Moving beyond the diary: innovation in design and delivery of reflection

Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience (Caldicott, 2010). Current learning and teaching design across WIL often relies on reflective journals or diaries as the dominant form for documenting and assessing reflection (e.g., Clarke and Burgess; Stupans and Owens; McNamara, 2009). However, there are challenges inherent in this practice, such as what aspect of reflection is assessed and that the reliance on a particular genre of writing may be unfamiliar to both students and assessors (Winchester-Seeto, Mackaway, Coulson and Harvey, 2010). Acknowledging the evidenced-based practice of the application of reflection in the design and delivery of WIL (Coulson, Harvey, Winchester-Seeto and Mackaway, 2010) this symposium accepts the challenge of exploring different and innovative ways of engaging with and documenting reflection. The paper opens the session with an overview of the role of reflection in learning through WIL, outlines the challenges of traditional approaches to reflective practice and presents the possibilities of moving beyond reflective journals or diaries to innovation in delivery through mediums such as art, twitter, dreams, dance, poetry, music, photography and video. The accompanying workshop offers participants the opportunity to experience some of the innovative approaches to the practice and documentation of reflection. Processes using art, story and mindfulness will be briefly explored for their potential to engage the diversity of students in reflection for whole person learning (Yorks and Kasl, 2002), premised on the tenet that experiential knowledge is the foundation for all ways of knowing (Heron, 1992).