Reflective practice - The laser striking new chords in communication

Abstract

The concept of reflective practice introduced by Donald Schon (1983,1987) and initially taken aboard by teacher educators, is applicable in most tertiary learning situations. Reflective practice is the cultivation of the capability to reflect in action - while doing something - and to reflect on action - after it has been done. It creates an alternative to the 'first learn theory, and then put it into practice' that forms the basis of traditional education.

In this alternative the "deep" approach as opposed to the "surface" approach is emphasized. Through reflection in action, students exercise their imagination and relate new ideas to their "repertoire of past experiences ... to make sense of the current situation," (Cervero,1988) and undertake spur-of-the-moment experiments to make decisions on appropriate courses of action. Kolb's Learning Cycle advocates reflection on action, which is the need to reflect on the overall situation, as there are always other ways of meeting learning outcomes. Thus the student is able to engage in a process of continuous learning through this recurrent introspection.

This paper presents strategies for reflective practice in the learning of communication through the integration of both experience with reflection and theory with practice.