reflective report for video presentation

Video Presentation and Reflections

At-home activity.

For this assignment, students work in small groups to create and edit short video presentations (flexible in genre) to recast their research for a new audience. Students then reflect on their presentations.

Guide to Oral/Signed Communication in Writing Classrooms

To remediate the findings of a research project into a different genre; to work together in a team to produce and edit a short video; to practice oral communication skills in the context of a video; to reflect on the entire course and the research project.

oral presentations; video editing; multimodality; metacognition; remediation of research into a new genre

Part 1: Video

• Prepare (alone or with 1-2 partners) a recorded video presentation that somehow draws upon your research and what you’ve learned about songs or albums this semester.
• Make sure that your video is at least 1 minute long, but ideally less than 3 minutes long, for every student participating. Each partner should be prominent in the video, though there is no need to divide the time exactly evenly.
• Work together to create a topic; you may draw on some or all of the participants’ major research papers, but your topic does not need to be directly connected to everyone’s papers as long as it clearly reflects what you’ve learned in the course.
• writing and performing an original song
• performing a monologue (as yourself or in character as an author, poet, character, etc. from course/research sources)
• making an original music video for a song
• giving a “TED Talks”-style mini-lecture teaching how to analyze a given exhibit source
• creating a video review of an exhibit source
• making a film “trailer” for a biopic or documentary that you envision of one of the authors you researched/encountered

Part 2: Reflections/Analysis/Explanation

• Write an explanation and analysis of your Video Presentation (at least 200 words; up to half of this may be co-written with your partners), explaining how it was informed by your research and what you learned this semester.
• Mention at least 5 specific sources (background, exhibit, and/or argument) that fed or inspired your project. Point to specific moments in your video.
• Note some things you wanted people to notice or take away from your video.

Student Presentation Reflections

Teachers as Paragons

I struggle with articulating this point, but for the purposes of this post, I think that the most valid student-teacher dynamic is not the Jedi Master and Padawan method, but instead one where a teacher serves as a paragon of a small set of skills/attributes and the student’s role is to assimilate their experiences with all of their teachers into their own paradigm.

While this viewpoint is not revolutionary, I find that hubris often prevents a teacher from maximizing the benefit of this approach. Too often I find myself or my peers trying to be too many things to too many students. I think it is important for a teacher to make explicit commitments about which skill or attribute they wish to be the avatar for.

I chose presentation skills as my niche of instruction because I benefited greatly from the Public Speaking and Speech and Debate classes I took in high school. When I was in college, I saw very clearly those of my peers who did not have those same opportunities. I vowed that my students would be afforded opportunities to develop their presentation skills in my class no matter the other classes offered by my school.

Reflection Process

I plan on creating many posts about the different resources, examples, and assignments that I use to improve my students’ presentation skills. One of the core strategies, and I believe the most powerful, that I use to improve student presentations is a presentation reflection process.

In order to make presentation reflections be a valid assignment, you must film your students as they present—something that my 11th grade Public Speaking teacher Mrs. Shank did for me 15 years ago. Admittedly, being filmed for a presentation was nerve-wracking; however, it was also amazing beneficial. However, instead of recording presentations on VHS cassette like Mrs. Shank did, I record presentations digitally and post them as unlisted YouTube videos .

Recording Presentations

Do yourself a favor and make sure that you use a tripod to record the student presentations. You might think you can cobble together books and tape to hold a camera steady, but this is the wrong call.

• If you plan on using your phone as the camera, you will need a mount to attach it to your tripod , and an improved microphone will certainly help with the audio quality, but it’s not necessary.
• If you plan on using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, then you really need to improve the audio. To improve the quality of the video’s captured sound, I suggest using a shotgun microphone .

Whatever hardware you use, it is important to share with the students the camera’s field of view, so they know where they should stand. The reflection assignment is much harder if the student does not appear on camera.

Reflection Assignment

Recording the presentation is the first step, but students will need to thoughtfully watch their presentations to see areas for improvement. To guide the students’ thoughts while they watch their presentation video, I developed three sequential reflection assignments, one for each of the major presentations in my class.

This reflection process is truly eye-opening. Students are routinely shocked when they watch the video and see the nervous fidgeting or hand-wringing that they swear never happened. The pedagogical impact of a student watching themselves on video is many times more powerful than even the most helpful rubric or feedback.

In addition to reflecting on what happened, an important part of the assignment is also identifying five points on which to improve and coming up with action items for each point. An example of an improvement point and an action item would be:

• I will look up the phonetic pronunciation of the words ahead of time and practice saying them to my teacher.

I always assign this as homework and give students a week to do the assignment after their presentation. I try very hard to make sure the videos get processed, uploaded, and shared with the students as soon as possible to make sure that things are fresh in their mind.

Students sometimes balk at the number of words they have to write. However, since they are writing semi-informally about themselves and have a video to go off, students routinely surpass 1000 words without blinking an eye.

Sometimes when I explain presentation reflections to teachers, they exclaim that it is too much work for them to do or they don’t know how to do the “video stuff” or something else along those lines. The video recording/editing process can be as basic or as advanced as you want it to be. Since video editing is a core part of my multimedia business, there is a lot of stuff that I do to the videos that is unnecessary but a point of pride for me.

In all honesty, a perfectly functional presentation video takes less than 3 minutes more than the presentation itself. Whether you spend 3 minutes or 30 minutes editing a presentation video, that time is returned many-fold by the presentation skill increase of your students.

Hands down, the most consistent piece of feedback I receive from alumni is that they dominate their presentations in college. This makes me very proud. I committed to developing presentation skills in my students since my very first year of teaching. Hearing back from alumni that they are drastically better than their peers at presenting puts a smile on my face every time.

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How to write a reflective report with examples

A reflective report is a written piece that summarizes the critical reflection of a person. It differs from an essay in that it is more structured. It is also personal and subjective. Here are some examples of reflective reports: Sage, UNSW, and Monash University. The models provide some ideas and can be use to guide your work.

It is a written report that summarises the critical reflection of a person.

A reflective report is a written document summarising a person’s critical reflection on an experience or a particular topic. It is usually between 250 and 750 words long and should start with a clear line of thought. It must be based on a personal experience to be meaningful.

A reflective report is a type of academic assignment that aims to give students a self-view of the topic they are studying. It should be written in the first person, with an introduction and thesis statement. The report must contain a detailed description of the event or situation and the learnings the student made from it.

It is more structured than an essay.

A reflective essay is a structure different from a report. It is structured differently and follows a stricter format. It should start with a strong introduction. List the main topics, restate the thesis statement and end with a strong conclusion. It should also include a bibliography and references. And works cited list.

A good reflective essay should reflect a specific experience. The author must honestly describe how they felt and the lesson they learned from the experience. They should also attempt to analyze the situation. This requires evaluating the thoughts, feelings, and reactions. They should also be able to judge the merit of their own experiences.

