Reflective writing

This resource will help you:

• Enhance your awareness of the principles of critical reflection.
• Develop your understanding of the process and steps involved in critical reflective writing.
• Build skills in developing and structuring reflective writing with credibility.

Critical reflective writing:

• Documents personal observations and learning.
• Moves beyond a description or summary of an idea or experience.
• Explains, analyses, and evaluates the experience in relation to research and course learning. 
• Relates and connects with your personal values, beliefs, and ideas (Ryan, 2011).

What makes a good piece of reflective writing?

• Well-structured paragraphs are essential when writing a critical reflection.
• A clear structure allows personal experience to be linked to the theory in a well-organised and logical way.
• Reflective writing combines academic and personal writing (first person 'I' and third person).

1. The experience is written in descriptive or narrative style - uses ‘I’ and ‘my’ (but still in formal tone and style). 
2. The reflection is written as an observer looking at it from different perspectives. Here you examine and analyse the situation and your feelings/values by asking how, why, what if, and make an evaluation. 
3. The connection and analysis are written in the third person as you evaluate the experience relative to ideas/concepts learned from readings and theories (supported with appropriate references).   
4. There needs to be enough how and why reasons/sentences to explain how the knowledge and theory provide insights into learning, which helps build awareness of professional practice (Ryan, 2011). 

This video (2:14 min) provides an excellent overview of reflective writing at university. As you watch it, pause to reflect on how your knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs have changed during your degree.