reflection on group work essay example

How to write a Reflection on Group Work Essay

Here are the exact steps you need to follow for a reflection on group work essay.

• Explain what Reflection Is
• Explore the benefits of group work
• Explore the challenges group
• Give examples of the benefits and challenges your group faced
• Discuss how your group handled your challenges
• Discuss what you will do differently next time

Do you have to reflect on how your group work project went?

This is a super common essay that teachers assign. So, let’s have a look at how you can go about writing a superb reflection on your group work project that should get great grades.

The essay structure I outline below takes the funnel approach to essay writing: it starts broad and general, then zooms in on your specific group’s situation.

Disclaimer: Make sure you check with your teacher to see if this is a good style to use for your essay. Take a draft to your teacher to get their feedback on whether it’s what they’re looking for!

This is a 6-step essay (the 7 th step is editing!). Here’s a general rule for how much depth to go into depending on your word count:

• 1500 word essay – one paragraph for each step, plus a paragraph each for the introduction and conclusion ;
• 3000 word essay – two paragraphs for each step, plus a paragraph each for the introduction and conclusion;
• 300 – 500 word essay – one or two sentences for each step.

Adjust this essay plan depending on your teacher’s requirements and remember to always ask your teacher, a classmate or a professional tutor to review the piece before submitting.

Here’s the steps I’ll outline for you in this advice article:

Step 1. Explain what ‘Reflection’ Is

You might have heard that you need to define your terms in essays. Well, the most important term in this essay is ‘reflection’.

So, let’s have a look at what reflection is…

Reflection is the process of:

• Pausing and looking back at what has just happened; then
• Thinking about how you can get better next time.

Reflection is encouraged in most professions because it’s believed that reflection helps you to become better at your job – we could say ‘reflection makes you a better practitioner’.

Think about it: let’s say you did a speech in front of a crowd. Then, you looked at video footage of that speech and realised you said ‘um’ and ‘ah’ too many times. Next time, you’re going to focus on not saying ‘um’ so that you’ll do a better job next time, right?

Well, that’s reflection: thinking about what happened and how you can do better next time.

It’s really important that you do both of the above two points in your essay. You can’t just say what happened. You need to say how you will do better next time in order to get a top grade on this group work reflection essay.

Scholarly Sources to Cite for Step 1

Okay, so you have a good general idea of what reflection is. Now, what scholarly sources should you use when explaining reflection? Below, I’m going to give you two basic sources that would usually be enough for an undergraduate essay. I’ll also suggest two more sources for further reading if you really want to shine!

I recommend these two sources to cite when explaining what reflective practice is and how it occurs. They are two of the central sources on reflective practice:

• Describe what happened during the group work process
• Explain how you felt during the group work process
• Look at the good and bad aspects of the group work process
• What were some of the things that got in the way of success? What were some things that helped you succeed?
• What could you have done differently to improve the situation?
• Action plan. What are you going to do next time to make the group work process better?
• What? Explain what happened
• So What? Explain what you learned
• Now What? What can I do next time to make the group work process better?

Possible Sources:

Bassot, B. (2015).  The reflective practice guide: An interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection . Routledge.

Brock, A. (2014). What is reflection and reflective practice?. In  The Early Years Reflective Practice Handbook  (pp. 25-39). Routledge.

Gibbs, G. (1988)  Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods . Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Extension Sources for Top Students

Now, if you want to go deeper and really show off your knowledge, have a look at these two scholars:

• John Dewey – the first major scholar to come up with the idea of reflective practice
• Donald Schön – technical rationality, reflection in action vs. reflection on action

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Step 2. Explore the general benefits of group work for learning

Once you have given an explanation of what group work is (and hopefully cited Gibbs, Rolfe, Dewey or Schon), I recommend digging into the benefits of group work for your own learning.

The teacher gave you a group work task for a reason: what is that reason?

You’ll need to explain the reasons group work is beneficial for you. This will show your teacher that you understand what group work is supposed to achieve. Here’s some ideas:

• Multiple Perspectives. Group work helps you to see things from other people’s perspectives. If you did the task on your own, you might not have thought of some of the ideas that your team members contributed to the project.
• Contribution of Unique Skills. Each team member might have a different set of skills they can bring to the table. You can explain how groups can make the most of different team members’ strengths to make the final contribution as good as it can be. For example, one team member might be good at IT and might be able to put together a strong final presentation, while another member might be a pro at researching using google scholar so they got the task of doing the initial scholarly research.
• Improved Communication Skills. Group work projects help you to work on your communication skills. Communication skills required in group work projects include speaking in turn, speaking up when you have ideas, actively listening to other team members’ contributions, and crucially making compromises for the good of the team.
• Learn to Manage Workplace Conflict. Lastly, your teachers often assign you group work tasks so you can learn to manage conflict and disagreement. You’ll come across this a whole lot in the workplace, so your teachers want you to have some experience being professional while handling disagreements.

You might be able to add more ideas to this list, or you might just want to select one or two from that list to write about depending on the length requirements for the essay.