The introduction is an important part of a reflection paper. It should provide background information about the course content, summarize key readings, and narrate their experience of the course objectives. The introduction does not need to be very long but should be informative and catchy. However, it should not start with the thesis.

It is personal

When writing a reflective report, it’s important to keep your subject personal. You want the readers to know what you learned and how those experiences shaped your future. Thoughtful words can be written on various topics, including books, places, and experiences. Here are some tips to help you get start.

When writing a reflective report, you want to start with an introduction that acknowledges your subject and gives the reader an impression of what you are trying to communicate. The introduction should include a thesis statement, serving as your focal point. You can provide facts to support your thesis statement in the second body paragraph.

The body of your reflective essay should be the focus and include an appropriate critique. It should describe the experiences and how they shaped you, including the lessons you learned. Remember to proofread your reflective essay before you submit it.

It is subjective

A reflective report writing service with examples should be written in the first person, which allows you to focus on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is important to state your opinion clearly, support it with arguments, and include examples from your life. Finally, in conclusion, restate your thesis statement.

While reflective reports are meant to be personal, they should still be professionally written. Avoid using slang words and double-check your grammar. Also, use transitional words that draw connections between your ideas. This will make your report look much more professional.

It is academic

When you write reflective academic reports, the goal is to convey your personal learning experiences and take the time to reflect on them. Unlike a personal journal, academic reflective writing needs to be formally structured and written in a formal language. As such, it must begin with a strong thesis statement.

An academic reflective report requires you to be critical and analytical. This means focusing on the negative aspects of the situation rather than the positive aspects. For example, suppose you observe that a leader does not follow the leadership style of his followers.

Alvin Nicolas is a research-based content writer, who works for Cognizantt, a globally recognized professional E-commerce SEO company  provider and Essays.UK,  A leading dissertation and essay writing service in the UK . Mr Alvin Nicolas holds a PhD degree in English Literature. He loves to express his views on a range of issues including education, technology, and more.

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• Avra Robinson
• Use Google Slides to Create Video Reflection Journal
• January 12, 2017

In her article Digital Portfolios: The Art of Reflection , Beth Holland points out that when students reflect on their learning experiences, “they become more aware of the processes and strategies that make them successful, allowing them to learn from their successes as well as their challenges or failures.” Thus, a reflection journal that also includes video screencasts not only provides students with the opportunity to look back and reflect on their work, but also facilitates a media-rich experience for doing so.

Fortunately, Google Slides offers two great features — the ability to easily create links to outside content and the ability to play YouTube videos in a slide — that can be combined with screencasts to enable students from elementary school through high school to create powerful video reflection journals in just a few steps.

In all, students could create a media-rich screencast after writing an essay, creating a presentation, constructing a drawing, or creating any type of artifact of learning and reflect on their learning using audio and video. In their reflection, they could discuss their process of creation, their feelings of success, or explore the challenges they experienced along the way.

Some reflection questions students might discuss are:

• Is this my best work?
• What could I have done to improve this essay?
• Why was I successful when I created this presentation?
• What will I do differently next time to augment the process?
• What did I learn? How did I learn? Why do I think that I learned the way that I learned?

Step 1: Students create & store a reflection screencast

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General tips for academic reflections

An overview of key things to keep in mind for academic reflections.

Make sure you know what the assessor is asking for

Your main consideration when producing written or any kind of academic reflection is to know exactly what is expected of you. Therefore, you should ask your assessor what kind of language and structure they are expecting. With that in mind, the characteristics described here and in the sections on language and structure for academic reflections are what is often sought after.

Language of academic reflections

Structure of academic reflections

Using private reflections as foundations for academic reflections

Academic reflective writing is often used to evidence that you have done reflection. Therefore, it is often beneficial to first do a private reflection where you can be as informal and unstructured as you want, and then readapt that into a piece of academic writing.

By using a private reflection initially, you can ensure that you get the full learning opportunity without censoring yourself or being conscious of language, before deciding how best to present your reflections to your assessor. This is similar to figuring out what your argument is and taking notes before writing an essay, or to all the background work you do to solve a technical/mathematical problem that you do not include in your hand-in.

Just as developing your argument and working through each step of a problem can be essential for the final essay or hand-in, for some people doing a private reflection can be very helpful in writing an effective academic reflection. For others, writing their reflection in a formal and structured way from the outset helps them structure their thoughts.

The core elements of academic reflective writing

Academic reflective writing is a genre and just like an essay has characteristics, so does academic reflective writing.

Academic reflective writing requires critical and analytic thought, a clear line of argument, and the use of evidence through examples of personal experiences and thoughts and often also theoretical literature.

You should aim for a balance between personal experience, tone, and academic practice and rigor.

Academic reflective writing should:

• develop a perspective or line of reasoning
• develop a link between your experience or practice and existing knowledge (theoretical or personal)
• show understanding and appreciation of different perspectives to your own
• show recognition that your own understanding is likely incomplete and situations are rarely clear-cut and simplistic
• show learning resulting from the reflection (either by discovering something new or confirming existing knowledge) and how you plan to use it
• be written in an appropriate style with language relevant to your academic discipline
• sometimes, but not always, use theoretical literature to inform your understanding. 

People can have misconceptions about academic reflective writing – some of the common ones are described below.

Developed from:

Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.

University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online].  Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable).  Reflection. [online].  Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.

Reflective report structure: here is the brief guide and help

Reflective reports are written to explain your experiences concisely and informally. They should be written like short essays and be structured as separate sections. Unlike articles, however, reports are more practical and should focus on lessons learned. The descriptions of situations and feelings should be brief, and the main lessons learned should be expressed and applied in the future.

Writing a reflective report

The introduction to a reflective report should explain what the topic is about. It should also summarise what you learned through a certain activity. Then, in your body paragraphs, provide at least three points supporting your opinion. You can include arguments for and against each method. Finally, it would help if you connected back to the audience.

Reflective reports are different from other kinds of academic assignments. Instead of presenting a researcher’s viewpoint, students present their own. They must also provide evidence to support their arguments. While some students enjoy writing this type of paper, others find it challenging. Not everyone can formulate opinions on various topics, and so seeking help is important.

Paragraphs should be three to eight sentences long. They should be structured like small essays. They should also emphasise the lessons learned. It’s important to provide enough details to help the reader envision the setting or experience. The points can range from the visual appearance of a scene to the sounds and general ambience.

A reflective report can be structured using several different models. While Gibb’s reflective cycle is an example of one of these models, it is not the only one that applies to this type of writing. You may also consider Kolb’s model, which is much more compact. The overall goal of a reflective report is to examine the process and outcome of a specific event, activity, or process, and then to apply the learning to future practice.

Reflective reports generally include three parts: context description, analysis, and conclusions. There is no set proportion for these three parts, but remember that the learning process occurs during the latter two stages. Therefore, describe the context briefly but include details that make the reader feel they are living in the setting.

