Public Reflection as the Basis of Learning

Abstract

It is through public reflection that we may create a collective identity as a community of inquiry. But how does public reflection differ from introspection, and how does it contribute to self and organizational learning? In this article, the author uncovers the many traditions which constitute the process of critical reflective practice, as may be practiced as part of a project-based learning experience. After defining the concept, the article illustrates why reflection is fundamental to learning and how it can be brought out in the company of trusted others through dialogue. The article goes on to illuminate the relationships between public reflection and the common good, experience, and time, as well as to characterize the skills associated with reflective practice.

Bridging the Science–Management Divide: Moving from Unidirectional Knowledge Transfer to Knowledge Interfacing and Sharing

“…Clinging to one's safe worldview (Raelin 2001) is a good strategy under these circumstances. Informal communities of practice, on the other hand, are "groups of people who share a passion for something that they know how to do and who interact regularly in order to learn how to do it better" (Wenger 2005).…”

Supporting the reflective practice of tutors: what do tutors reflect on?

“…The exercise enhanced tutors' awareness of the teaching community and common issues, which is particularly important for tutors, who are often isolated in the academic community (Marginson 2000). The importance of importance of sharing and discussing experiences -a social model of reflection (Schön 1983;Raelin 2001) -is particularly effective for academic development (Kahn et al 2006). The exercise provided students with a model of reflective practice: both learners and academics need to be reflective and evaluative, and employers value these attributes in graduates (Macfarlane and Ottewill 2001).…”

Fostering Complexity Thinking in Action Research for Change in Social–Ecological Systems

“…Taylor ( (2007) in Chapman 2012) proposed a fifth stage, termed reflective competence, to illustrate that people would continually revisit and challenge their conscious incompetence to discover holes in their knowledge that they need to fill. Indeed, a critical element in advancing through any learning process is that of reflection (Grimmett et al 1990, Raelin 2001, Mezirow 2003). …”

“…The learning loops model was introduced by Argyris and Schön (1974), who proposed two loops, single and double. The model was later revised to include a third loop (Raelin 2001). Fig.…”

“…The discourse on complexity can be found in the literature of many academic and professional disciplines (Urry 2005), from business (Ostrom 2002, Snowden andBoone 2007) to philosophy (Cilliers 1999, Ulanowicz 2009), education (Grimmet et al 1990), economics (Ostrom 1990, 2002, Scharmer 2010, health (Zimmerman 1999, Jayasinghe 2011, leadership (Wheatley 2006), the natural and social sciences (Kay et al 1999, Levin 1998, Holling and Allen 2001, Funtowicz and Ravetz 1992, Nowotny et al 2001, Mazzocchi 2008, Ulanowicz 2009), planning and policy (Mitchell 2009), public service (Raelin 2001), and warfare and crime (Ward 2005, Habtemichael andCloete 2010). Strong discipline and cross-discipline peer groups now debate, embrace, and advocate complexity thinking as imperative to understanding and dealing with the pressing social-ecological challenges of the day.…”