Scholarly Sources for Step 3

Make sure you provide citations for these points above. You might want to use google scholar or google books and type in ‘Benefits of group work’ to find some quality scholarly sources to cite.

Step 3. Explore the general challenges group work can cause

Step 3 is the mirror image of Step 2. For this step, explore the challenges posed by group work.

Students are usually pretty good at this step because you can usually think of some aspects of group work that made you anxious or frustrated. Here are a few common challenges that group work causes:

• Time Consuming. You need to organize meetups and often can’t move onto the next component of the project until everyone has agree to move on. When working on your own you can just crack on and get it done. So, team work often takes a lot of time and requires significant pre-planning so you don’t miss your submission deadlines!
• Learning Style Conflicts. Different people learn in different ways. Some of us like to get everything done at the last minute or are not very meticulous in our writing. Others of us are very organized and detailed and get anxious when things don’t go exactly how we expect. This leads to conflict and frustration in a group work setting.
• Free Loaders. Usually in a group work project there’s people who do more work than others. The issue of free loaders is always going to be a challenge in group work, and you can discuss in this section how ensuring individual accountability to the group is a common group work issue.
• Communication Breakdown. This is one especially for online students. It’s often the case that you email team members your ideas or to ask them to reply by a deadline and you don’t hear back from them. Regular communication is an important part of group work, yet sometimes your team members will let you down on this part.

As with Step 3, consider adding more points to this list if you need to, or selecting one or two if your essay is only a short one.

8 Pros And Cons Of Group Work At University

You’ll probably find you can cite the same scholarly sources for both steps 2 and 3 because if a source discusses the benefits of group work it’ll probably also discuss the challenges.

Step 4. Explore the specific benefits and challenges your group faced

Step 4 is where you zoom in on your group’s specific challenges. Have a think: what were the issues you really struggled with as a group?

• Was one team member absent for a few of the group meetings?
• Did the group have to change some deadlines due to lack of time?
• Were there any specific disagreements you had to work through?
• Did a group member drop out of the group part way through?
• Were there any communication break downs?

Feel free to also mention some things your group did really well. Have a think about these examples:

• Was one member of the group really good at organizing you all?
• Did you make some good professional relationships?
• Did a group member help you to see something from an entirely new perspective?
• Did working in a group help you to feel like you weren’t lost and alone in the process of completing the group work component of your course?

Here, because you’re talking about your own perspectives, it’s usually okay to use first person language (but check with your teacher). You are also talking about your own point of view so citations might not be quite as necessary, but it’s still a good idea to add in one or two citations – perhaps to the sources you cited in Steps 2 and 3?

Step 5. Discuss how your group managed your challenges

Step 5 is where you can explore how you worked to overcome some of the challenges you mentioned in Step 4.

So, have a think:

• Did your group make any changes part way through the project to address some challenges you faced?
• Did you set roles or delegate tasks to help ensure the group work process went smoothly?
• Did you contact your teacher at any point for advice on how to progress in the group work scenario?
• Did you use technology such as Google Docs or Facebook Messenger to help you to collaborate more effectively as a team?

In this step, you should be showing how your team was proactive in reflecting on your group work progress and making changes throughout the process to ensure it ran as smoothly as possible. This act of making little changes throughout the group work process is what’s called ‘Reflection in Action’ (Schön, 2017).

Scholarly Source for Step 5

Schön, D. A. (2017).  The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action . Routledge.

Step 6. Conclude by exploring what you will do differently next time

Step 6 is the most important step, and the one far too many students skip. For Step 6, you need to show how you not only reflected on what happened but also are able to use that reflection for personal growth into the future.

This is the heart and soul of your piece: here, you’re tying everything together and showing why reflection is so important!

This is the ‘action plan’ step in Gibbs’ cycle (you might want to cite Gibbs in this section!).

For Step 6, make some suggestions about how (based on your reflection) you now have some takeaway tips that you’ll bring forward to improve your group work skills next time. Here’s some ideas:

• Will you work harder next time to set deadlines in advance?
• Will you ensure you set clearer group roles next time to ensure the process runs more smoothly?
• Will you use a different type of technology (such as Google Docs) to ensure group communication goes more smoothly?
• Will you make sure you ask for help from your teacher earlier on in the process when you face challenges?
• Will you try harder to see things from everyone’s perspectives so there’s less conflict?

This step will be personalized based upon your own group work challenges and how you felt about the group work process. Even if you think your group worked really well together, I recommend you still come up with one or two ideas for continual improvement. Your teacher will want to see that you used reflection to strive for continual self-improvement.

Scholarly Source for Step 6

Step 7. edit.

Okay, you’ve got the nuts and bolts of the assessment put together now! Next, all you’ve got to do is write up the introduction and conclusion then edit the piece to make sure you keep growing your grades.

Here’s a few important suggestions for this last point:

• You should always write your introduction and conclusion last. They will be easier to write now that you’ve completed the main ‘body’ of the essay;
• Use my 5-step I.N.T.R.O method to write your introduction;
• Use my 5 C’s Conclusion method to write your conclusion;
• Use my 5 tips for editing an essay to edit it;
• Use the ProWritingAid app to get advice on how to improve your grammar and spelling. Make sure to also use the report on sentence length. It finds sentences that are too long and gives you advice on how to shorten them – such a good strategy for improving evaluative essay  quality!
• Make sure you contact your teacher and ask for a one-to-one tutorial to go through the piece before submitting. This article only gives general advice, and you might need to make changes based upon the specific essay requirements that your teacher has provided.