When writing a reflective report, there are a few rules to follow. It is important to keep the report concise, with each section having a clear purpose. The content should focus on lessons learned. Typically, the first part of the report should describe the event and the methods you used. The second part of the report should evaluate the experience by considering what you learned, how you responded, and what you would do differently next time.

The introduction is usually the most difficult part of the report, so it is advisable to write it last. Reflective reports generally follow a more structured format than essays, with sub-headings and section headings. The structure may vary by assignment, but it should follow the assignment guidelines.

A reflective report is a great way to express what you learned in a specific situation. It can be written in a five-paragraph essay structure or in a format like the Gibbs Reflection Cycle. In either case, there are some tips you should follow in order to create a good structure for your reflective report.

First, you should be as specific as possible. This means that you should name two main things you learned and how you plan to use your learning in the future. For example, if you studied conflict resolution in school, you can use the new skills you learned in the workplace.

The structure of a reflective report is a critical component of the writing process. It must demonstrate critical analysis and thoughtful reflection. There are many different models for reflective writing. While Gibb’s reflection cycle is widely used, Kolb’s version is more concise. The structure of a reflective report should be a reflection of the student’s experiences.

Reflective report structure should include separate sections, each with a distinct purpose. Rather than discussing complex theories, a reflective report should focus on the lessons learned.

Owen Ingram is a research-based content writer, who works for Cognizantt, a globally recognised professional SEO service and Research Prospect , a Servizio di redazione di saggi e dissertazioni . Mr Owen Ingram holds a PhD degree in English literature. He loves to express his views on a range of issues including education, technology, and more.

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• Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Reflective writing.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Criticality in academic writing
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Dissertations
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Writing reflectively is essential to many academic programmes and also to completing applications for employment. This page considers what reflective writing is and how to do it. 

What is reflection?

Reflection is something that we do everyday as part of being human. We plan and undertake actions, then think about whether each was successful or not, and how we might improve next time. We can also feel reflection as emotions, such as satisfaction and regret, or as a need to talk over happenings with friends. See below for an introduction to reflection as a concept. 

Reflection in everyday life [Google Slides]

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing should be thought of as recording reflective thinking. This can be done in an everyday diary entry, or instruction in a recipe book to change a cooking method next time. In academic courses, reflective is more complex and focussed. This section considers the main features of reflective writing. 

Reflective writing for employability

When applying for jobs, or further academic study, students are required to think through what they have done in their degrees and translate it into evaluative writing that fulfils the criteria of job descriptions and person specifications. This is a different style of writing, the resource below will enable you to think about how to begin this transition. 

There are also lots of resources available through the university's careers service and elsewhere on the Skills Guides. The links below are to pages that can offer further support and guidance. 

• Careers and Placements Service resources Lots of resources that relate to all aspects of job applications, including tailored writing styles and techniques.

The language of reflective writing

Reflective academic writing is: 

• almost always written in the first person.
• evaluative - you are judging something.
• partly personal, partly based on criteria.
• analytical - you are usually categorising actions and events.
• formal - it is for an academic audience.
• carefully constructed. 

Look at the sections below to see specific vocabulary types and sentence constructions that can be useful when writing reflectively. 

Language for exploring outcomes

A key element of writing reflectively is being able to explain to the reader what the results of your actions were. This requires careful grading of language to ensure that what you write reflects the evidence of what happened and to convey clearly what you achieved or did not achieve. 

Below are some ideas and prompts of how you can write reflectively about outcomes, using clarity and graded language. 

Expressing uncertainty when writing about outcomes:

• It is not yet clear that…
• I do not yet (fully) understand...
• It is unclear...
• It is not yet fully clear...
• It is not yet (fully?) known… 
• It appears to be the case that…
• It is too soon to tell....

Often, in academic learning, the uncertainty in the outcomes is a key part of the learning and development that you undertake. It is vital therefore that you explain this clearly to the reader using careful choices in your language. 

Writing about how the outcome relates to you:

• I gained (xxxx) skills… 
• I developed… 
• The experience/task/process taught me… 
• I achieved…
• I learned that…
• I found that… 

In each case you can add in words like, ‘significantly’, ‘greatly’, ‘less importantly’ etc. The use of evaluative adjectives enables you to express to the reader the importance and significance of your learning in terms of the outcomes achieved. 

Describing how you reached your outcomes:

• Having read....
• Having completed (xxxx)...
• I analysed…
• I applied… 
• I learned…
• I experienced… 
• Having reflected…

This gives the reader an idea of the nature of the reflection they are reading. How and why you reach the conclusions and learning that you express in your reflective writing is important so the reader can assess the validity and strength of your reflections. 

Projecting your outcomes into the future:

• If I completed a similar task in the future I would…
• Having learned through this process I would… 
• Next time I will…
• I will need to develop…. (in light of the outcomes)
• Next time my responses would be different....

When showing the reader how you will use your learning in the future, it is important to be specific and again, to use accurate graded language to show how and why what you choose to highlight matters. Check carefully against task instructions to see what you are expected to reflect into the future about. 

When reflecting in academic writing on outcomes, this can mean either the results of the task you have completed, for example, the accuracy of a titration in a Chemistry lab session, or what you have learned/developed within the task, for example, ensuring that an interview question is written clearly enough to produce a response that reflects what you wished to find out. 

Language choices are important in ensuring the reader can see what you think in relation to the reflection you have done. 

Language for interpretation

When you interpret something you are telling the reader how important it is, or what meaning is attached to it. 

You may wish to indicate the value of something:

• superfluous
• non-essential

E.g. 'the accuracy of the transcription was essential to the accuracy of the eventual coding and analysis of the interviews undertaken. The training I undertook was critical to enabling me to transcribe quickly and accurately' 

You may wish to show how ideas, actions or some other aspect developed over time:

• Initially 
• subsequently
• in sequence 

E.g. 'Before we could produce the final version of the presentation, we had to complete both the research and produce a plan. This was achieved later than expected, leading to subsequent rushing of creating slides, and this contributed to a lower grade'. 

You may wish to show your viewpoint or that of others:

• did not think
• articulated
• did/did not do something

Each of these could be preceded by 'we' or 'I'.

E.g. 'I noticed that the model of the bridge was sagging. I expressed this to the group, and as I did so I noticed that two members did not seem to grasp how serious the problem was. I proposed a break and a meeting, during which I intervened to show the results of inaction.'

There is a huge range of language that can be used for interpretation, the most important thing is to remember your reader and be clear with them about what your interpretation is, so they can see your thinking and agree or disagree with you. 

Language for analysis

When reflecting, it is important to show the reader that you have analysed the tasks, outcomes, learning and all other aspects that you are writing about. In most cases, you are using categories to provide structure to your reflection. Some suggestions of language to use when analysing in reflective writing are below:

Signposting that you are breaking down a task or learning into categories:

• An aspect of…
• An element of…
• An example of…
• A key feature of the task was... (e.g. teamwork)
• The task was multifaceted… (then go on to list or describe the facets)
• There were several experiences…
• ‘X’ is related to ‘y’

There may be specific categories that you should consider in your reflection. In teamwork, it could be individual and team performance, in lab work it could be accuracy and the reliability of results. It is important that the reader can see the categories you have used for your analysis. 

