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Reflection as a Design Tool in Computer Mediated Education

Reproduced and re-formatted with the permission of Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn, October 7, 2005.

Mary Anne Andrusyszyn, R.N., Ed.D.
Associate Professor,
The University of Western Ontario
Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing
London, Canada, N6A 5C1
maandrus@uwo.ca
http://publish.uwo.ca/~maandrus/

and

Lynn E. Davie, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6
lynn.davie@cogeco.ca

Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn is an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Canada. She teaches at in the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral nursing programs. Her research focuses on nursing education, particularly distance education, teaching, learning, and evaluation. She was an associate professor in the Department of Nursing and Health Studies, Brandon University, Manitoba, Canada, when this paper was presented.

Dr. Lynn Davie was a professor in the department of Computer Applications and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in Toronto, Canada, when this paper was presented.

Reflection as a Design Tool in Computer Mediated Education

Educational computer mediated conferencing (CMC) can be a surprisingly warm and inviting medium for learning, providing an environment that is safe, supportive, and connected by more than just cold circuits. It has the unique potential to bridge physical distances through the development of psychological closeness among learners. The cooperative learning environment that normally develops can promote active mental engagement in the experience (Grabowski, 1990). In addition to the positive social climate characteristic of CMC, the medium can offer a learning environment suited to analysis and construction of knowledge by promoting ongoing reflection on the contributions offered of all participants.

The process of reflection has been described by many as one which is active, deliberate, conscious, internal, dialectical and goal directed (Dewey, 1933; Schon, 1982;, Boyd & Fales, 1983; Scardamalia, Bereiter, & Steinbach, 1984; Kemmis, 1985; Boud, Keogh & Walker, 1985; Boud, 1985; Vygotsky, 1962; Mezirow, 1990; Munby & Russell, 1992; and Baird, 1992). In the context of this paper, reflection refers to the intentional activities that stimulate the intellect and the affect to explore learning experiences and lead to the development of new meanings (Boud, Keogh, and Walker, 1985). Mezirow (1990) suggests that critical self-reflective activities, deliberately and consciously combined, may lead to transformative learning, "a more inclusive, discriminating, and integrative understanding of one's experience" (p. xvi) as "critical thinking is informed by reflection" (p. xvii). It is the authors' belief that higher order thinking skills, such as critical thinking, can be enhanced in settings of this nature. This paper will explore research in progress that is examining the process of reflection by learners engaged in graduate level (CMC) courses.

Literature Review

Computer mediated conferencing can be an effective electronic means of connecting learners who are separated by time and space. Participants are able to collectively engage in an instructional setting where the learning is normally facilitated by an instructor. Learners may interact at a time and in a place that is personally convenient, discuss issues as fully as desired without time or distance constraints (Harasim, 1990a; Flores, 1990; Knights, 1985), and socially connect with others engaged in the same experience. Educational CMC designs can support interactive activities such as active dialogue and sharing of information and knowledge which may help develop a sense of community among participants (Davie, 1987; Burge, 1993; Sleightholm-Cairns, 1993). Individual learning that takes place through the social construction and sharing of understandings can distinguish CMC from other forms of distance education (Levinson, 1990; Harasim, 1990a). The freedoms associated with appropriately designed CMC may promote feelings of learner empowerment (Waggoner, 1992).

"Knowledge is not something simply "outside" the self, but something that learners are involved in shaping. Because knowledge is constituted in part by personal meaning and perspective, it is not static and fixed. The learner has an active role and responsibility in shaping the process and its outcomes with others" (Taylor, 1987). An important element in the social construction and sharing of understandings is the preliminary clarification of the learners' understandings. In order to share, learners first must be clear about their own concepts and understandings. One important strategy for the clarification of their own understanding is based on individual reflection on their values and learnings.

According to Candy, Harri-Augstein & Thomas (1985), "Most students are almost totally unaware of how they attribute meaning to the things they encounter in lectures, laboratories, libraries, seminars, work placements, and elsewhere" (p.101). They suggest that with time and experience, many processes normally associated with learning such as talking, listening, judging and feeling, become ingrained. Thus, the periodic, conscious reexamination of the processes which facilitate meaning-making, such as with reflection, does not occur.