That’s it! 7 steps to writing a quality group work reflection essay. I hope you found it useful. If you liked this post and want more clear and specific advice on writing great essays, I recommend signing up to my personal tutor mailing list.

Let’s sum up with those 7 steps one last time:

• Explain what ‘Reflection’ Is
• Explore the benefits of group work for learning
• Explore the challenges of group work for learning
• Explore the specific benefits and challenges your group faced
• Discuss how your group managed your challenges
• Conclude by exploring what you will do differently next time

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

2 thoughts on “How to write a Reflection on Group Work Essay”

Great instructions on writing a reflection essay. I would not change anything.

Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it. – Chris.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Self Reflection — Self-Reflection On My Experiences Working In A Group

A Reflection on My Experience Working in a Group

• Categories: Self Reflection

About this sample

Words: 464 |

Published: Nov 8, 2019

Words: 464 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational researcher, 38(5), 365-379.
• Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological bulletin, 63(6), 384-399.
• Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (2005). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Hackman, J. R. (2002). Leading teams: Setting the stage for great performances. Harvard Business Press.
• Lencioni, P. (2012). The advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business. Jossey-Bass.
• Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin.
• Belbin, R. M. (2012). Team roles at work. Routledge.
• Charkoudian, L., & Moore, W. (2017). Building a strong team culture in a healthcare setting. Journal of Healthcare Leadership , 9, 9-20.
• Belbin, M. (2016). Team Roles and Team Performance: Is there “really” a link?. International Journal of Management & Business Studies, 6(2), 47-58.
• Smith, G. D. (2018). Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research. John Wiley & Sons.

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My Experience Working in a Group: a Reflection

Table of contents, challenges of group work, benefits and learning opportunities, lessons learned.

• Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational researcher, 38(5), 365-379.
• Belbin, R. M. (2012). Team roles at work. Taylor & Francis.
• Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399.
• Forsyth, D. R. (2014). Group dynamics (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (2015). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Harvard Business Review Press.

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A Reflection On Our Group Work – Georgia Barker.

Introduction:

In this project we helped the fitness company Vanquish improve on it’s digital marketing campaign by evaluating certain topics in which we, as a group, felt needed developing or improving.

Unfortunately, for many people group work is a negative experience. As I believe everyone is, at the beginning I was very nervous to be told we were expected to produce a group presentation for this module. When working with students who you have never met or spoken to before, it can be very daunting and, in our current circumstances , face to face interaction is long in the past so this made our task a whole lot harder.

To begin our project, we began by setting up our own Microsoft teams room where we shared files and constructed our PowerPoint base and Word document for our script. We then went on to assign roles for each participant based on preference of which task we would like to complete. I saw this as chance to enrich my business knowledge so I decided to take on the task of completing and evaluating PESTLE and SWOT analysis’  of the company.

As each of us had different timetables to one another, we found it hard to organise meetings to discuss where we were at with our work. So, we decided to create a snapchat group chat to talk more frequently and also work on the shared documents in Microsoft Teams. As this group project was entirely online, I found it difficult to portray my ideas and suggestions to my team via text. However, the experience from working virtually with my team has really developed my skills in communication which will assist me in my future career paths. It has given me the confidence to perform better in the future. Adding to this, group work has helped me to develop my leadership skills by ensuring that all members of my group are motivated and working towards our common goal. Finally, to complete group work it is essential that organization skills are used and this project has helped me develop this skill. Organization is a vital part of group work. Deciding early what company we wanted to do and how we wanted to present our work was key in ensuring our work was competed to a high standard.

Almost 3 times a week we would talk to each other about our work and how far we have got with each part of the presentation. We would also help each other with questions we had in regards to our work or areas that we needed some support with. For instance I struggled to find certain points for part of my analysis but, through the combined knowledge of my team mates, they helped me develop an idea. We went through components of the GRIP Model to ensure highly effective teamwork by understanding the ‘goal’ in which we wanted to achieve and ensured that our goal to achieve a high grade were aligned with one another. Also, each group members knew exactly what roles they each has to play throughout this presentation and exactly what we were responsible for. Finally,  high levels of quality communication were used throughout the presentation and any conflicts were dealt with to help us make progress.

Collaboration and involvement:

I can confidently say that each member of the group was as involved and committed as the other. We all thrive for good grades and our effort into the presentation and group work showed this. I expected my group to work well together to accomplish our shared goals based on the Social independence theory  since we all shared the same goals and wanted the same outcome. One of the primary things my group did well was working together. Each of us brought unique ideas and styles to the group work which all complemented our own presentation styles very well. This also gave each of us knowledge on different techniques that I will be able to use in the future.  We did however have to request an extension on our work because as a small group of 3 we were at a disadvantage to the other groups who had 4/5 members in their team. This effectively slowed us down with our work contributions as we had more tasks to do and we had to ensure a fair amount of tasks were given to each member.