Analysis by chronology:

• Subsequently
• Consequently
• Stage 1 (or other)

In many tasks the order in which they were completed matters. This can be a key part of your reflection, as it is possible that you may learn to do things in a different order next time or that the chronology influenced the outcomes. 

Analysis by perspective:

• I considered

These language choices show that you are analysing purely by your own personal perspective. You may provide evidence to support your thinking, but it is your viewpoint that matters. 

• What I expected from the reading did not happen…
• The Theory did not appear in our results…
• The predictions made were not fulfilled…
• The outcome was surprising because… (and link to what was expected)

These language choices show that you are analysing by making reference to academic learning (from an academic perspective). This means you have read or otherwise learned something and used it to form expectations, ideas and/or predictions. You can then reflect on what you found vs what you expected. The reader needs to know what has informed our reflections. 

• Organisation X should therefore…
• A key recommendation is… 
• I now know that organisation x is… 
• Theory A can be applied to organisation X

These language choices show that analysis is being completed from a systems perspective. You are telling the reader how your learning links into the bigger picture of systems, for example, what an organisation or entity might do in response to what you have learned. 

Analysing is a key element of being reflective. You must think through the task, ideas, or learning you are reflecting on and use categories to provide structure to your thought. This then translates into structure and language choices in your writing, so your reader can see clearly how you have used analysis to provide sense and structure to your reflections. 

Language for evaluation

Reflecting is fundamentally an evaluative activity. Writing about reflection is therefore replete with evaluative language. A skillful reflective writer is able to grade their language to match the thinking it is expressing to the reader. 

Language to show how significant something is:

• Most importantly
• Significantly 
• The principal lesson was… 
• Consequential
• Fundamental
• Insignificant
• In each case the language is quantifying the significance of the element you are describing, telling the reader the product of your evaluative thought. 

For example, ‘when team working I initially thought that we would succeed by setting out a plan and then working independently, but in fact, constant communication and collaboration were crucial to success. This was the most significant thing I learned.’ 

Language to show the strength of relationships:

• X is strongly associated with Y
• A is a consequence of B
• There is a probable relationship between… 
• C does not cause D
• A may influence B
• I learn most strongly when doing A

In each case the language used can show how significant and strong the relationship between two factors are. 

For example, ‘I learned, as part of my research methods module, that the accuracy of the data gained through surveys is directly related to the quality of the questions. Quality can be improved by reading widely and looking at surveys in existing academic papers to inform making your own questions’

Language to evaluate your viewpoint:

• I was convinced...
• I have developed significantly…
• I learned that...
• The most significant thing that I learned was…
• Next time, I would definitely…
• I am unclear about… 
• I was uncertain about… 

These language choices show that you are attaching a level of significance to your reflection. This enables the reader to see what you think about the learning you achieved and the level of significance you attach to each reflection. 

For example, ‘when using systematic sampling of a mixed woodland, I was convinced that method A would be most effective, but in reality, it was clear that method B produced the most accurate results. I learned that assumptions based on reading previous research can lead to inaccurate predictions. This is very important for me as I will be planning a similar sampling activity as part of my fourth year project’ 

Evaluating is the main element of reflecting. You need to evaluate the outcomes of the activities you have done, your part in them, the learning you achieved and the process/methods you used in your learning, among many other things. It is important that you carefully use language to show the evaluative thinking you have completed to the reader.

Varieties of reflective writing in academic studies

There are a huge variety of reflective writing tasks, which differ between programmes and modules. Some are required by the nature of the subject, like in Education, where reflection is a required standard in teaching.

Some are required by the industry area graduates are training for, such as 'Human Resources Management', where the industry accreditation body require evidence of reflective capabilities in graduates.

In some cases, reflection is about the 'learning to learn' element of degree studies, to help you to become a more effective learner. Below, some of the main reflective writing tasks found in University of York degrees are explored. In each case the advice, guidance and materials do not substitute for those provided within your modules. 

Reflective essay writing

Reflective essay tasks vary greatly in what they require of you. The most important thing to do is to read the assessment brief carefully, attend any sessions and read any materials provided as guidance and to allocate time to ensure you can do the task well.

Reflective learning statements

Reflective learning statements are often attached to dissertations and projects, as well as practical activities. They are an opportunity to think about and tell the reader what you have learned, how you will use the learning, what you can do better next time and to link to other areas, such as your intended career. 

Making a judgement about academic performance

Think of this type of writing as producing your own feedback. How did you do? Why? What could you improve next time? These activities may be a part of modules, they could be attached to a bigger piece of work like a dissertation or essay, or could be just a part of your module learning. 

The four main questions to ask yourself when reflecting on your academic performance. 

• Why exactly did you achieve the grade you have been awarded? Look at your feedback, the instructions, the marking scheme and talk to your tutors to find out if you don't know. 
• How did your learning behaviours affect your academic performance? This covers aspects such as attendance, reading for lectures/seminars, asking questions, working with peers... the list goes on. 
• How did your performance compare to others? Can you identify when others did better or worse? Can you talk to your peers to find out if they are doing something you are not or being more/less effective?
• What can you do differently to improve your performance? In each case, how will you ensure you can do it? Do you need training? Do you need a guide book or resources? 

When writing about each of the above, you need to keep in mind the context of how you are being asked to judge your performance and ensure the reader gains the detail they need (and as this is usually a marker, this means they can give you a high grade!). 

Writing a learning diary/blog/record

A learning diary or blog has become a very common method of assessing and supporting learning in many degree programmes. The aim is to help you to think through your day-to-day learning and identify what you have and have not learned, why that is and what you can improve as you go along. You are also encouraged to link your learning to bigger thinking, like future careers or your overall degree. 

Other support for reflective writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including reflective writing. Also check your department's guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for reflective writing:

Appointments and workshops 

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The story of us: eapp 8385 spring 16.

Self Reflection on 1st Presentation

Self-Critique of my first presentation                                             Presenter: Drilona Aliu

Description of Experience 

Since I was the last one to present in class, I had the advantage of seeing everyone else presenting and catching on their strategies. It seemed that all the previous presenters were very comfortable on presenting and they rarely showed any sign on nervousness. Usually, I am able to control my nervousness by giving a “talk” to myself and I imagine myself as the subject matter expert. By having these positive thoughts in my mind, I am able to control nervousness that may be created as a result of the fear of talking in front of people and sharing something very personal such as part of my childhood.

The most challenging aspect of this presentation was creating a meaningful story through an effective framework that would transmit my emotions as a child and my journey to learn English. I find it very challenging when I have a lot to share but do not know how to properly deliver my message in a logical order. While watching the DVD, I was able to identify that this challenge was evident although I tried to hide it as I was speaking. The most surprising aspect of my speech was that I used a lot of facial expressions. This might have always been the case but because I never watched myself presenting I have not been able to identify this habit. I could have done better in certain areas such as volume and speech rate, but I believe that I gave a good overall impression.

