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Examples of Reflective Writing
Types of reflective writing assignments
Journal: requires you to write weekly entries throughout a semester. May require you to base your reflection on course content.
Learning diary: similar to a journal, but may require group participation. The diary then becomes a place for you to communicate in
writing with other group members.
Log book: often used in disciplines based on experimental work, such as science. You note down or 'log' what you have done. A log
gives you an accurate record of a process and helps you reflect on past actions and make better decisions for future actions.
Reflective note: often used in law. A reflective note encourages you to think about your personal reaction to a legal issue raised in a
course.
Essay diary: can take the form of an annotated bibliography (where you examine sources of evidence you might include in your essay)
and a critique (where you reflect on your own writing and research processes).
Peer review: usually involves students showing their work to their peers for feedback.
Self-assessment: requires you to to comment on your own work.
Some examples of reflective writing
Social Science fieldwork report (methods section)
The field notes were written by hand on lined paper. They consisted of jotted notes and mental triggers
(personal notes that would remind me of specific things when it came to writing the notes up). I took some
direct observational notes recording what I saw where this was relevant to the research questions and, as I
was aiming to get a sense of the culture and working environment, I also made researcher inference notes
[1] [2] .
[3] I found the notetaking process itself helpful, as it ensured that I listened carefully and decoded
information. Not all the information I recorded was relevant, but noting what I found informative contributed
to my ability to form an overview on re-reading. However, the reliability of jotted notes alone can be
1. Description
explanation of method.
2. Includes discipline-
specific language
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questionable. For example, the notes were not a direct transcription of what the subjects said but consisted
of pertinent or interesting information.
Rarely did I have time to transcribe a direct quotation, so relied on my own fairly rapid paraphrasing, which
isks changing the meaning. Some technical information was difficult to note down accurately [3] . A tape
ecorder would have been a better, more accurate method. However, one student
ought a tape recorde
and was asked to switch it off by a participant who was uneasy about her comments being directly recorded.
It seems that subjects feel differently about being recorded or photographed (as opposed to observers
taking notes), so specific consent should be sought before using these technologies [4] .
3. Critical evaluation of
method
4. Conclusion and
ecommendation based
on the writer's experience
Engineering Design Report
Question: Discuss at least two things you learnt or discovered – for example about design, or working in
groups or the physical world – through participating in the Impromptu Design activities.
Firstly, the most obvious thing that I discovered was the advantage of working as part of a group [1] . I
learned that good teamwork is the key to success in design activities when time and resources are limited.
As everyone had their own point of view, many different ideas could be produced and I found the energy of
group participation made me feel more energetic about contributing something [2] .
Secondly I discovered that even the simplest things on earth could be turned into something amazing if we
put enough creativity and effort into working on them [1] . With the Impromptu Design activities [3] we
used some simple materials such as straws, string, and balloons, but were still able to create some 'cool
stuff' [4] . I learned that every design has its weaknesses and strengths and working with a group can help
discover what they are. We challenged each other's preconceptions about what would and would not work.
We could also see the reality of the way changing a design actually affected its performance.
1. Addresses the
assignment question
2. Reflects on direct
experiences
3. Direct reference to the
course activity
4. The style is relatively
informal, yet still uses full
sentences.
5. Relating what was
learnt.
Learning Journal (weekly reflection)
Last week's lecture presented the idea that science is the most powerful form of evidence [1] . My position
as a student studying both physics and law makes this an important issue for me [2] and one I was thinking
about while watching the 'The New Inventors' television program last Tuesday [3] . The two 'inventors' (an
1. Description of topic
encountered in the course
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odd name considering that, as Smith XXXXXXXXXXsays, nobody thinks of things in a vacuum) were accompanied
y their marketing people. The conversations were quite contrived, but also funny and enlightening. I
ealised that the marketing people used a certain form of evidence to persuade the viewers (us?) of the
value of the inventions [4] . To them, this value was determined solely by whether something could be
ought or sold—in other words, whether something was 'marketable'. In contrast, the inventors seemed
quite shy and reluctant to use anything more than technical language, almost as if this was the only
evidence required – as if no further explanation was needed.
This difference forced me to reflect on the aims of this course—how communication skills are not generic,
ut differ according to time and place. Like in the 'Research Methodology' textbook discussed in the first
lecture, these communication skills are the result of a form of triangulation, [5] which I have made into the
following diagram:
...
2. The author's voice is
clea
3. Introduces 'everyday'
life experience
4. The style is relatively
informal, yet still uses full
sentences
5. Makes an explicit link
etween 'everyday' life
and the topic
References
Brookfield, S 1987, Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting, Open University
Press, Milton Keynes.
Mezirow, J 1990, Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning, Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco.
Schön, DA 1987, Educating the reflective practitioner, Jossey-Bass. San Francisco.
The Learning Centre thanks the students who permitted us to feature examples of their writing.
Prepared by The Learning Centre, The University of New South Wales © 2018. This guide may be distributed or adapted for educational
purposes. Full and proper acknowledgement is required. Contact us here: XXXXXXXXXX
Want more help?
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
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How to Create a Reflective Essay?
Reflective essay is based on a reflective journal. One of the most commonly used and
therapeutic ways to utilize learnings is to reflect upon experiences you deem profound or that
had an impact on your life. Getting it all down on paper can really give you a completely
different perspective on things. Writing a reflective essay based on a reflective journal can be an
incredibly useful tool to help you better understand yourself and the world you operate in.
5 Reasons to Write a Reflective Journal
Reflective journals are most often used to record detailed descriptions of certain aspects
of learning.
Write down everything, even if you don't have a clear idea of how this information will be
helpful.
Here are some of the most common reasons why people find reflective journals so useful:
• To make sense of things that happened.
• To speculate as to why something is the way it is.
• To align future actions with your reflected values and experiences.
• To get thoughts and ideas out of your head.
• To share your thoughts and ideas with others.
The Reflective Journal Thought Process
When writing a reflective journal, you are simply documenting something that has happened in
your life that requires you to make a change or consider the impact of your decision. Your
journal, in many ways, is a dialogue that you are having with yourself. You are forcing your
ain to think critically about something and to produce written words accordingly.
Tips to get your reflective journaling started
Writing a reflective journal requires not only that you describe a learning experience, but also
that you analyze the topics covered and articulate your feelings and opinions about the subject
matter. There is no set structure for writing a reflective journal, as the diary is meant for your
own use. The writing process is entirely free-form. However, there are certain guidelines to
follow that will make you more successful at this. Here are two basic tips at how to write a
eflective journal.
1. Make regular entries preferably every week
2. Review regularly
Reflective Journal Example
The passage below is a sample reflective diary entry about a give week of the lecture a job:
“This week I learned that…. This is interesting because…what I liked most about this
week’s lecture on leadership was….. what I did not understand was……..…I can relate
this week to my personal life in two ways. First , when I was a kid…….. also two years
ago at work……... I couldn't figure out XXXXXXXXXXAfter thinking about the situation, I
ealized that I can only lead if XXXXXXXXXXI was not table to lead because….…or I realized
thay my lead could no lead because….. …. …..
A reflective journal is a personal account of an educational experience that offers a variety of
enefits, from enhancing