2c. Reflective Theory

David Boud (Professor of Adult Education, University of Technology, Sydney), states journal writing can be a "vehicle for learning" (1).  However, it is important you as an individual understand how you learn best in order to improve to your full potential.  

Howard Gardner (an American Developmental Psychologist) has identified seven distinct intelligences. The learning styles are as follows (2):

As a dancer I personally feel I learn better using a body-kinesthetic and musical style, as I can relate to rhythms and sounds and also learn well with a hands on approach.  Sometimes I have to do things in person to understand them and I often put things I need to remember to rhythms and songs.  

Another way I learn from mistakes I make as a dancer is by using muscle memory. If you repeat the movement enough times it will eventually become second nature and your body will take over without even thinking about it. Twyla Tharp (an American Dancer and Choreographer) quotes from her book "The Creative Habit" ‘...Muscle memory. Automatic. Precise. A little scary. The second time through, however, or trying to explain the steps and patterns to the dancers, she will hesitate, second-guess herself, question her muscles, and forget. That’s because she’s thinking about it, using language to interpret something she knows nonverbally. Her memory of movement doesn’t need to be accessed through conscious effort’ (Tharp and Reiter, 2006). (3)

As a dancer this is very appropriate as repeated practice allows the body to remember a routine and even perfect movements. 

Keeping a journal is another way which could be effective for some people, as they could use this as a way of documenting choreographic ideas and those that worked well and those that didn't. 

By writing a journal not only does it allow you to evaluate what went well and what doesn't and how you can improve on certain things Moon (an Associate Professor at Bournemouth University), identifies other purposes of writing journals (4)

"To deepen the quality of learning, in the form of critical thinking or developing a questioning attitude"
"To enable learners to understand their own learning process"
"To increase active involvement in learning and  personal ownership of learning"
"To enhance professional practice or the professional self in practice"
"To enhance personal valuing of the self towards self-empowerment"
"To enhance creativity by making better use of intuitive understanding"
"To free up writing and the representation of learning"
"To provide an alternative "voice" for those not good at expressing them-selves"
"To foster reflective and creative interaction in a group"

The quotes I have put in bold above are the quotes I feel are most relevant to what I will be considering whilst writing my journal.

Boud quotes "Reflection has been described as a process of turning experience into learning". (5)

Everyone goes through different experiences throughout life and therefore, this is why I believe everyone has a different learning style.  

In the picture opposite, you can see John Dewey, (an American Philosopher, Psychologist and Educational Reformer), sees "Reflection as a meaning making process" and it "Moves the learner from one experience to the next with deeper understanding of its relationships with and connections to other experiences and ideas". (6)

I agree with this because reflecting on whether a performance has gone well or not and if not how it can be improved upon when you come to the next performance, is a beneficial learning process.

I feel it is beneficial to reflect after what happens as you can see the situation as a whole.  However I have also used Schon's (1983,1987) theory of "reflection in action". Schon was an influential thinker in developing the theory and practice of reflective professional learning.

I have used this method whilst teaching, as sometimes you aren't made aware that an exercise or a method of teaching you have planned isn't effective until you are in the process of using it.  Therefore, you have to analyse the situation on the spot and think what would be more effective and change what you are doing. 

There are different occasions of reflection. (7)

• Reflection in Anticipation of Events - preparing ourselves for what's to come

• Reflection in the Midst of Action - through noticing, intervening and reflection in action, we can steer ourselves through events in accordance with what our intentions are and with what we take with us to help us through the process.

• Reflection after Events - the ability to view particular events in a wider context.   Here we can return to an experience, focus on the feelings and emotions that were (or are) present and then re-evaluate the experience in order to improve on what we could do better.

As a performer I can prepare myself for what's to come by practising, however you can never fully prepare for what WILL happen.  This leads to using "Reflection in action", which I have used a lot without even noticing!  For example, the space in which we have to perform changes at each venue and therefore we have to adapt the steps and spacing accordingly.  Also if someone becomes injured during a show we have to adapt and re-block the performance.  As they say "The show must go on".  After the show you can assess how well it went and what you need to go away and work on more for the following shows, so the same mistakes aren't made again.