Many learners are unaware of how they reflect and the ways in which they may actively engage in the process. Boud, Keogh & Walker (1985) suggest that educators often make assumptions that learners effectively engage in reflection. They "...believe that the more teachers and learners understand this reflective aspect of learning and organize learning activities which are consistent with it, the more effective learning can be" (p.20). There is a wealth of descriptive and theoretical literature that supports the value of reflection in
traditional learning environments and describes activities which facilitate reflection. Thus, the literature suggests that intentional reflective activities help learners integrate new dimensions into what can sometimes be purely academic work, making learning more personally meaningful, holistic, and lasting. There is strong agreement among authors that reflection should be facilitated in order to enhance metacognitive awareness. However, literature supporting this premise in computer mediated learning environments is sparse.

We support the position that effort needs to be placed on designing intentional reflective activities in educational computer-mediated learning environments. Reflecting upon constructed knowledge in relation to a personal frame of reference may enhance the development of insight, promote cognitive awareness and critical thinking, and lead to personal transformation.

Methodology

This article reports on a pilot study for a larger investigation on the role and effects of reflection in educational CMC courses. For the pilot study, we collected data from students in a graduate course on program evaluation. We introduced a reflective exercise in the form of a final paper which asked the students to recall and analyze their contributions to the course throughout the term and to assess their learnings. Students were encouraged to approach the analysis from a personal frame of reference. The reflective paper was one option for course credit. The data for the pilot study consists of copies of these final papers supplemented by online interviews with a small sample of students.

Sample

Permission was sought from all students enrolled in a graduate level course in
program evaluation conducted through computer conferencing, one form of CMC. An e-mail message requesting their participation was forwarded to all 24 class members . We asked students if they would (a) agree to share their final paper with the researchers after grading had been completed for the course, and (b) be interviewed online. Ten students volunteered to share their papers. Of the ten who volunteered, five participated in the online interviews. All but one of the ten volunteers were women. The sample was composed of students at various stages of their graduate programs and with varying levels of expertise in studying by CMC.

Data

The findings reported in this paper are based primarily on the ten reflective essays and the five online interviews. This paper will describe the nature of the participants' reflections as described in their papers as well as in response to the questions that were asked during the interviews. The data were analyzed using the qualitative data analysis software program known as NUD.IST (Nonnumerical Unstructured Data, Interpreting, Synthesizing, Theorising, 1994).

Results

We report the results from our analysis of the student papers concerning * their perceptions of the nature of reflection. These analyses are supplemented by data from the online interviews reporting the students' reactions to the reflective assignment. In this paper, all names are pseudonyms to preserve the anonymity of participants. Transcripts are as they appeared in the original text except for several typographical and minor grammatical errors which were corrected.

The Reflective Assignment

The reflective assignment, referred to as a "reflective self assessment" was described in detail in the course outline where ideas and suggestions for reflection were presented as guidelines for consideration. The purpose of the assignment was to provide students with "an opportunity to reflect on the contributions in and learnings from this course and place these contributions in context with your past, present, and future practice and experience." The goal was to facilitate the integration and synthesis of the newly acquired knowledge and experience using individual course contributions as underpinnings.

The ten students whose papers were analyzed for this study used diverse approaches in completing the reflective paper. Yet, there are themes that appear to be common to the participants. We group these themes into three categories: learning, collaboration, and risk.

Learning

The first theme is "learning". The learning theme contains reflections about what was learned (content), how the learning occurred (process) and the meaning of the learning (outcomes).

Content of the Learning

Program evaluation-

The "what of the learning" encompassed several content areas. For example, the value of program evaluation is clearly captured in Sharon's discussion:

I feel as though I have a good understanding of the different approaches to evaluation theory, and a comfort with taking what is appropriate from the different approaches in order to answer the questions of the evaluation. ...I feel as though I have an understanding and a comfort with the "need" to evaluate....the kernel that I am left with is really that an evaluation is a balance of "learning" and "accountability"....what I became aware of, was the importance of the "learning" that goes on in a good evaluation. We conduct an evaluation so we can learn about a program; not only for the sake of information, but so that we can make some informed judgements about it. The learning that allows those judgements to be made results in decisions. The decisions made about a program create energy ­- energy to change, or energy to continue. But energy nonetheless. So the polarity that exists between the two poles of "learning" and "accountability" results in a creative tension that generates energy for a program. A good evaluation can be what gives a program energy - what keeps it "alive" in the best sense of the word.