I believe that my first speech was effective and kept the audience interested. There is more room to improve upon the introduction and conclusion such as engaging the audience in my opening question: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Such questions are always a good way to start the speech as it keeps the audience interested. I also think that due to time management constraints, I could have done a better job on the conclusion such as ending my speech how this journey affected the path I chose in life. This would “justify” how English has played a role in my life and how he has influenced my personal and professional growth.

I believe that my delivery was generally clear and organized;  however, while watching the DVD I noticed that I need to work more on the speech flow and find effective ways to engage the audience. My posture and eye contact were good but I definitely need to work on my speech rate, such as making more pauses so the audience is able to “digest” the information provided and not feel overwhelmed with the amount of the information at a fast pace. I also think I “overdid” my hand gestures and this is something that I need to improve. Being from the Balkan region, it is part of our culture to excessively use hands when we talk. We are very expressive that way and that may be distracting for many people in the audience. There is also room for eliminating fillers such as um as I tend to use them quite a bit, especially in the beginning of my speech.

Overall, I believe that I have many strengths such as the ability to speak without feeling overwhelmed or very nervous,  to quickly think and avoid mistakes without getting frustrated (mistakes are for human beings), and to deliver my speech with  effective voice projection and eye contact. The main areas for improvement would be to engage the audience as they may relate more to my speech, use fewer facial and hand gestures, speak at a slower pace and make appropriate pauses, and use fewer fillers throughout the speech.

As a result, my goals to improve in public speaking are:

• Effectively organize and clearly deliver my main points. Each main point should be backed up with effective supporting points and examples to make it more illustrative for the audience. The steps I would take to improve on this goal are to develop  a detailed speech outline and rehearse it several times while timing itso I do not run out of time.
• Improve my speech rate. I tend to talk too fast and make very few or short pauses. It is my goal to improve my speaking pace so the audience will be able to follow it better. This can be achieved through multiple rehearsals and ability to select only worthy arguments (quantity vs quality).
• Last but not least is hand gesture control. Watching myself on the DVD made me realize that I use my hands a lot when I speak and sometimes that can be distracting for the audience. I need to work on using my hand gestures appropriately and a way to improve that is through recording myself every time I deliver a speech and reviewing it as that is something I do unconsciously.

There are many other things to improve and I am confident that I will be able to incorporate these changes in my next presentation!

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4. A reflective presentation

A reflective presentation or evaluation is an opportunity to reflect on your experiences of the unit as a whole, identify your key learning, and to help frame your assessment submission. The format of the presentation can take a number of forms, as described by the following students.

“I thought a video presentation would be the best way to showcase sketchbook work and talk through the learning objectives. I feet it was more effective having images to back up the limited words allowed.” 

I opted for a... “written evaluation - putting things on paper is how I naturally work through my thoughts and sift my ideas. The literal editing process helps me to refine my reflections and draw out the essence of my experience.” 

“A video was easier to communicate how I felt and more relaxed.” 

“My video skills are currently non-existent and due to pressure of time I needed to use the medium I am most proficient in. I was intrigued by the idea of the video though and would like to try it at some time in the future. I did watch other students video presentations on the forum with interest.”

“ On this occasion (I opted for) a written evaluation as I'd already prepped for it that way. In future, with the new skills I've learned, I will produce a video.”

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COMM 234: Spring 2018

Digital culture.

Week #15: Video Essay Reflection

For this “penultimate” blog entry, please reflect on the biggest and final project of the semester–the video essay.  Use the following questions to get you started:

• What is your main point or thesis in the video essay?
• What strategies did you use to convince or persuade your viewers?
• What is the general tone or mood of your video?
• What do you believe is the most powerful part of your video?
• What part is least powerful?
• What challenges did you encounter in creating this project, and how did you overcome them?
• Have you carefully and sparingly used outside sources, citing them in MLA format where necessary?
• What did you learn about video production and the technical aspects of film-making and editing through this project?
• Have you enjoyed working on this project?

13 thoughts on “ Week #15: Video Essay Reflection ”

My main point of the video essay is to spread the word about the dangers of hacking and how it will be used in future wars and the damage it can bring. I would persuade by viewers by showing the video of some of the current problems companies and governments deal with. The general tone of my video is dignified of hacking because it is basically a documentary type video. I believe the most powerful part of my video is the portion talking about how cyberterrorism can be used to shut down major parts of our infrastructure. The least powerful part is goofier portion when I am talking about a scene in Live Free or Die Hard and showing a picture/video clip from the movie. Some of the challenges I encountered on the project was just creating the video itself and redoing multiple takes, over and over again. All the sources I have found, are all MLA cited and will be provided at the end of the video. I’ve learned about video production from previous technical classes in middle school, high school, and some friends over the years. This project was fun to work on, but I felt like it would have been a little bit better if we had started working on this project sooner.

The main point of my video project is show the effect Kim Kardashian (reality and social media star) has on social media bloggers and the lengths they’ll go to (plastic surgery to look like her) to create a successful “brand” by utilizing Instagram as their platform. I’ve used numerous pictures (before and after), of some of the girls, videos and text to show the comparison and how drastic they’ve gone to imitate Kardashian and although its borderline creepy, this has helped them gain followers on social media and create successful brands of their own. The most powerful part of the video will be the before and after photos of some of the Instagram girls because a few look identical to Kardashian, so much so that they look like clones, it’s disturbing. It’s also interesting that so many girls claim authenticity, yet they are going to extremes to look like someone else. I may also incorporate a slip screen at the end of my face one side completely bare and the other with full makeup and talk about how long it takes and how unrealistic this lifestyle. I think the least powerful part is using Kardashian as a segway to talk about the real issues. Most people don’t like Kardashian and I’m also not a fan but her social media presence is so strong and she has such an influence on people it was hard for me to ignore. I didn’t encounter any issues because I used imovie in a previous assignment so it was relatively easy. All pictures, videos and information are cited using MLA format.

The main point of my video shows the bad consequences of cyberbullying, appeal to people to pay more attention to cyberbully and the ways to stop it. I use a lot of reliable research sources, facts to show the audiences. These numbers improve the reliability of my video. And help to convince my audiences. In the first part of my video, the tone is sad. I create a sad story about the negative impacts of cyberbullying. The whole mood is quite negative. However, in the other half of the video, I give some tips on how to prevent and stop cyberbullying. So, the mood becomes invigorating. Encouraging people to fight with cyberbullying. The negative mood turns into positive. I think the whole video is quite powerful. The sad story I made can strike audiences’ mind. Also the scientific numbers and facts. The tips I give to the audiences are also very powerful. If I have to say the least powerful one…It might be the story part. The story brings up people’s emotion, but the numbers and tips are really helpful and powerful. The time is a big issue. There is not enough time for me to do this video, and this is my first time making a video. Putting the sound effects and narration into the video is a little difficult. Also, drawing all the pictures and cut them is really hard to do. I try my best to use all my free time on making this project. And I try out a lot of ways to put sounds into it. Finally, I just record my voice over the video. Now, I am still working on this video. I will put the citations at the end of the video. Film-editing is really interesting. It feels like a magic while I’m making them. From these projects, I learned how to cut away the parts I do not like. The way to put music and narration in. And I learned how to use applications like iMovie and Garageband. Yes, I enjoy the process of making this video. It feels so good to make the first video in my life.