Conclusion:

To conclude, this experience has enhanced various different skills that will be required of me in future careers. Overall, I believe we have done a good job on our presentation and have worked efficiently as a group to complete our project. If I were to do this project again, I would ensure that I communicate more frequently with my group and introduce days of a week where we can have meetings to review what we have done and what we will continue to do to ensure that we are not pushed for a deadline. As they say, practise makes perfect and I feel that next time, to perfect my presentation, I will encourage my group to practise a few more times together to ensure that we get the bet possible grade. I look forward to more group work projects in the future to help me understand further how to work with more team dynamics.

References:

Beckhard, R., 1972. 4.2 Five Models for Understanding Team Dynamics. [Online] Available at: https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/technicalwriting/chapter/understandingteamdynamics/ [Accessed 11 February 2021].

Johnson, D. &. J. R., 1995. Social Interdependence Theory by Johnson & Johnson. [Online] Available at: http://www.ceebl.manchester.ac.uk/events/archive/aligningcollaborativelearning/Johnson_Johnson.pdf [Accessed 11 February 2021].

My Learning Essentials, 2019. Essential skills for group work. [Online] Available at: https://medium.com/my-learning-essentials/essential-skills-for-group-work-73a88e0dcee1 [Accessed 11 February 2021].

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Teamwork: Reflective Account on Group Work

Group experience reflection.

First of all, reflecting on the group experience, it should be mentioned that the management style adopted by the group was the democratic style. Such a choice of management style met the requirements set before the group the most efficiently.

The group work was organized in the following way. Before the group work began, the leader was chosen. Next, the leader evaluated the group task and began to work towards this task completion.

The group was formed without knowing each other. Team members tended to behave independently and did not trust one another.

The group worked on the presentation. The focus in this group presentation was to identify the problem within the organisation and be able to think in-depth and develop management skills on how to resolve and manage the crisis that might arise within the group by applying the appropriate theory.

In addition, the group members worked with the case study given by the tutor. The case study was researched together. Next, the tasks were allocated. At this point of the group work, the problems began because of the arguments and unwillingness to cooperate. The team members did not want to accept the given tasks. This difficulty appeared the main cause of the disagreement.

To solve this complicated problem, the leader used the democratic management style. The leader reminded the team of the agreed rules and the guidelines set by the group.

The group members assembled for the coprocessing tasks. In week 8, the group went to have a meeting with the seminal leader. Their purpose was to get a piece of advice on their work for the presentation. In addition, the group members aimed to take feedback on their progress. The ultimate goal of the group members was to complete their tasks and send them to the group leader.

Analysis of the situation suggests that the chosen management style turned out successful to achieve the goals set in front of the group. The essence of the problem was skillfully identified by the leader. Seeing that the group members wanted to be heard and they needed consideration of their unique skills and abilities, the leader made the right decisions. Adoption of the democratic management style was the right decision thus because the team members wanted to have a part in the decision-making.

Analysis of the Management Style and a Critical Review of the Team’s Approach

The democratic management style is based on the principle of participation (Northouse, 2015). Its main components are consultation, consensus, and persuasion during the whole process of decision-making (Dogaru, 2012). The democratic management style assumes that final decision-making is done by the leader (Boykins et al., 2013).

The team’s approach to task completion and cooperation can be justly qualified as the democratic management style. Such a conclusion can be supported by the fact that the leader encouraged team members’ participation in the decision-making, reached consensus but left the right of final decision-making for him.

Management Style Questioner Reflection

Reflecting on the ‘management style’ questionnaire filled at the start of the semester, it should be stated that the writer’s approach to management changed since the questionnaire was completed for the first time. Particularly, the writer began to view leadership and teamwork as a united system, in which the most important point is effective cooperation based on mutual respect (Northouse, 2015). The writer also concluded that for the situations where consensus should be reached, it is important to allow the group members’ participation in the decision-making.

From the course materials and the additional academic sources researched by the writer, one realized that the team members often need their right to democracy to be realized (Northouse, 2015; Burke & Barron, 2014). Employees want to be a part of the decision-making process (Harper, 2013). This is the truth about the group work in the given case. Some leaders prefer thinking that an autocratic position is more effective. However, the situation the group faced proves that cooperation is crucial to have a good result in group work.

A good leader knows how to guide without pressure (Northouse, 2015). The group leader in the given project demonstrated excellent skills of guiding without tension. This wise behaviour helped the leader to resolve the conflict with those group members who refused to cooperate.

The writer understood that supportive communication from the leader was welcomed by the group members. When the group leader showed interest in the good results accomplishment and provided helpful feedback regarding their parts of work for all team members, the task completion progress became steadier.

