  8. Write the paper.
Feb 27, 2023

How to reflect on work experience? ›

How To Reflect On Your Work Experience
  1. Step 1: Description. Keep a log of everything you see on work experience. ...
  2. Step 2: Thoughts and feelings. How did you feel during the experience? ...
  3. Step 3: Evaluation. What was good (or bad) about the experience? ...
  4. Step 4: Analysis. Why did things go the way they did? ...
  5. Step 5: Conclusions.
Aug 25, 2023

In what way do you reflect your experience? ›

Reflection is about reviewing, analysing and evaluating experiences. It involves thinking about your experience, and taking learning points away from it. When reflecting on work experience, try to consider the role that you were observing.

How to answer a reflective question? ›

Don't rush: Taking your time to thoughtfully consider your answers will lead to more insightful and meaningful reflections. Be authentic: Honesty is key to getting the most out of self-reflection. By being genuine with yourself, you'll be able to gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

What is a good reflection sentence? ›

General Analysis • The most significant issue arising from this experience was … Alternatively this might be due to … I feel this situation arose because … Reflection on self • At the time I felt that …

What is the best example of reflection? ›

Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves. The law of reflection says that for specular reflection (for example at a mirror) the angle at which the wave is incident on the surface equals the angle at which it is reflected. In acoustics, reflection causes echoes and is used in sonar.

What are examples of work reflection? ›

During my work experience at <company>, I was fortunate enough to have experienced firsthand and learned, many different sides of what goes into a project, the general process of how a project is initially planned, developed and completed; as well as how much work and detail goes into every stage.

How do you write a reflective statement for work? ›

Reflection statements need to have structure, too. You need to ensure that you introduce your ideas clearly, then expand on them, and, finally, summarise and conclude your statement. Even if you only need to produce a 250-word paragraph, you still need to ensure that it follows the conventions of composition structure.

How do you reflect on past experiences? ›

How do I start my reflection?
  1. Which areas of my life did I focus the most energy on?
  2. What were some of the experiences that brought me the most joy?
  3. What were my biggest struggles? What did I learn from them?
  4. What is something I want to leave behind?
  5. What can I appreciate from the past year?

Why is it important to reflect on experiences? ›

Reflection allows you to identify and appreciate positive experiences and better identify ways that you can improve your practice and service delivery. It can also be useful when you have had more challenging experiences; helping you to process and learn from them.

What does to reflect on experiences mean? ›

Reflection is the process we take to make meaning and learn from our experiences. If we can deconstruct those key experiences, there is so much to learn about who we are and the path we can create for ourselves in life and work.

How to reflect on your work? ›

I recommend a mix of formal and informal methods of reflection, including self reflection and seeking feedback others.
  1. Ask Yourself How You Performed. ...
  2. Ask Your Clients or Colleagues. ...
  3. Embrace Journaling as Therapy. ...
  4. Slow Down and Embrace Being. ...
  5. Find an Accountability Partner. ...
  6. Embrace a Four Day Work Week.

What is an example of a good reflection question? ›

Student Reflection Questions
  • What did you learn (today, this week, this year, etc.)?
  • Why do you believe we're studying this objective?
  • Did you give your best effort on this most recent assignment?
  • Were the strategies, skills and procedures you used effective for this assignment?

What are the questions for reflecting on experience? ›

  • What happened? What did you observe? ...
  • How does your understanding of this concept change as a result of your participation in this project? How can you continue your involvement with this issue? ...
  • Where could I use this again? Do I see any patterns or relationships in what I did?

How do you write a good reflection example? ›

Some examples of reflective writing
  1. Description/ explanation of method.
  2. Includes discipline-specific language.
  3. Critical evaluation of method.
  4. Conclusion and recommendation based on the writer's experience.
Jun 21, 2023

What is an example of reflection writing? ›

Example: Write a letter to a character in a book you recently read. In the letter, explain your thoughts about the character's role and ask at least two questions directed to the character about their behavior in the story. The act of reflecting, requires analyzing a problem or topic and sharing feelings.

What is a good way to start a reflection? ›

Introduce your topic and the point you plan to make about your experience and learning. Develop your point through body paragraph(s), and conclude your paper by exploring the meaning you derive from your reflection.

How to start a reflection statement? ›

To write a reflection paper, start by selecting a topic or experience to reflect on. Then, jot down your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the topic or experience. Organize your reflections into a coherent structure, such as an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

What is an example of reflection at work? ›

Example: Throughout the year, my clear articulation and active listening skills contributed to strong working relationships. That said, it is still necessary for me to improve my conflict resolution skills, especially after getting off to a bad start with our new colleague.

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