2806ICT-7806ICT - ITSM Reflective Learning Journal - Student Guide
2806ICT-7806ICT - ITSM Reflective Learning Journal - Student Guide
2806ICT-7806ICT - ITSM Reflective Learning Journal - Student Guide
The term “Reflection” has been used widely and colloquially in academic disciplines, such as
psychology and education. Nevertheless, in both settings, it simply means the process of
thinking deeply with one’s awareness and conscious effort on an issue or event. The
product of such a highly engaged cognitive process would be informing insights, strategies,
plans and predictions on the issue one vigorously ponders upon.
Psychologist and educators further differentiate two kinds of reflective thinking: reflection-
in-action and reflection-on-action. The former suggests a simultaneous monitoring when
performing or practicing a task; the latter suggests a retrospective evaluation after the task is
accomplished.
The meaning of the word “reflection” means writing something that becomes very
meaningful and fruitful in the process of learning, which is one of the reasons why the use of
Reflective Learning Journal in teaching has a long history. Reflective learning journal is
well-accepted by many educators in higher education because it helps students to narrow the
gaps between theory and practice, and most importantly heightens students’ felt need of
constantly monitoring their learning progress. Learning should not be a passive process of
simply in-taking information from tutors and lecturers, but rather an active process
that requires a lot of personal thinking and questioning.
By engaging in reflective journal writing regularly, you will find in it a personal space for
you to keep records of your own ideas and thoughts, and these thoughts are then useful for
yourselves to come up with solutions and novel approaches to get around problems
encountered in the course of your learning.
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However, students often feel confused and uncertain about what to write in this
highly unstructured piece of writing. Therefore, we give simple instructions and
jump-start questions to give students a lift, but these questions do not
necessarily confine the structure or intrude the personal quality of students’
writing. See the following template:
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Focus of reflection
In the Prompt Questions Bank, we provide two sets of foci: one explores the learning
experience itself, the other thinks about the learning experience in relation to one’s
academic, professional and personal development.
The first set “Explore a learning experience” deals with the specific and the immediate. This
helps improve your performance. The foci of reflection are:
▪ Content - the ‘what’s of the learning experience
▪ Process - the ‘how’s of the learning experience
▪ Reasons - the ‘why’s of the learning experience
The second set concerns long-term issues and widening the perspective of students, helping
you see the relevance of and appreciate what you are learning. Think of a learning experience
in relation to your:
▪ Academic development
▪ Job ready and professional development
▪ Personal development
To do: After each reading and writing exercise for your fortnightly workshop activities (or
Google searching on Pink Elephant, for example) spend some time considering the Qs in
Area 1 and in Area 2 below. You don’t have to write specific answers, but these Qs will
prompt you to think reflectively about your learning activity. Now document your reflection
in any way you choose.
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Process (How) How did I learn / do it? How effective is this How can I make this strategy
strategy? more effective?
What strategy have I used in
learning this topic? Is the way I do it the best
way?
Reasons (why) Why learn it? Why would I think so? What would be a more useful
way to understand learning?
What is learning? Is this the only purpose of
learning? How could this learning
experience be interpreted
differently?
What obstacles have I What is the source of the How can I remove those
encountered? obstacles? obstacles?
2. Professional Same as academic development, just that this time think about the learning experience in
development relation to your professional development instead of academic development.
3. Personal What does this learning What does this learning What do I know about
development experience mean to me? experience tell me about my myself?
potentials, and myself as a
How does it matter to me if I person? How am I living the most of
failed or succeeded? myself?
Meta-cognitive reflection
The backbone of the Prompt Question Bank is a sequence of metacognitive reflections – the
awareness of one’s learning experience, the evaluation of the experience, and the regulation
of one’s attitude and behaviour for better performance and more fruitful experience. They are
elements of one’s meta-cognitive abilities that enable one to become a better student and life-
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long learner, i.e. to grow, and reflection is the mediating process essential to the development
and operation of these abilities.
A reflective journal is designed to help you think deeply about your learning, especially on
issues such as: your progress in learning, the difficulties you encountered in the process of
learning, the strategies you have taken to get around those difficulties, and your evaluation of
your own performance.
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General Instructions
Quick reference
What learning experience to reflect on?
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Detail Guidelines
This section offers further guidelines to making journal entries that are reflective and
significant to you personally.
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Sample entry
Here is a sample fictitious entry to a reflective learning journal with Dr Bruce’s comments on
the right.
The first half of the course introduced the claim that ITSM leads to
improved IT department performance and in turn, increased organisational
performance. At least that is the claim of the proponents of ITSM like the
itSMF and the ITIL people. In reference to all the ITIL manuals and the
course textbook, I’ve found myself always reading books passively from
page 1 onwards. When I have to read textbooks or manuals I tend to read
the same way. Some contents of those manuals are quite long and boring.
Just now I am studying the ITIL framework and in particular we have been
introduced to the ITIL terminology and ITIL software tools for assignment
ideas. But where do I start? Should I read the whole Introductory Overview
of ITIL 2001 manual or the entire Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam
from cover to cover to get more information and concepts about this topic?
But I don’t think it is easy to read. The sentences are long and hard to Well in the IT industry
understand. And those examples are all about organisations. As I know very manuals are common place.
little about how organisations operate as I haven’t worked FT in a company They are a resource. But this
yet, let alone understand issues of ITIL use, or what the heck is the service is a reflection about the value
lifecycle!!! Last week’s lecture and reading titled BMC Best Practice of manuals to professional
Insights on ITIL Service Strategy is far-out. I feel spaced-out when I read development.
this stuff, I often cannot get concise concepts and write a summary.
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