Theories of Management Styles

There is a row of theories of management styles. These theories can be split into four groups. Behavioural theories assume that the major aspect of the management style is the leader’s behaviour (Harper, 2013). Behavioural theories focus on the leader’s works and based on them, they qualify the leader’s management style. Contingency theories focus on the situation the team is facing (Harper, 2013). Based on the situation, they offer the leader recommendations as for the choice of the management style, which is the best for the current state of affairs. Trait theories view leaders as owners of certain character traits that influence their management styles. Trait theories state that leaders choose the management style that best fits their personality (Harper, 2013). Finally, power and influence theories assume that leaders use various management styles depending on their views on power and authority (Harper, 2013).

Reference List

Boykins, C., Campbell, S., Moore, M. & Nayyar, S. (2013) An empirical study of leadership styles. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance, and Marketing, 5(2), 1-31.

Burke, R. & Barron, S. (2014) Project management leadership: Building creative teams (2nd Edition). Somerset, NJ, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Dogaru, M. (2012) Practicing management styles in organizations. Valahian Journal of Economic Studies, 3(1), 59-62.

Harper, C. (2013) Exploring the relationship between management style and work-life balance . Colorado, Technical University.

Northouse, P. (2015) Leadership: theory and practice (7th ed) . London, Sage.

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StudyCorgi. (2022, January 5). Teamwork: Reflective Account on Group Work. https://studycorgi.com/teamwork-reflective-account-on-group-work/

"Teamwork: Reflective Account on Group Work." StudyCorgi , 5 Jan. 2022, studycorgi.com/teamwork-reflective-account-on-group-work/.

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Reflecting on Group Presentation with Rolfe’s Reflective Cycle Essay

Over the course of the last decade, reflective practice in the advancement of knowledge in a plethora of areas, including business, education, social work, and healthcare, has been becoming continuously more widespread. Patel and Metersky (2021) state that reflection is considered to improve learning, which is why it is so popular in so many spheres. According to Schwind and Manankil-Rankin (2020), deliberate reflection on any experience gives meaning to people’s three ways: of being, knowing, and doing (or, alternatively, ontology, epistemology, and praxis). When it comes to the most widely used reflective models, Rolfe’s reflective cycle is one of these, and it is deemed applicable in any context due to its clarity and subsequent ease of employment (Galutira, 2018). The following reflective essay uses this model to guide my thinking about teamwork, leadership, and time management in relation to creating a group Powerpoint presentation. The aims of this essay are to evaluate the experience of such a type of work and to describe how the things I have learned can be applied to my future nursing practice.

Rolfe’s reflective cycle is a reflective model created to help people assess their experiences or empirical learning activities. In terms of group and teamwork, Rolfe’s model is an effective tool for each member to evaluate how they can improve their teamwork skills ( Use the ‘What? So what? Now what?’ model, no date). This method’s history dates back to the 1970s when an American schoolteacher Terry Borton wrote a book in which he proposed a reflective practice framework founded on three questions: what? so what? and now what?

Borton’s scheme was adapted for clinical use by John Driscoll, although his version could be implemented in various disciplines. In addition to that, Rolfe et al. took Borton’s model and refined it further for use in a clinical setting and pastoral work ( What? So what? Now what? model of reflection , no date). Rolfe and his colleagues left the structure of Borton’s scheme unchanged but expanded each question to include extra questions to stimulate deeper reflection. As stated by Business Bliss Consultants FZE (2018), this is aimed at increasing self-awareness, analysis skills, and skills of problem-solving. The ‘what?’ phase of Rolfe’s model contains questions to help objectively review what took place. The ‘so what?’ phase is a more subjective study of the consequences. Finally, the ‘now what?’ phase is a look at the way the lessons learned can be beneficial for the future.

I believe that the main reason why my group succeeded in creating a presentation without major quarrels or disagreements was because of our good teamwork, which was due to the strategy we all agreed upon for the working process. This strategy consisted of having each member of the team assigned a specific task in the beginning based on what each person is good at – for instance, finding appropriate references, doing research, or creating presentations. We communicated to check where everyone was with their part of the work every week. However, it would have been harder to do had our group been larger; but since there were five of us, communication was effective, and each person’s voice was always heard. To interact with one another, we created a WhatsApp group chat, and while it proved to be productive, we still felt that a lack of face-to-face meetings was a significant drawback. Moreover, for our work to be more organized, we selected a team leader, Wendy, who was chosen due to her having had experience with working in groups and making presentations before.

In addition to that, one unfortunate circumstance that I found myself facing was my poor time management skills. It seems that I had initially underestimated the amount of work it would take for me to finish my part of the task. As a result, in the final stages of preparation, I worked for hours in the end and felt exhausted when it was done. However, since our group scored an A, I consider it all to have been worth it.

What this experience tells me about myself is that I have to be less confident when approaching such tasks and put more effort into planning how, when, and what exactly to do. This is especially important when working in groups or teams because other people rely on you to do your work efficiently and timely. Academic literature on effective team communication points at the necessity of each member of the team to feel that they are responsible for the final outcome (Harris and Sherblom, 2018). In addition to that, according to Marlow et al. (2018), when it comes to a successful group, it is not the frequency of communication but its quality that matters. It explains why us discussing things in a group chat once a week was more than enough for the eventual success of the project.