Technology

The "what of learning" also centered on the use of the technology specific to CMC. Mary stated that, "I have also learned that the mystique of technology which has intimidated me for so long isn't really that mystical if I make "safe" space and time available for myself to experiment..." Cathy explained that she learned to use the modem. "My association with the computer is just four years old. It is a tantalizing technology, that can render me inept in moments."
Beatrice reflected that,

Being only semi-computer literate, I had many initial concerns regarding my ability to be effective in a CMC medium. As an advocate of increased distant education opportunities, I felt it important to at least give CMC a chance....As primarily a distance education learner, I am thrilled with my success in overcoming my fears of this new and exciting approach to learning. Having taken two courses through teleconference, I must say that I much prefer the CMC method. With teleconference you often miss the opportunity to comment as others are "quicker at the button". By the time you can get through, the moment has passed. With CMC you could comment at your leisure, and make references to earlier stated contributions without feeling out of place.

Self-awareness

A third "what of learning" focused on self-awareness. Mary captured this thread in the following excerpt:

What became most meaningful to me throughout this course was learning so many new things about myself, my learning style(s), and the sources of my self-confidence and my insecurities; the rejuvenation of my belief in the principles of adult learning and non-traditional delivery modes;... I have discovered how important it is to me to have almost instantaneous feedback from colleagues as to whether or not my ideas are having meaning to them, usually through ongoing (often subconscious) non-verbal communication which is so easy in a classroom situation --but not necessarily so in CMC...

Dorothy stated that,

Developing this paper has been my first encounter with an intentional reflective process. Indeed this type of learning has proven quite foreign to me. In my reflections over the past few days I have sensed my disadvantage in not possessing an effective tool for reflection and analysis of my critical learnings....Being requested to write a reflective paper has encouraged me to become more aware of myself, my agenda, and my human foibles.

Sharon realized,

...that I am used to using my "personal front" to good effect in face-to-face situations. I am relatively, though certainly not completely, successful at projecting an image that will engender the kind of value and treatment that I need. I realize that this absence of "personal front" is exactly why some people feel so liberated by the CMC mode, but for me it was a handicap. The relative unidimensionality of the communication didn't let me transmit anything more than my incompetence and my anxiety, and I found that very difficult to accept. Because I knew that I was "more" than that, I didn't want to be "dismissed" at the outset, or have a first impression "cast in stone" because it was written.

Despite these feelings, toward the end of the paper Sharon goes on to write
that,

In fact, although at times I was deeply unhappy "in" the experience, I would say that it has been one of the most important learning experiences I have had. What I learned about program evaluation was huge; what I learned about the computer and modem was also enormous; and what I learned about myself in the process was incalculable in its value. Moreover, this process of reflection has made the experience "mine" and will enable me to move on in a positive way to other learning experiences.

Judy said,

...I suspect that no matter what you said at the beginning of the course you could not have convinced me of the importance of this reflective exercise until I had tried it myself, and discovered the extent to which it has solidified my learnings, broadened my vision, and meshed my new knowledge with my current environment.

Communication

The last "what of learning" theme was called communication. Cathy stated,

With my computer, I have recaptured the flair I had as a child for the written word, nearly earned my second degree, and now earn my living. I can't think of anything, short of the arrival of my children that has had such an impact on my life. Now I look at this machine, and wonder what else we can do....In the same vein, I also learned the potential of the medium for conversation of many sorts. I look back through my early "Help" notes, and recognize what a support it was to know others struggled as I did, and that some problems are technical glitches....My uneasiness made me acutely aware of the lack of cues in the CMC environment. I could not judge tone of voice in print....Although the lighthearted banter of the "Coffee Shop" and support of "Help" decreased my anxiety, I cannot say I ever got over the feeling of not quite talking to "real" people. I found the lack of context for those voices in print disconcerting.

Process of learning

The "how of learning" is the second subcategory within the main theme of learning. It captures the essence of the way in which participants felt they had learned within the CMC medium. Mary realized that,

When I look at my contributions from the viewpoint of relevance, group dynamics and overall generation of new ideas, I discover that I frequently played the role of devil's advocate in the discussions, looking for an opposite perspective than that which was most frequently presented, even if I was not personally committed to this new perspective. As a member of any group, I often find myself trying to tie a discussion together, making sure all the angles are considered, attempting to bring circular discussions back on track so that the intended purpose is not missed or short-changed.

Sara wrote that,

As a whole, studying is a stimulating activity for me. I have quite diverse interests and tend to put a practical slant on what I do. I like brain-storming sessions and looking at a problem from all the angles. This course in evaluation has fit those creative itches well.