When teaching, sometimes I prepare a piece of choreography, however this is hard if you don't know the standard of the students.  I will then often have to use "reflection in action" as sometimes they find what I have prepared too hard, so I have to simplify the movements on the spot and vice versa, if they are finding it too easy I will have to make it harder.  

Kolb, (an American Educational Theorist), was highly influenced by the research conducted by Dewey.  Below is Kolb's learning cycle (1984). (8)

Kolb demonstrates that there are four parts to his theory:

• Concrete experience
• Reflective observation
• Abstract Conceptualisation
• Active experimentation

Where you enter the cycle depends on your individual learning style.

“Although we all have concrete experiences, reflective observations, abstract concepts and actively experiment, the difference between us is the point at which we start to learn...”(9)

On most occasions, I feel I enter the cycle at Active Experimentation because I learn best by actively participating in the learning. 

"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand." quote by Confucius. (10)

Although, I feel I would enter the cycle at different points depending on what I am doing. For example:

Choreographing

1. If I was choreographing, I would start by experimenting with different moves to a piece of music. (Active Experimental).  

2.  Once I was happy with the movements, I would finalise the routine. (Concrete Experience)

     3. I would then evaluate the routine and whether it had turned out the way I wanted it to. (Reflective Observation)

   

     4.  Finally I would teach it to a class and see if it suits their ability. (Abstract Conceptualisation)

Performing

1.  When I am performing, I enter the cycle at the Concrete Experience point.  This is because I have already learnt the routine.

2.  After performing the routine, I would go on to reflect on the performance. I would think about what had gone well and what I needed to improve. (Reflective Observation)

3.  I would assess which movements needed to be improved, e.g. a pirouette and how I could achieve this. (Abstract Conceptualisation)

4.  I would practise the movement, e.g. a pirouette and work on the technique until I felt satisfied it had improved to the required standard. (Active Experimental)

Gibbs was a previous Professor and Director of the Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford.  His model was developed from Kolb’s 4 stages.

Professor Graham Gibbs published his reflective cycle in his 1988 book “Learning by Doing”.  Below is the cycle (11):

It has 6 stages:

   1.    Description

   2.    Feelings  

   3.    Evaluation

   4.    Analysis

   5.    Conclusion

   6.    Action plan

Even though both cycles are very similar in what they are achieving, I feel having more stages in the cycle allows you to break it down in more depth, allowing you to go into more detail.  This detail is important in helping you to improve to your full potential. 

Another learning style that was inspired by Kolb’s cycle is that created by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford (Honey and Mumford 1992). (12)  

 ·  Activists - who are ‘hands-on’ learners and prefer to have a go and learn through trial and error.

·   Reflectors - who are ‘tell me’ learners and prefer to be thoroughly briefed before proceeding.

·   Theorists - who are ‘convince me’ learners and want reassurance that a project makes sense.

·   Pragmatists - who are ‘show me’ learners and want a demonstration from an acknowledged expert.

If you were an Activist you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Concrete Experimental point.  If you were a Reflector you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Reflective Observation point.  As a theorist you would enter Kolb’s cycle at the Abstract Conceptualisation point and if you had a Pragmatic style of learning you would enter at the Active Experimental point. 

I feel I am an Activist and a Pragmatist as these are the learning styles which refer to the points in which I enter Kolb’s cycle.  I learn best when I can engage in the learning experience in a practical form.