My video essay is to spread awareness of the effects of inappropriate media on adolescents. To do this, I incorporate various forms of media and show how easily accessible it is to view this media. The topics I cover fall under internet, music, video games, and television. All of these have become a large part of everyday life for this age group.

The tone set is very concerned as this is the future of our culture with each generation. The most challenging aspect for this is that it’s a lot of information to get across in just 6 minutes so cutting and focusing the point within this time frame requires a lot of planning and skill. From this I learned video creating/editing can be very difficult especially without a full plan or well defined layout.

Knowing the audience and having a clear goal helps to focus the material of the video. It’s also a good idea to implement video tools such as picture in picture to add more to the video. This also helps with an appeal to the eye and requires the viewer to pay more attention.

My video covered the ways social media has affected politics. The tone was relaxed and meant to be as informal as possible. There wasn’t as much persuasion as there was relation of facts to the audience. Being that this technically was an essay, the content itself was more important, especially with this topic, than the presentation. Also, it’s difficult to make information like this using a video platform powerful. There was nothing that was more or less powerful as a result. The obvious challenge was how to make an essay entertaining. Some of the topic are about serious subjects, on which it’s not important to be entertaining. The source that I used was included at the end of the video. I tried to follow the MLA format but also wanted it to be informal and not sound like a robot. I personally dislike video production and editing. Considering we only had about 3 weeks to do this project combined with the timing of this assignment being at the end of the semester with final exams and projects looming, it didn’t lend itself to a lot of creativity. I personally didn’t like the assignment at all. I aspire to be a writer, not a filmmaker. If this was strictly an IST course, having an assignment like this would make more sense.

The main point in my video was to bring more awareness to piracy and files-haring, what is it and what are the affects of doing so. I tend to have fun when it comes to making a present like assignment whether it be a powerpoint or a video. Although in my case it’s a powerpoint presentation with some pictures and videos. The overall tone of my video tends to be light hearted and silly most of the time especially when it comes to talking about a serious topic like piracy because piracy is basically stealing with less consequences.

If I had to choose a particular strong point probably the simplicity of my video. It’s something I have been doing since high school because at an early age I have come to realize everyone would always do the same mundane presentation whether it be a powerpoint or just some poster board with their information. A lot of the things I put in my presentation are more for me and less for the view mainly because while presenting I know there are a lot of people who are not really paying attention and if some of the snarky comments and remarks I place in my video makes them laugh then maybe I can get them more interested in the subject being discussed. One of the main reasons why I feel people don’t tend to do their own research and knowledge seeking is because they find it tedious and boring, so if I can convey the information I have in a simple and fun way then that is how I am going to present it. Plus it’s fun knowing how much I can get away with without people noticing. Weak point of my video would also probably be the simplicity of my presentation. It’s a double edged sword. In a class room I feel like that my presentation would be fine, but in the real world presenting this to a board of directors would probably not be okay.

In terms of sources and citation, I just followed the usual format, I made a slide with all my sources in MLA format. In terms of film-making I didn’t really learn anything because I didn’t use a camera, but in production, things I found annoying about doing presentation still persists like finding credible sources and knowing what information to use so I stay concise and don’t use up too much time.

Overall since I can never take anything too seriously, I tend to have fun with these kinds of assignments.

My main point it to show viewers a new form of technology that is advancing today and could be the future and I show examples of how to use it and a demonstration of it being used. I used examples and tried to show all the possible ways you could use Apple Pay, what it is used for and how you use it as well as why it should be used The tone of my video is all meant to be convincing, and more importantly get apple users to set up Apple Pay to make purchases fast and efficient so you can make your purchase and be on your way. I wanted the tone to be laid back and have the viewers feel confident whenever they want to use Apple Pay they know it will be fast and easy from just holding up their phone screen to another screen in just a blink of an eye. The most powerful part of my video is showing how Apple Pay works, that is what my video is about and most powerful part because it is strictly showing you the new piece of technology or in other words, an app that may change your life in someway. The least powerful part would be setting up the Apple Pay, it does have a downside of only being for apple users so thats where I would say it is least powerful and not everyone can have that advantage unless you own something apple based. It was really challenging trying to create persuasive media without sounding like a commercial or I was trying to sell a product but more so sound persuasive at the same time while trying to tell about a product. My editing skills were okay, I had no problems working with iMovie, my camera was my phone so it was not the best quality. It was a little hard with my story board to make the video because for myself its easier to plan inside my head how I would want the video to look like. I over came them by thinking the video through and how the viewers would want to learn about something in a short video. I have used outside sources and cited them in MLA to give credit at the end of my video. I actually took TV in high school so I was familiar with how to use iMovie and the different types of shots so it was not at all hard for me to edit and make a video so it was pretty simple for myself. I did enjoy this project, I am a comm major so am I all about anything media and digital wise. I am strong about technology and love to edit things so I did enjoy this project a lot and was a change for me to get back to making a video and editing it to my best ability to show my desired content.

The main point of the video is to show the digital divide between America, China, India and Asia by focusing on the differences in the usage of social media, specifically Facebook because it is the most popular platform around the world.

I made the video a mix between a sketch and a documentary. The video uses word-of-mouth from students from the aforementioned countries to show what the public generally thinks about Facebook in other countries and accurate statistics to show where people often get misguided about the digital divide.

The general mood is very light. My intent is to be comedic to keep the audience engaged. My intent was to create a dramatic irony where a fake detective is trying to investigate the digital divide by ‘kidnapping’ Facebook. The irony is that if anything, Facebook promotes the decrease of digital divide somewhat unintentionally by being the most popular social media platform.

Well, if people don’t figure out the irony or understand the humor… then the entire video is… is weak. Figuring out how to fix the sound because most of the interviews for I shot were outdoors and it was difficult to work around all the outside noise. Also, trying to export the video to a decent quality is a current challenge. I think the video is good but it looks like it was made in the ‘80s… but worse.

I used a lot of sources to gather statistics. I admit, my research was done mostly after I had shot the video. I didn’t know how my interviewees would respond to the questions I posed but it turns out that the research I had in mind correlated with the responses. It was then a straight forward process to look for sources that backup my claim.

