Reflective Learners

The reflective learner (or reflective practitioner) is not someone who is simply thoughtful about his or her own learning. In fact the notion of reflective learning describes a completely different way of thinking about education from the traditional one. It is about creating a different kind of knowledge from the traditional rule-based approach to the construction of knowledge.

The reflective learner constructs knowledge through integrating her rule- based knowledge with 'know-how', which derives from a range of personalised skills, strategies and values developed through experience. This enables the individual both to live through their propositional knowledge and to develop the heuristics needed to deal with the unpredictability of real world problems.

The techniques outlined in the previous sections will enable the learner to become more reflective in their approach. Mindmaps allow them to structure their thoughts in a non-linear way. The CoRT techniques enable the learner to approach any situation in a critical and comprehensive manner. Finally, the Six Thinking Hat technique enables the learner to see many perspectives on the same problem.

• Introduction

• Instructional Design

• Learning Styles

• Reflective Learners