I agree that all the theories above are useful in reflective practice, however Quinn (1988/2000) states a problem with the impact on the individual reflector is the way reflection can involve constant striving for self-improvement.  It can lead to feelings of self-disapproval and self-rejection. (13)

Smith, (2001) has said about Kolb's model, the stages or steps does not sit well with the reality of thinking.  There is a problem here - that of sequence. (14)

Dewey, (1933) has said about Kolb's model in relation to reflection, the number of processes can occur at once, stages can be jumped.  This way of presenting things is rather too neat and simplistic. (15)

Greenwood (1993) a Practitioner says there should be more importance on reflection -before action. (16)

Davies (2001) identifies limitations to reflective practice, he states that practitioners might feel “uncomfortable challenging and evaluating own practice” and that it could be “time consuming”. (17)

    

I agree that it is hard to critique yourself, but I feel instead of looking at it in a negative way it is only beneficial if you take it constructively in order to better yourself.  The reflective practice method allows you to change what is not working for the better, this enables you to be the best you can be.  It teaches us not to get complaisant but to keep asking yourself how things can be improved and this attitude is what will allow you to improve as an individual and keep setting the bar higher and higher instead of staying still in the way you think and work and therefore never growing as a person. 

I have used a form of reflective practice before whilst at dance College, as we used to have to evaluate our classwork and write out corrections that had been given during class.  This enabled us to document the corrections so we didn’t forget them, so we could improve upon them for the next lesson.  However, this task has really made me think about the way I work in more depth and by going through the different stages of the cycles published by Kolb and Gibbs, it has now given me a structure to follow which I will continue to use throughout my career.

1 .Boud, D (2002) "USING JOURNAL WRITING TO ENHANCE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" -WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2.

2. Gardner, H (1983) UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENT'S LEARNING STYLE: THE THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES , AVAILABLE FROM www.connectionsacademy.com (accessed 23rd October 2014).

3. Tharp, T (2006) "THE CREATIVE HABIT", NEW YORK: SIMON AND SCHUSTER PAPERBACKS.

4. MOON, J (1999) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

5.Boud, D (2002) "USING JOURNAL WRITING TO ENCHANCE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" - MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY: READER 2.

6. Dewey, J  (1993) SOURCE FROM "JOHN DEWEY AND REFLECTIVE THINKING" Available from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/29999446/JOHN-DEWEY-AND-REFLECTIVE-THINKING (accessed 23rd October 2014)

7. Schon, D (1983, 1987) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

8. Kolb, D (1984) SOURCE FROM "SIMPLY PSYCHOLOGY", Available from http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html (accessed 23rd October 2014)

9.Kolb, D (1984) WBS3730 BAPP ARTS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 2014: READER 2

10. Confucius (450 BC) "EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING ARTICLES AND CRITIQUES OF DAVID KOLB'S THEORY, Available from http://reviewing.co.uk/research/experiential.learning.htm#axzz3HfhisO6Z (accessed 23rd October 2014)

11. Gibbs, G (1988) LEARNING BY DOING: A GUIDE TO TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS. FURTHER EDUCATION UNIT. OXFORD POLYTECHNIC: OXFORD- CYCLE.

 12. Honey and Mumford (1992) "THE LEARNING STYLES QUESTIONAIRE, Available from http://www.peterhoney.com/content/LearningStylesQuestionnaire.html

(accessed 24th October 2014)

13. Quinn, (1988/2000) "REFLECTING ON REFLECTIVE PRACTICE" Available on http://www.open.ac.uk/cetl-workspace/cetlcontent/documents/4bf2b48887459.pdf (accessed 24th October 2014)

14. Smith, (2001)"DAVID A. KOLB ON EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING" Available on http://infed.org/mobi/david-a-kolb-on-experiential-learning/(accessed 24th October 2014) 

15. Dewey, J (1933),"DAVID A. KOLB ON EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING" Available on http://infed.org/mobi/david-a-kolb-on-experiential-learning/(accessed 24th October 2014)

16. 
Greenwood, J. (1993) "REFLECTIVE PRACTICE: A CRITIQUE OF THE WORK OF ARGYRIS AND SCHON.

17.  Davies, S (2012)"Embracing reflective practice". Education for Primary Care 23: 9–12.