How Practicing Reflection Can Improve Learning
By Ibelizet Dominguez
Common Question for Students
“Why am I scoring low in my exams if I spend so much time studying? What do I have to do for my efforts to show?”
Isabella is a first-year college student who is struggling to keep up with the course load in her classes. She is a dedicated student who practices common study habits, but it doesn’t seem to help her learning and her academic performance. Like Isabella, many college students spend a significant amount of time studying for exams and still find that learning and retaining information is easier said than done. Perhaps the problem is that students continue to use common methods of studying such as re-reading text, cramming before an exam, memorization, and mindless retention, with the purpose of scoring high on an exam (Brown, Roediger, McDaniel). What if instead of focusing on an exam score, students focused on learning and understanding the material? Inevitably, the high test score will be achieved, but most importantly, so will the long-term retention of learned class concepts. It is time to begin preparing college students to learn and apply course materials outside of the classroom as well.
Why Is Reflection Important for Learning?
While there are a variety of ways to engage college students in course material, research suggests that the practice of reflection is an effective way to actively engage students with course material for long-term retention. Reflection is a broad term that has a variety of definitions, but relate to concepts of review, interpretation, and understanding of experiences. These concepts can be used to guide present and future behaviors based on past experiences (Embo et al, 2014). The practice of reflection allows students to critically think about previously learned course materials and experiences and apply that information to future situations. Unlike memorization and other methods of learning, reflection gives students the opportunity to challenge themselves by actively engaging with course material. Reflection can be practiced in a variety of ways; however written reflection has shown to be effective in learning (Embo et al, 2014).
Engaging Students Through Reflection Practice
The action of written reflection on course material is more complex than simply writing thoughts and analyzing the learned information. The time in which reflection is done plays an important role in learning. Reflection-on-action and reflection-on-competency-development are two types of reflection that occur at different times. Reflection-on-action is improving actions in the moment while reflection-on-competency-development occurs over a longer period of time. Reflection-on-action would require students to engage in daily reflections based on course content that they learned that same day. Reflection-on-competency-development differs in that it allows students to reflect on content that they have learned over a span of time. This type of reflection focuses on the long-term retention of information. Both methods of reflection require retrieval and critical thinking of learned information (Embo et al, 2014). So, which is better for enhancing student’s long-term memory? Previous research studies suggest that reflection-on-action is successful in increasing long-term memory of information because students are immediately engaging with the material after having learned it. Practicing reflection directly after lecture allows students to identify important concepts and encourages them to pay better attention in lectures (Lyle & Crawford, 2011).
Although reflection is often not considered in learning, it is a method that effectively challenges students to recall previously learned information and apply it to what they are currently learning. Making a connection between what students have learned and what they are learning is essential in the long-term retention of information. When students are able to learn, understand, and make connections with course material, they are able to apply learned information outside of the classroom. With the use of reflection, Isabella and other first year students are better prepared to learn and retain information!
References
Brown, P.C., McDaniel, M.A., & Roediger, H.L. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press.
Embo, M.P.C., Driessen, E., Valcke, M., & Van, D.V. (2014). Scaffolding reflective learning in clinical practice: A comparison of two types of reflective activities. Medical Teacher, 36(7), 602-607.
Lyle, K.B., & Crawford, N.A. (2011). Retrieving Essential Material at the End of Lectures Improves Performance on Statistics Exams. Teaching of Psychology, 38(2), 94-97. doi:10.1177/0098628311401587