Moreover, this experience taught me that for group work to be productive, there must be a leader in a team. As I have mentioned earlier, we appointed Wendy to be our leader, and I believe that had it not been for her, it would have been more difficult for us to make progress. As per Northouse (2021), a true leader is someone who is focused on developing others, leads by example, and ensures that the communication between team members is effective. All of this is about Wendy, who was an inspiration for all of us to aim to work harder and was always there to help anyone who struggled with anything.

I believe that I have learned a lot from working on this project with my peers. First of all, for the sake of not only my mental health but also other people succeeding, I plan to start working on my time management skills. In addition to that, I will ensure that I remember everything that I have learned about group work and apply it to the next team project in which I will participate. In terms of how I can apply the reflections on our work to my future nursing practice, I now have an understanding of how to be an effective team player and a good leader. Both of these qualities are important to deliver safe and high-quality nursing care, which is my, and every other nurse’s, ultimate goal.

In conclusion, reflective practice is essential to improving learning and evaluating one’s skills for future development. One of the most effective and popular reflective models is Rolfe’s reflective cycle, which is based on a person asking themselves three simple questions: what? so what, and now what? When expanded into a series of additional queries, these give one an opportunity to analyze their work and think of ways to enhance it. I applied it in assessing the work of my group on a presentation and found that it is extremely efficient in supplying one with food for thought and identifying benefits and drawbacks. I will use the knowledge that I have gained from working with this reflective model in my future nursing practice to be a great team player and a successful leader.

Reference List

Business Bliss Consultants FZE (2018) Rolfe’s reflective cycle . Web.

Galutira, G.D. (2018) ‘Theory of reflective practice in nursing’, International Journal of Nursing Science , 8(3), pp. 51-56.

Harris, T.E. and Sherblom, J.C. (2018) Small group and team communication . Waveland Press.

Marlow, S.L., Lacerenza, C.N., Paoletti, J., Burke, C.S. and Salas, E. (2018) ‘Does team communication represent a one-size-fits-all approach?: a meta-analysis of team communication and performance’, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes , 144, pp.145-170.

Northouse, P.G. (2021) Leadership: theory and practice . Sage Publications.

Patel, K.M. and Metersky, K. (2021) ‘Reflective practice in nursing: a concept analysis’, International Journal of Nursing Knowledge , 33(3), pp. 180-187.

Schwind, J. K. and Manankil-Rankin, L. (2020) ‘Using narrative reflective process to augment personal and aesthetic ways of knowing to support holistic person-centred relational practice’, Reflective Practice , 21(4), pp. 473–483.

Use the ‘What? So what? Now what?’ model: a great example of reflective questioning (no date). Web.

What? So what? Now what? model of reflection (no date). Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, September 24). Reflecting on Group Presentation with Rolfe's Reflective Cycle. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reflecting-on-group-presentation-with-rolfes-reflective-cycle/

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Reflection of Group Project, Essay Example

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Summary of Peer Feedback

Peer feedback has been one of the most valuable learning experience in this project because it has helped our group understand our strengths and weaknesses we were unaware of and has provided valuable suggestions regarding improvement in the future.The peer feedback gives us a good summary of our presentation. First of all, the presentation was more focused on oral presentation. The presenters also made sure to involve the audience in the discussion. The presenters also succeeded in relaying the central message of their presentation.

Group Strengths

The project strength noted by most of the audience members was the presenters’ attempt to involve the audience whether through class activity or discussion. This ensured that the audience is engaged with the discussion and better grasp the concepts being relayed by the presenters. This approach also ensured that audience do not get bored and stay engaged. The presenters also appeared knowledgeable about their material which helped them build credibility with the audience.

Groups Weaknesses

Some of the audience members felt the presentation could use more multi-media and visual materials. This feedback made us realized that people have different learning styles and oral delivery of information may not be suited to everyone. Similarly, some pointed out that presentation slides could have used more information which once again confirm that we made the error of assuming oral delivery of information will be sufficient to help audience understand the message.In fact, some peers pointed out we could have used less talking because it becomes challenging to retain information. Another weakness of the presentation was lack of simple examples. We mistakenly assumed that the audience member will already have reasonable understanding of the material we may be presenting, thus, we chose the examples our group understood. This feedback make us realized that the best strategy is to use the simplest examples so that even those with poor understanding of theories can grasp the message.

Strategy for Improvement in the Future

After going through peer feedback, our group also evaluated the actual processes we went through in completing the project and determined what may and may not be the desirable strategy in the future. In our opinion, one of the strongest qualities of our group was that each member displayed professionalism regarding his/her tasks and completed them on time and in a manner expected of him/her. This helped us complete project before time and gave us valuable time to prepare for presentation. This sense of reliability also built strong working relationship among the members. The main weakness of our group was insufficient face-to-face meetings which were also due to time constraints. Thus, most of the communication took place through email until we prepared for the presentation. After our group went through peer feedback, we realized lack of face-to-face meeting prevented us from valuable brainstorming opportunities which might have helped us address some of the weaknesses noted in the feedback.