She goes on to say,

Now at the end of the course I feel more confident of using this medium in a class setting. If I could, I would choose it for a future course. I feel that it has been to my advantage to be able to formulate my thoughts and then contribute on line when it was comfortable to do so. Also being able to re-read previous messages has been helpful.

Jack said,

The high level of mutual respect in the class allowed me the freedom to play with sometimes undeveloped and inarticulate ideas, and hear thoughtful responses which in turn provoked deeper insights. The opportunity to do all of this in the peace and quiet of my study, instead of in a distracting classroom where so much else is going on, contributed to the reflective process. I am surprised to hear myself saying this, as I view myself very much as a social animal who enjoys the stimulation of face-to-face-interaction. Yet, when it comes to more complex ideas, I am less adept at immediate responses and do need reflection time to formulate my thoughts....

Sharon realized that,

...what I was reading to a large extent was "talk", not prose. But I kept having to go back and reread, just like I do sometimes in texts, and I found that really disconcerting....It really took me some time to be able to process the information quickly enough to feel on top of it. I was really struck at the outset by how hard it was for me to get information out of the messages in "Class". I think it was because I was trying to process them as "conversation", but with the all-important vocal and non-verbal cues missing; and I found it hard sometimes to "get" what people were talking about....What I have realized increasingly, and this course has really brought it home to me, is that I absolutely need to pay attention to all four styles [reference is to learning styles], and give them all a place in my learning process.

Beatrice gained insight from completing the reflective paper.

The opportunity to "wander and ponder" through the past four months encourages me to analyze my learning strengths, recognize and work on my limitations and to incorporate new learning into my ongoing professional portfolio....For me to internalize a theoretical concept, I need to apply it to a practical situation. My use of analogies when describing an approach is an example of this...

Outcome: The "Meaning of Learning"

The "so what of learning" was the theme that captured participants' thoughts regarding the personal meaningfulness of the experience. Sharon stated, "Now, at the end of the course, I feel like I have a real handle on what goes on in an evaluation. I feel as though I could at least do a good basic, if not highly sophisticated, program evaluation."

Dorothy realized, "...just how much my emotions influence all aspects of my cognitive intake and the subsequent processing." Judy gained satisfaction from having had her class contributions appear often in the summaries written by the course instructor. Taking note of this observation led her to consider how this action may be of benefit in her practice. Judy explained,

I appeared in 10 summaries. That made me feel good that I had contributed something that was worth putting in the summary (albeit some of the times it may have been because I caused controversy etc.). BECAUSE it made me feel good, it reminded me that it would make my own students feel good (or others with whom I associate) when I remember to acknowledge their contributions. She also learned "that the respect shown by a professor to the contributions made by a student results in more contributions from the student, as the fear of rejection is removed....I learned: that mutual respect is still a powerful (tool; leveller) in learning and sharing; that there is a richness and breadth of thought produced by students contributing from their own perspective;...

Judy also outlined specific plans which she intended to follow in the future as an outcome of this learning experience.

For the next CMC (and any other) course that I take, I intend do the following: I will keep a journal more faithfully. The entries that I did make were helpful but I under used the technique and would have benefited from more entries, - both at the time, and in reviewing my learnings within the course. I will try to contribute more to the main stream of the course. I will respond more directly to questions posed by the teacher/facilitator, either by answering them directly, or by enriching other people's answers. I will use the library more...

Collaboration

The second theme that emerged from the reflective assignments was oriented to collaboration. This category was viewed from the perspective of partnerships and sharing of perceptions. Jack offered a general context to this concept when he reflected upon the value of collaborative learning. He wrote,

I appreciate collaborative learning contexts, and find them more stimulating than content-oriented, presentation-driven contexts. This course provided ample opportunity for collaborative learning. The computer-mediated design allows for thoughtful responses and effective gate-keeping (although some swing the gate a lot more often than others.)

Partnerships

In discussing a specific learning experience in which Sara worked with two other colleagues she wrote,

We decided to each focus on a different area of the program and then...we spent a couple of hours together, pulling things together, developing the time line an the budget. I really appreciated the team effort. We each had our own unique strengths to give to the project and in the end, I felt good about what we had done.