I learnt how to use Adobe Premiere CC Pro from scratch. Aside from just what different options did to my video, I learnt that video production takes a lot of time and attentiveness. Making a list of what you want really helps. Also, having your script/storyboard helps you make sense of the entire project… because editing makes you question the relevance of even important scenes. Just like the textbook said, use equipment that are familiar with. It was for that reason that I didn’t edit with iMovie because while iMovie is user-friendly, I’m a fan of apple products. Therefore, using Adobe Premiere on a Dell was easy for me to understand. Last thing… YouTube knows everything about everything, literally!

I love every second of working on this project. I forced me to meet people and actually notice my campus. Even the two all-nighters I pulled for this video were fun. I got to laugh at my own jokes; and most importantly, I figured out how to use Adobe Premiere Pro… like a Pro.

The main point of my video is to discuss net neutrality and its effects on both businesses and everyday consumers such as myself. To convince/persuade my viewers, I used a lot of informational data and points, while also showing the cause and effect associated with net neutrality. The general tone and mood of my video is more informational and analytical as to what net neutrality is and how it affects basically everyone.

I think the most powerful part of the video is when I discuss other countries that do not have legislation similar to net neutrality, thus showing what the US could become once the repeal begins to take place. On the other hand, I think the least powerful would be the beginning/intro since it is not as eye-catching (and convincing) as I initially had hoped it to be. One of the many challenges I encountered in creating this project was finding the right videos to support the points I was trying to make. To overcome this, I had to do a lot of research and searching for videos that would fit the script and storyboard I created. Another challenge was that of the time constraint since we only had a few weeks to complete the project, and creating good video does take quite a lot of time. I did use a number of outside sources which are also properly cited in MLA format.

The main thing I learned with the technicalitites of video production and editing is just how tedious it can be to edit videos, especially with cutting out footage that was not necessary at certain points. And overall I did enjoy working on this project since it allowed me to explore a topic I was not completely familiar with, while also letting me develop my video production and editing skills.

My video essay is chiefly intended as an introduction to the idea of social credit, and includes some specific examples, one in the realm of fiction, and one in the not too distant future, which should be a terrifying thought. I wasn’t really trying to convince or persuade them of anything, merely trying to present information. The general tone of my video starts out informative, and stays that way for most of the presentation.

The ending is probably the most powerful part, along with the part immediately preceding it, when I explain all the limitations and controls the Chinese government will be able to exercise over the Chinese people. Conversely, the least powerful part is the beginning, where I explain social media in a very basic sense. The biggest challenge I faced was something of a self-imposed one, in that I didn’t want to use iMovie to create this project, since I prefer to use my computer. I went through several pieces of software before I found one that was free, relatively easy to use, accepted common video formats, and didn’t include a watermark. I eventually succeeded with VSDC Free Video Editor. I only used two or three exterior sources, mostly for images and videos, which have been cited as properly as I know how to. The main thing I learned about video creation was how little I actually knew about video creation. The many intermediate steps between scripting and video production were fairly easy to figure out, but the process of completing them was more difficult that I initially anticipated. When I first saw the prompt asking if I enjoyed working on this project, I was fully prepared to say ‘no.’ That has changed. this project gave me a chance to try something new, which I was initially not thrilled about, but the opportunity to try new things in a scholastic environment is a welcome one.

Coming in a little late on this one, but I wanted to have the video complete and submitted before answering.

For my video, I decided to go for a more informative tone. My main point or goal was to educate my viewers on how digital currencies are penetrating society today. Instead of attepting to persuade my viewers to one side or the other, I decided to provide arguments from both sides of the fence and allow the viewers to come to their own conclusion. I think the most powerful point I make in the video is the discussion of the volatility and security of crypto coins as understanding this can be difficult for some. The least powerful argument I think I made is tne segment regarding the effect mining has on the consumer graphics card market, as this is simple supply and demand, and while annoying, is ultimately just how the free market works.

I faced two big challenges while creating this video. The first was the difficulty I faced when trying to decide on a topic for which I held a strong opinion on. I may be a pretty heavy gamer, but outside of that, I don’t spend much time concerning myself with the online culture. I use my facebook mostly for direct messaging between clients and friends, and I don’t use any other social media outlets like twitter or instagram. I thought about discussing how self righteous and pretentious people are in the online world, but I felt it would just end up just being me ranting about how much people online suck. So instead I decided to cover a topic that has roots in the digital world, but has effect on the real world.

The second challenge I faced came when actually trying to create the video. Ispent about 10-12 hours trying to shoot myself talking to the camera about my subject, taking a firm position against the adoption of cryptocurrency, but once I had it edited down and watched it back, I felt like it ended up being the same ranty garbage that I was trying to avoid in the first place. It didn’t feel professional, and it didn’t feel genuine, mostly because I don’t actually feel strongly against the idea of cryptocurrency use. I stand in a middle ground. I think it’s a great concept, but is inherently flawed in several ways that need to be rectified before I can fully support it. So that’s when I scrapped the entire thing and started from scratch, this time taking a more informative approach, leaving my personal feelings(along with my face) out of the discussion. What I ended up with was a much more professional looking and sounding product that I believe has real value for the uninformed viewers who may be looking for some basic and easy to understand explanations of this explosive new online trend.

When it came to information sources, I didn’t really need to do any research beforehan because most of my content was knowledge I already possessed through my own experimentation and discussion with other hardware enthusiasts regarding the subject of cryptocurrency and mining. So at the advice of Dr. Weisser, I sought out sources of articles and statistical charts after the fact to back up the statements I made in my video.

What i learned about film-making and editing is that I have a newfound respect for the guys who spend their days doing full time content creation for YouTube. Planning shots, getting proper lighting, doing takes over and over and over again. Making sure your performance and content are both equally engaging, and on top of all of that, editing gave me a new appreciation for these people who are on the hustle to put out videos every single day to keep their viewers watching and happy.

As far as having fun with the project, I feel that due to the type of video we needed to do, i.e. a research backed essay, a lot of the fun was taken out of it. I understand that part of the reasonfor this is that the project needs to be acedemic in some way, but I also feel that as a project for a class surrounding digital cultures, the options should have been more open. I feel the project should be to create a video that reflects some sort of digital culture, rather than searching for issues within it. I, for example, would have liked to create some sort of PC building guide, others may have created a funny cat video, or a Vlog about their opinions on a certain subject(without needing to back it up, because an opinion doesn’t need to be right). Just something that better reflects the things people generally watch on YouTube, focusing more on creating an online persona for ourselves as a content creator. This would turn the focus more on understanding and implementing the things we learned from reading the final book. For me, that would have been a lot more fun, yet still relevant to the focus of the course.

