Welcome back, dear Reader! In Part 1 of this post, we reviewed some of the benefits of using Reflection as a learning tool based on the theories of Dewey, Kolb, Schon, Boud, Gibbs, Pedler, to name a few.

  • Reflection helps make stronger connections between new and previous learning (ie, scaffolding).
  • Reflection helps the Learner make value judgements about their learning.
  • Reflection helps the Learner plan their next course of action.
  • All of these together help the Learner structure their learning, integrate it into work, and grow in competence and confidence.

In this second and final part of the post, I will recap the training need, and then go onto describe the simple reflective resource we developed as part of our learning academy.

Training Need: As part of a learning academy at my workplace, we provide 30 hours of mandatory training to a group of approx. 100 nominated learners over 6 months. Learners are happy with the training; however, given the cognitive load, adding a reflective pause in the learning journey would benefit them even more.

Solution: The solution was to develop a self-assessment tool as a method of reflection. At first it seems self-defeating to design one more training resource as a pause in training. However, we ensured that we built in some features to aid reflection:

  • The self-assessment is optional, unscored, and untracked. It is hosted on a 3rd party platform to ensure complete privacy.
  • Upon completion, each Learner is provided with a spider web analysis of their performance, including:
    • Competency by topics/ skills
    • Personalized feedback with the learner’s response and a more optimal response, if available
    • Targetted help suggestions based on the learner’s needs- content, coaching, people, etc
    • Lastly, a short journal with 5 reflective prompts is provided:
      • What 3 words best describe how you feel about your learning?
      • Which learning topics do you feel most confident about?
      • What are some learnings that you can start applying in your communications with the target client group?
      • Which learning topics would you like to improve on?
      • Which people/ platforms/ channels would you approach for support with these topics?

The self-assessment was rolled out a month ago. Approx. 30% of learners have completed it, and the feedback has been encouraging. Some learners have told us how this was the first time they have had dedicated time for reflection while others have reported encouraging their colleagues to complete the assessment. Hopefully, more learners will take advantage of this tool to reflect on their learning and plan the next course of action.