Mary viewed her participation in a learning experience as a partnership with others. “I have learned that, even when I have no legitimate (functional) responsibility for others' learning, I still feel some responsibility for the process and the content of their learning -- as a partner in that learning.”
Sharing laughter with a partner was especially important to Dorothy. This was shown in the following statement: "I am confident that no other team member had as many laughs as [name of partner] did...nor were they as connected to each other in the learning."

In reflecting upon her experiences with CMC, Robin also wrote about the benefits she gained from a collaborative relationship with her learning partner. She writes,

The other significant factor here was the fact that I had a learning partner. We generally met at the school at least twice a week initially to work on the computer. This provided both of us, I think, with an added sense of security. We were able to problem solve together if we couldn't figure out how to do something related to the computer (e.g send a message).

Sharon viewed the opportunity to work with a partner as an asset to her learning.

I seem to do best as a learner when I have the opportunity to establish a real relationship with someone else. I get real energy, emotional and intellectual, when I am working successfully with another person or a group: there's a synergy that often occurs. So the proposal became a real source of learning for me, because [name of partner] and I really sparked ideas off one another...

Beatrice expressed some disappointment with group members' focus on achieving a certain grade.

For myself and a few others who privately shared their thoughts on this, partners became more concerned about getting the "A" as opposed to getting the information across. Trusting that our peers will do what they have agreed upon and do so in a responsible, professional manner, somehow gets clouded when a grade is involved.

Sharing Perceptions

Mary suggested that being privy to others' thoughts, feelings, and perceptions contributed to her understanding of others. “It was extremely useful for me to "listen" to some of our classmates from isolated locations speak about the lifeline of CMC in making education accessible to them, and the "humanizing" aspects of CMC over other modes of distance education.”

Dorothy benefited from sharing her impressions of a particular learning experience with her partner. "Given my unresolved feelings surrounding this experience, I felt it therapeutic to debrief and review these feelings with [name of partner] in order to facilitate closure..."

She also had the opportunity to share feelings with the course instructor.

In writing this reflective paper I am discovering the extent to which my mental processes played a role in this experiential learning, appropriate or otherwise. Much negative feeling was discharged in process. Being able to write a private note to the professor expressing my sentiments afforded me the opportunity to release my mounting frustration.... His non-threatening, supportive response furthered this diffusion of emotion.

Judy added a different dimension to the concept of sharing perspectives. “Upon reflecting, I realize that I must use caution in bringing my own situation into the picture. When I am constantly relating new aims to my own situation, there is always the fear that one will, out of zeal, inundate one's classmates on a topic not of common interest.”

Nancy's reflection on sharing and collaboration linked the concepts of learning and interaction as well as critical learning and personal growth.

One of my comments sent to the class exactly described how I felt about this process, "...the sharing of learning experiences, ideas, feelings could generate an atmosphere which is conducive to further learning, ...we are free to examine ourselves in comparing and synthesizing ideas with others. I think this process is extremely useful as learning is not "poured" into people, but rather learning"emerges" from people.

Risk

The third and final category that emerged from the data was that of risk. Any thought or action that had a likelihood of creating a cognitive tension within the participant was included in this category.

Lack of Visual Cues

Sharon, Beatrice, and Mary felt handicapped by the lack of non-verbal cues characteristic of the CMC medium. Mary explained that this provided her with a sense of responsibility for contributing to the learning experience.

I found myself taking some risks in the discussions, by providing some fairly simplistic examples of concepts and/or posing questions which I'm sure some of my colleagues found quite straightforward. In a face-to-face situation, this wouldn't have felt so risky for me because I would have been able to react to various non-verbal cues, but nonetheless, the sense of responsibility which I felt for the quality of our discussions seemed to give me the push to take these kinds of risks.

Sharon wrote the following,

...I learn a great deal from the projections of others' images of themselves. I depend a lot on vocal nuance and visual cues from others in communication, and that, of course, is absent from CMC mode...I normally use the vocal and non-verbal component as part of my intuitive learning patterns, which I've come to trust as a valuable aspect of my learning. So I found it hard initially to learn effectively just from the pure verbal information of the written notes....

Vulnerability

Dorothy and Robin both referred to an experience where they were the first to participate in a specific assignment. Both expressed feelings of excitement and anxiety about whether their approach would be perceived to be appropriate by their colleagues. Robin writes,

For my learning partner and I, the experience of asking questions to the characters, had somewhat of a negative effect with regard to learning via CMC. We found that other students were commenting to us about how we were having difficulty communicating with the characters. We started to feel like the learning guinea pigs and that other students were learning from our mistakes (which in some respects is good) but at our expense. I have no difficulty with making mistakes. In fact I think that my greatest learning occurs when I make mistakes, but I feel that I could have handled these mistakes much better if they were not so public.