In future, we will hold more face-to-face meetings even if they are short or during lunch breaks. We will also incorporate more multi-media material and achieve a delicate balance in terms of written material. Some peer members appreciated while others complained about lack of written material, thus, the answer lies somewhere in between. We will also incorporate more examples and the criteria to choose examples would be that they can be understood by even those who are being introduced to the concept/theory for the first time.

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Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

One of the most famous cyclical models of reflection leading you through six stages exploring an experience: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle was developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 to give structure to learning from experiences.  It offers a framework for examining experiences, and given its cyclic nature lends itself particularly well to repeated experiences, allowing you to learn and plan from things that either went well or didn’t go well. It covers 6 stages:

• Description of the experience
• Feelings and thoughts about the experience
• Evaluation of the experience, both good and bad
• Analysis to make sense of the situation
• Conclusion about what you learned and what you could have done differently
• Action plan for how you would deal with similar situations in the future, or general changes you might find appropriate.

Below is further information on:

• The model – each stage is given a fuller description, guiding questions to ask yourself and an example of how this might look in a reflection
• Different depths of reflection – an example of reflecting more briefly using this model

This is just one model of reflection. Test it out and see how it works for you. If you find that only a few of the questions are helpful for you, focus on those. However, by thinking about each stage you are more likely to engage critically with your learning experience.

This model is a good way to work through an experience. This can be either a stand-alone experience or a situation you go through frequently, for example meetings with a team you have to collaborate with. Gibbs originally advocated its use in repeated situations, but the stages and principles apply equally well for single experiences too. If done with a stand-alone experience, the action plan may become more general and look at how you can apply your conclusions in the future.

For each of the stages of the model a number of helpful questions are outlined below. You don’t have to answer all of them but they can guide you about what sort of things make sense to include in that stage. You might have other prompts that work better for you.

Description

Here you have a chance to describe the situation in detail. The main points to include here concern what happened. Your feelings and conclusions will come later.

Helpful questions:

• What happened?
• When and where did it happen?
• Who was present?
• What did you and the other people do?
• What was the outcome of the situation?
• Why were you there?
• What did you want to happen?

Example of 'Description'

Here you can explore any feelings or thoughts that you had during the experience and how they may have impacted the experience.

• What were you feeling during the situation?
• What were you feeling before and after the situation?
• What do you think other people were feeling about the situation?
• What do you think other people feel about the situation now?
• What were you thinking during the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now?

Example of 'Feelings'

Here you have a chance to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in the situation. Try to be as objective and honest as possible. To get the most out of your reflection focus on both the positive and the negative aspects of the situation, even if it was primarily one or the other.

• What was good and bad about the experience?
• What went well?
• What didn’t go so well?
• What did you and other people contribute to the situation (positively or negatively)?

Example of 'Evaluation'

The analysis step is where you have a chance to make sense of what happened. Up until now you have focused on details around what happened in the situation. Now you have a chance to extract meaning from it. You want to target the different aspects that went well or poorly and ask yourself why. If you are looking to include academic literature, this is the natural place to include it.

• Why did things go well?
• Why didn’t it go well?
• What sense can I make of the situation?
• What knowledge – my own or others (for example academic literature) can help me understand the situation?

Example of 'Analysis'

Conclusions.

In this section you can make conclusions about what happened. This is where you summarise your learning and highlight what changes to your actions could improve the outcome in the future. It should be a natural response to the previous sections.

• What did I learn from this situation?
• How could this have been a more positive situation for everyone involved?
• What skills do I need to develop for me to handle a situation like this better?
• What else could I have done?

Example of a 'Conclusion'

Action plan.

At this step you plan for what you would do differently in a similar or related situation in the future. It can also be extremely helpful to think about how you will help yourself to act differently – such that you don’t only plan what you will do differently, but also how you will make sure it happens. Sometimes just the realisation is enough, but other times reminders might be helpful.

• If I had to do the same thing again, what would I do differently?
• How will I develop the required skills I need?
• How can I make sure that I can act differently next time?

Example of 'Action Plan'

Different depths of reflection.

Depending on the context you are doing the reflection in, you might want use different levels of details. Here is the same scenario, which was used in the example above, however it is presented much more briefly.

Adapted from

Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Supporting Students to Reflect on their Group Work

To develop group skills, students need to do more than just complete group tasks. Along the way, it's important that they reflect on group processes. Reflection can be informal or formal (built into assessment). Students can reflect individually or in groups.

Students can reflect on both the processes and products of group work. When incorporating reflective activities into group work, it is important that students have the opportunity to apply what they have learnt through their reflections to future tasks to improve their learning. This section outlines a number of ways to build reflection into group tasks and projects.

Helping students monitor their development and reflect on their performance

Reflective activities.

To develop effective group skills, students need to practise using their skills and reflect on what worked and did not work. This helps them form generalised principles based on their experience, which then inform their future actions.

You can use one or more of the following strategies to help your students reflect on their group work skills. Depending on the nature of your group task or project, you might include a reflective activity during the task or at its completion. For example, at the end of the group task, students could submit a collaborative reflective report on group processes, or they could reflect on how to in the future by completing the student exercise: Planning ahead—What can I do better next time? ).

