Developing a Student-Centred Approach to Reflective Learning

Abstract

One of the goals of higher education is to enable students to become autonomous independent learners. To achieve this goal it is necessary to shift our emphasis from teaching to facilitating effective learning and to promote the concepts of ownership and ‘reflection on learning’. Reflection is a nebulous concept not necessarily amenable to simple translations articulated in the abstract. Rather, it is necessary to provide a framework for reflection over which students themselves have a level of control. In the context of a postgraduate Environmental Studies Diploma/MSc programme professional development workshops were contextualized within the disciplinary based programme to promote a sense of ownership with respect to the learning outcomes and criteria for excellence associated with a group based special studies project. This was achieved through the development of project management logbooks which are presented on a website alongside the special studies project report.