What is the Group Reflection Journal?

The Group Reflection Journal is a learning journal, also called a learning log or reflective diary. It consists of a collection of notes, observations, thoughts and other relevant materials built‐up over a period of time as a result of a period of study, learning, groupwork, and other experiences. Your journal could be a notebook, electronic document, or even pictures. Choose a method that works best for you!

The purpose of the Group Reflection Journal is to enhance your learning through the process of writing and thinking about your learning experiences. Your journal is personal to you and will reflect your personality, preferences and experiences. It is not a group deliverable, it is your individual learning journal, although it will be based on group activities.

Why use a Group Reflection Journal?

• To keep a record of your thoughts and ideas throughout your experiences
• To provide a “live” picture of your growing understanding of a new subject experience
• To help you identify to yourself your strengths, areas for improvement and preferences when working in groups
• To keep notes for yourself that will be helpful when answering your marked assessment questions at the end of the term

A Group Reflection Journal helps you to be reflective about your learning, this mean that your journal should not be a purely descriptive account of what you did but an opportunity to communicate your thinking process: how and why you did what you did, and what you know think about what you did.

What is reflective learning?

Reflective learning is a learned process that requires time and practice. It is an active process: involving thinking through the issues yourself, asking questions and seeking out relevant information to aid your understanding. Reflective learning works best when you think about what you are doing before, during and after your learning experience. Reflective learning is therefore not only about recognizing your something new, it is also about see reality in a new way. Reflection is an important skill to develop and requires you to think about how you are personally relating to what is happening in the workshop or in your work.

Content of your Group Reflection Journal

A learning journal should focus on your personal responses, reactions and reflections to new ideas or new ways of thinking. about a subject that you have been introduced to. You might ask yourself:

• What do I think about this issue/topic/ experience?
• Did I have any flashes of inspiration?
• What are my perceptions and ideas?—Question my assumptions
• What is working well in my group?
• What is not working too well in my group?
• Can I identify anything confusing or difficult to understand
• Can I identify what more I need to know to help my understanding
• Have I developed or refined my ideas and beliefs—How can I use this experience to improve my learning, thinking and working?
• What would I do differently next time?
• What do I find puzzling, difficult or contradictory?
• How can I reach a better understanding?
• What do I need to know more about, and how I you go about finding out more?
• How do I feel about the way my group has approached the subject/topic so far?
• What new knowledge, skills or understanding have I gained about groupwork during the process of writing in the journal?
• Have I changed my opinions or values during the process/experience?
• How can I improve my learning, thinking and working in the future?
• Can I identify next steps in my development?