Helping students identify how they can improve

The following exercise helps students to think about their experiences in groups, about the group's functioning and about their individual roles and contributions to the group. Importantly, it also helps students to identify how the group might function more effectively next time. Using the prompts, students can reflect individually, then discuss their responses in groups or as a class.

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How to write a reflective report on group work

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What is a reflective report? | How to write a reflective report on group work?

Searching for how to write a reflective report on group work? First, we’ll need to discuss that what a reflective report is. A reflective report is a detailed critical analysis from the student’s point of view. The student needs to clearly define the aim of the topic, efforts in the project and learning from the project. The reflective writing can also include general feedback on the topic, the student’s opinion and the student’s personal strengths and weaknesses that were revealed during the project.

Tips on how to write a reflective report on group work

Group work is an activity that builds the entire personality of the student. Based upon his participation, he can either become a leader or be an indifferent person. It is imperative for any student to undertake group work as in the real world there is nothing that can be achieved with solitude. Group exercises bring out the best and the worst of a person in times of distress. So a student’s view on group exercise can range from negative to skeptical to positive.

For writing a reflective report on group work, we first should understand the main aim as to why group the group work was given. Group works are assigned to the students to imbibe a congenial and pleasant personality to students. While in a job or as an entrepreneur, a person needs to be adaptable to work with people who are not like him. It can be excessively frustrating if you don’t develop these qualities as a student. For a group work, it is advised to be the most resourceful member of the group. The more efforts you put in, the more you’ll learn.

Often people who are introverts are able to overcome their shyness while working in a group task. So to write a good reflective report on group work one needs to clearly identify the weaknesses and strengths prior to the start of the assignment and then the weaknesses overcame by the student after the completion of the assignment. A student needs to work on his weaknesses for his personal development and put his strengths to work for the upliftment of the team as a whole. So a reflective report on group work can only be student-specific.

Now you are able to answer the question of How to write a reflective report on group work. If you still face any difficulties just come at Mentyor.

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Nickel and Dimed: a Reflection on Work, Poverty, and Survival

This essay about “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich offers an in-depth analysis of the author’s exploration into the lives of low-wage workers in America. Through Ehrenreich’s firsthand experiences in various minimum wage jobs, the essay discusses the harsh realities of trying to survive on inadequate earnings, the myth of the American Dream for the working poor, and the physical and emotional toll of such labor. It highlights the systemic issues that contribute to economic hardship, including the inadequacy of social safety nets and the imbalance between the cost of living and wages. Furthermore, the essay reflects on Ehrenreich’s critique of societal values and her call for policy reforms to ensure a living wage and dignity for all workers. By summarizing the key themes and societal implications of “Nickel and Dimed,” the essay emphasizes the need for a collective reevaluation of labor value and economic equity in the United States.

How it works

Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” serves as a poignant exploration of the challenges faced by low-wage workers in the United States. Through her immersive experiment, Ehrenreich delves into the lives of those earning the minimum wage, offering readers a firsthand account of the struggle to make ends meet in a burgeoning economy that often overlooks the most vulnerable. This essay aims to unpack the themes, reflections, and societal implications presented in her groundbreaking work.

Ehrenreich’s journey begins with a simple, yet profound, question: Can one survive on the wages of the unskilled labor market? To find her answer, she embarks on a series of low-wage jobs across different states, from waiting tables in Florida to cleaning houses in Maine and working at a retail chain in Minnesota. What unfolds is a narrative rich in detail and empathy, exposing the harsh realities of food insecurity, housing crises, and the often invisible barriers that prevent upward mobility.

One of the most compelling aspects of “Nickel and Dimed” is Ehrenreich’s critique of the myth of the American Dream. She challenges the notion that hard work and determination alone are enough to transcend economic hardship. Her experiences reveal a system rigged against the working poor, where the costs of basic necessities often exceed earnings, and where social safety nets are woefully inadequate or nonexistent. This systemic failure, Ehrenreich argues, perpetuates a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break.

Moreover, Ehrenreich shines a light on the physical and emotional toll of low-wage work. The jobs she undertakes are not only poorly paid but are also demanding, with long hours that leave little time for rest or personal life. The physical strain, coupled with the stress of financial instability, paints a grim picture of the daily lives of millions of Americans. Through her narrative, Ehrenreich challenges readers to reconsider their perceptions of low-wage workers and the value of labor in American society.

“Nickel and Dimed” does not just expose the problem; it also prompts a conversation about potential solutions. While Ehrenreich’s experiment ends, the realities for many Americans do not. The book serves as a call to action for policy changes that ensure a living wage, affordable housing, and access to healthcare for all workers. It underscores the need for a collective reevaluation of our values and priorities as a society, advocating for a system that uplifts rather than undermines the dignity of work.

In conclusion, Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed” is more than a mere account of the trials faced by low-wage workers; it is a powerful commentary on the socio-economic fabric of America. By sharing her journey, Ehrenreich not only brings to light the struggles of the working poor but also challenges us to reflect on the societal structures that allow such inequities to persist. Her work remains a crucial read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of poverty, work, and survival in the modern economy, prompting ongoing dialogue about the changes necessary to foster a more equitable society.

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