Beatrice also expressed a sense of risk or vulnerability as a result of knowing that contributions to the course would be seen by everyone. Similarly, Sharon shared the feeling of risk and frustration that she experienced when she knew others would become aware of her insecurities. She wrote,

In note #...I said: "One of the things I found so hard about this course at the beginning was that there was no way for me to participate without revealing a lot about myself (mostly what I *didn't* know), and I found that very stressful....As a student in those situations I carry so much baggage about where will I fit in, how will I manage the work, will I understand the concepts, will I look dumb, that I realize now that I am barely coherent at the beginning of a course. I was always the kid who was physically ill at the beginning of the school year, and in many ways I still respond to the experience in the same way.

Sharon went on to analyze the root of the feelings of vulnerability she experienced.

What I've been trying to understand, in thinking through this self ­evaluation, is, why was the experience so difficult for me? To be sure, a lot of my problems came from "image" - in this case the image of myself that I thought I was projecting to the rest of the class. I was terribly embarrassed at how much trouble I seemed to be having getting "on" to the system. It was not only the trouble itself, but the feeling that I was just continually whining, because I was so desperate about it. One of the images I enjoy about myself is an image of competence (although not in all things, obviously); but here that image was just in ruins. That made it hard for me to feel strong and positive in the image I was "presenting" to the class.

Mary and Sharon both addressed the struggle they felt with the internal need for perfection and the reality associated with doing what was necessary to complete the course. Sharon explained that "For people like me, doing less is a lot harder than doing more." Mary wrote the following,

In the CMC mode, however, since my preferred self-image (being a perfectionist) is to be organized and "on top" of every discussion, I found it disarming at first for the whole world (or at least the rest of the class) to see that I was not one of the first to get each week's readings done! This was a most interesting lesson for me about myself and my pride.

Respect

The concept of respect was a theme that several participants referred to in their papers. The shared sense among participants was that mutual respect within the learning environment fostered risk taking behavior. Sara alluded to respect when she explained that "...Opposing views were also voiced, but in print they seemed less strong or hostile." Jack indicated that the respect he sensed in the learning environment influenced the degree of risk he was confident in assuming. In turn, this contributed to the depth of his learning.
He wrote:

My confidence and level of sophistication in my responses, at least in my own eyes, would vary dramatically from day to day and from idea to idea. The high level of mutual respect in the class allowed me the freedom to play with sometimes undeveloped and inarticulate ideas, and hear thoughtful responses which in turn provoked deeper insights.

Judy also sensed the feeling of respect within the learning environment that influenced the freedom to take risks.

I learned that the respect shown by a professor to the contributions made by a student results in more contributions from the student, as the fear of rejection is removed....I learned: that mutual respect is still a powerful (tool; leveller) in learning and sharing; that there is a richness and breadth of thought produced by students contributing from their own perspective...

Reactions to the Reflective Assignment
Four of the five participants that were interviewed found the reflective assignment to be a very useful design strategy. Mary suggested that there was a risk that she may not have taken as introspective a look into her self had the activity not been encouraged to this degree. She shared the following:

As I said, my reflection for this course tended to be more "me" centred and therefore I'm not sure I would have allowed myself this luxury if it hadn't been part of the evaluation design... self-reflection would have felt somewhat indulgent in my "busy-ness" had it not been built in....

In contrast, Cathy did not like doing the reflective assignment.

I think I hate writing papers that reflect on my process of learning about a thing. I always feel resentful, and like someone has nailed my feet to the floor with a high school style assignment. I have not unravelled all of why it is like this for me, and this is not my first experience of feeling this way. I
usually write easily and well -but this type of assignment makes me crazy....Part of the issue hear is a feeling of pretence, of separation of learning from real life.

Marg explained that the assignment helped her come to a better understanding of her learning. The assignment may have been helpful in promoting better retention of learning. "I debriefed by using the reflective assignment...It gave me a chance to review new learnings, and internalize them. As a result, I feel that the learnings are much more permanent and ingrained than they would otherwise have been."