My main point for this video essay is to see the evolution of digital technology involving vehicles and how it affects us when driving and traveling. Some strategies that I used to persuade my viewers are facts and features that come with this technology and how they keep us connected with social media when we are on the road. I gave keep aspects of cell phones and the car that used to be limited to USB ports for charging and Bluetooth connections for calling and music, but the options today are much more plentiful. Products like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow motorists to use nearly all of their mobile’s functions from the driver’s seat, including messaging, music, podcasts, and a variety of applications completely hands-free. The mood of my video is neutral but appealing towards manufactures and industries. The most powerful part of my video is the integration of cell phone use, navigation, and wifi use within the car. Some challenges that I came across is how I’m I going to make something good and professional to my viewers. How am I going to structure it to keep people watching and what makes a video appealing towards others. All of these were answered while I was recording and reading. It was much simpler than I thought and it was like the snowball effect when all things fell into place, for the most part. For my outside sources, I put them in the format of MLA and cited them within my video. It seems hard at first but with the right software and equipment, it could be as simple as taking a picture. For the most part, I enjoyed this project and had a blast with it.

I did my video project on Virtual Reality. Because many people don’t know a whole lot about virtual reality I gave a long explanation as to what exactly virtual reality is and how it came to be. I think it is important for people to really know what it is since VR is kind of a niche topic. Although you cannot fully understand VR without trying it out I just tried to do a good job of explaining it. On top of this I tried to show the viewer that VR can be used for so much more other than video games. Medicine, architecture, and education are all fields that can benefit a lit from VR. I also tried to make the intro fun and conclude the video by speculating about the future of VR. I used a lot of videos from outside sources because especially for the history portion of the video I think it is much better to see exactly how the devices are used with video. I was not able to utilize the MLA format because most if not all of my sources were from YouTube and there are no authors clearly stated on these videos. I didn’t learn a lot about video production because I was already pretty knowledgable on the subject. Overall I enjoyed this project because making videos is something I enjoy doing.

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English Language & Intercultural Learning & Teaching Framework

Writing for specific assignments

Writing for specific assignments 

Writing a reflective report or essay 

1. Reflective report or essay  Class presentation (14:40 mins) 

Video presentation for students prepared by Dr Shashi Nallaya. Discusses the process of writing a reflective text, incvluding information on what a reflective essay is, pre-writing tasks, the reflective practice model, structure and language for the essay, and examples of different sections.  

This presentatio n can be shown to students as a video, or as an interactive online presentation, which can be controlled by the student. The students watch the presentation on 'players' which allow them to move forward or back through the slides, progress at their own speed, annotate or highlight individual slides, and search the text. ( See more information ). 

How to Write 1st Class Reflective Reports

Reflective Reports are a common assignment in UK universities. Unlike traditional essays and presentations, the Reflective Report gives students a chance to highlight their own experiences and opinions in an academic setting. Reflective Reports need to contain a good level of critical analysis, but they can also be fun and useful for students.

What Is a Reflective Report?

As the name suggests, a Reflective Report is a piece of writing that summarises a student’s critical reflection on a subject. While traditional academic writing discourages first-person accounts, Reflective Reports rely on them. Reflective Reports are frequently used as part of the assessment of practical projects. In group projects, individual Reflective Reports can document each student’s own contribution to the collective work.

How Is a Reflective Report Different from Other Types of Academic Assignment?

The reflective report is different from traditional assignments because it allows students to explore their own experiences and viewpoints. In these assignments you will not be expected to maintain impersonal objectivity; instead you are expected to highlight your own actions, emotions, and opinions. To be successful, students should critically evaluate their own actions and progress, and demonstrate an ability to link their personal experience with theoretical knowledge.

What Does a Reflective Report Normally Contain?

The contents of the Reflective Report will vary according to the discipline, but it typically provides an overview of the practical project and a thorough account of its progression. Students should highlight their own role in the project if it is a group assignment, and they should always provide critical analysis of their own achievements. In general, Reflective Reports often address the following points:

• What were the project goals and how did you attempt to achieve them? Describe your project plan and how it addressed the requirements of the assignment and your broader area of practice.
• What did you learn? Connect theoretical knowledge from your course to the practical work you undertook. Discuss how particular actions reflect major theories in your field.
• What did you do and feel? Describe your own opinions about the project, including choices that were made and actions that were taken. What were your own contributions and why did you perform in the way that you did?
• What did others do and feel? If this is a group project, discuss the opinions that other group members conveyed to you, and the actions they took. Did you disagree about any points, and if so how did you resolve these issues?
• What was the outcome? Critically assess the success or failure of your practical work. Point out the ways that it benefited users, and/or met the project objectives.
• What were your personal strengths and weaknesses that were revealed? What have you learned about your own professional development from this project? What skill areas do you still need to develop?
• What would you do differently next time?

What Use Are Reflective Reports to Students?

Many students enjoy assignments that contain Reflective Reports, because they allow them to think critically about their own scholarly development and practical progress. Reflective Reports also develop a capacity for critical reflection on professional performance. This is key to developing ethical practice in a wide range of fields, from business to medicine to teaching. People who have experience with Reflective Reports are better able to reflect on their day to day practice, and they also have the ability to summarise and contextualise their performance for colleagues and governing authorities.

How to Write a Good Reflective Report

• Be critical . Although the content of a reflective portfolio will be more personalised than other assignments, you should use the same level of critical analysis as you do for any essay or exam .
• Be thorough . Make sure that you write about all the stages of your project, from the planning phases through to completion. You also need to include a comprehensive post-project analysis.
• Don’t be afraid to state what went wrong! Writing about the least successful aspects of your project allows you to demonstrate a capacity for true critical analysis. It also lets examiners see that you are self-aware and capable of independent professional development.
• Don’t be afraid to state what went right! Some students find it difficult to write confidently about the most successful parts of their work. Scholars are normally expected to be highly objective, and they are often discouraged from celebrating an individual achievement or personal contributions. However, in the Reflective Report you should be sure to state clearly and concisely how your own actions contributed to a successful outcome.
• Analyse outcomes and suggest future improvements. To earn the highest possible marks your Reflective Report should include a detailed critique of the project outcomes. Part of this should include a few well-thought-out suggestions for improving similar projects in the future.

Mistakes to Avoid in Writing Reflective Reports

The most common mistake in Reflective Writing is to be either too objective and scholarly, or too emotional and non-critical. Either mistake is equally wrong. Students should aim for a middle ground in their writing, in which they highlight their own personal feelings and reflections but analyse these with reference to theoretical course material.

Avoid blaming others for things that went wrong . Try to maintain some level of objectivity with regard to both failures and successes. To avoid being overly personal, emphasise the way that theories from your field could address any weaknesses that you encountered.

Finally, be professional . It is true that Reflective Reports require a less formal style of writing, but students sometimes believe that this allows for illegible handwriting and poor grammar. Remember that this is still an academic assignment , and all the normal standards of presentation apply!

University of Kent, 2013. Reflective Learning Study Guide. Available: https://www.kent.ac.uk/learning/documents/PDP/reflectivelearningstudyguide1112.docx. Last Accessed 01 Oct, 2020.

Ursula Lucas and Leng Tan, 2007. Developing a Reflective Capacity Within Undergraduate Education: the role of work-based placement learning. York: Higher Education Academy.

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