Jack gained confirmation of his thinking from the experience. He said, "...It is helpful to formalize and confirm those reflections through course assignments." Although Beatrice would not normally choose to reflect in writing, she viewed the assignment as an external motivator; as "an opportunity to share my views with someone more learned in the subject matter.

Discussion

The data which emerged from the reflective papers provide the researchers with insights into the value of the design strategy that was introduced into the learning medium. The discussion which follows will be organized according to three headings which, in our opinion, synthesize the essence of the papers.
Validation

Validation was defined by the researchers as a means of confirming that learning had occurred. The reflective assignment appeared to serve as a tool to validate learnings and understandings for participants. Although all the interviewees considered themselves to be reflective, not all of those who shared their written papers were aware of the reflective process and its relative merits. This observation is consistent with Candy, Harri-Augstein, and Thomas (1985) and Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985) who suggest that many students are not aware of how to assign personal meaning to learning experiences and thus construct knowledge. All participants valued the opportunity to reflect on their learning experience.

Using the reflective paper as a tool, participants came to the understanding that they had learned course content and mastered the technology. Learners for whom this was a first exposure to CMC took great pride in having been successful. By examining their individual contributions, participants learned something about themselves. They learned the degree to which they relied on visual cues in a traditional learning environment and the impact of writing as a form of communication with others. They also had much to share on the feeling of personal vulnerability experienced by exposing one's thoughts to others simply through the written word. Several students reflected that they were surprised at the impact the assignment had on themselves personally. They came to new realizations of their own behaviour. This conscious analysis of individual contributions led to meaningful insights and cognitive awareness.

Appreciation

Appreciation was perceived by the researchers as a term which captured the affective component of the learning that was generated as an outcome of the social connectedness among classmates. Davie (1989) and Kaye (1991) suggest that deep level understanding and analysis begin with conversation, debate, and discussion between and among colleagues and lead to the social construction of knowledge. Participants recognized that they took risks within the learning environment largely due to the mutual respect they sensed among class participants. The ability to feel comfortable with risk taking behaviour demonstrates the power of the medium to build social connectedness and trust. The sense of community that was generated is consistent with the perspectives of Davie (1987), Burge (1993), and Sleightholm-Cairns (1993). The risk taking and mutual respect solidified bonds between individuals. Several developed partnerships with classmates that served as a form of mutual social support. Participants had an opportunity to examine personal beliefs and values regarding the topic of program evaluation as well as contribute to the shared understanding of their peers. This led to the social construction of knowledge.


Application

The term application captured the importance participants attributed to grounding new knowledge in experience. Learnings seem to become personally meaningful through analysis and application. Harri-Augstein and Thomas (1991) affirm that "the quality of our thoughts and feelings may be enhanced by talking with others or by reflecting upon our ongoing attempts to represent these thoughts and feelings in a more concrete form outside ourselves" (p. 70). As was advocated by Taylor (1987), sharing perceptions and experiences with others expanded the boundaries of learning beyond the self. Participants were responsible for the shape that knowledge assumed. The opportunity to apply new understandings to a meaningful personal context became powerful tools for the construction, synthesis, and internalization of new knowledge. Intensive study of the way in which ideas emerged and expanded over time through reflection was helpful in solidifying confidence and understanding.

Formalization

Formalization was defined by researchers as the integration of new understandings into future practice. Using the assignment as a tool, students were encouraged to reflect upon how their learnings could be integrated into their personal lives and professional practice. Participants were able to articulate the way in which their constructed knowledge and new insights would be of value to them in the future. They identified goals for future learning experiences as well as future practice. The depth of reflection stimulated by the assignment may have influenced the degree to which knowledge would be retained.

Conclusion

Activities which facilitate reflection may drive the transformation of what may be perceived as unrefined information into integrated knowledge. Participants reported that the instructional design integrated into this course contributed to a richer, more personally meaningful learning experience. This is particularly important in CMC courses where the volume of contributions and the pace of the course can leave little time for the development of personal meaningfulness. This was reaffirmed by interview participants who consistently maintained that time was at a premium. This precluded the degree of reflection in which they would have like to have engaged as the course was progressing.


This pilot study was instrumental in identifying the nature of reflection facilitated by a specific course assignment. The study also served to clarify the interview process and what might be expected in the larger study. It opened the door to a wider investigation using additional strategies normally used in traditional environments to facilitate reflection. For example, independent and interactive journal writing and learning partnerships using a co-created journal will be studied.

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