Reflective Practice

Utilising the Virtual Learning Environment to encourage faculty reflection and improve the student learning experience

by Tiffany Winchester

Co-authored with Dr Maxwell Winchester
Forthcoming in Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces: Virtual Worlds, Gaming, and Simulation - Volume 3 of the Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education series.

Student evaluations of teaching are the most frequent form of faculty performance in the classroom, though they tend... more Student evaluations of teaching are the most frequent form of faculty performance in the classroom, though they tend to be used as summative, rather than formative evaluations.  In this chapter, a project involving the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for formative, weekly student evaluations of teaching (SET) is explored from both the student and faculty point of view at a rural university college in the United Kingdom. This project encouraged student participation in creating the learning environment and faculty reflection on how to improve the student experience. From the student perspective, the weekly anonymous evaluations were useful for providing feedback, however, students tended to only respond if they were not satisfied with the faculty member. The exception to this was that some students were more motivated to complete the evaluation forms if they believed the faculty member was utilising their feedback. From the faculty perspective, the feedback was not as detailed as they had expected, and some questioned whether it was worth the effort of conducting formative evaluations if the response rate was so low. Others used the feedback for reflective purposes, and it was found that those that reflected on their work at higher levels tended to receive a greater year on year increase in their end of year teaching evaluations.

World that Matters: Reply to Poul Houe

by Narve Strand

"In the Shadow of Kierkegaard", Roman Kralik & Abrahim H. Kahn (eds.), University of Toronto/Central European Research Institiute of Søren Kierkegaard, 2011

Praxis and Phronesis in Aristotle and Kierkegaard Praxis and Phronesis in Aristotle and Kierkegaard

The discursive practice of figuring diagrams {a paper}

by Lisa Grocott

To be published in Tracey: drawing and visualisation research journal. Special Issue on drawing knowledge.

Designing a Space for Speculation {a Visual Essay}

by Lisa Grocott

Design Research & Reflective Practice: the facility of design-oriented research to translate practitioner insights into new understandings of design {a PhD Dissertation}

by Lisa Grocott

Designerly ways of researching: design knowing and the practice of researching {a paper}

by Lisa Grocott

Published in Studies in Material Thinking, http://www.materialthinking.org
Vol. 6 (2012), ISSN 1177-6234, AUT University

A 'way of being' in design practice: Zen and the art of being a human-centred practitioner

by Yoko Akama

Akama, Y. 2012. 'A 'way of being' in design practice: zen and the art of being a human-centred practitioner', Design Philosophy Papers, Vol. 1.

Design’s attempts to address social, ethical and environmental concerns of our time have often been marred by theory... more Design’s attempts to address social, ethical and environmental concerns of our time have often been marred by theory generated by well-meaning scholars who have imposed hard-line definitions and models of what it means to be an ‘ethical designer’. These arguments abstract values and impose ideological and political positions that designers can find difficult to apply in their daily practices. It is not as simple as prescribing the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ values for designers to have and translate them through design. Whatever values there are, those values need to matter to people who care about them enough to translate them into action . Values are not impersonal. They cannot be detached and be subsumed under a more universal value or comparable importance. The paper opens with a critique of this prescriptive approach to highlight the reasons for why ethical design remains stuck in a rut. I then move to discuss more deeply, the close relationship between being ethical and being a human-centred practitioner in design. In doing so, I critique common notions of human-centred design that gives it an ergonomic, human-factors emphasis, or its ‘do-gooder’ side that is associated with humanitarian design. Instead, I offer an alternative framework for human-centred design based on the Japanese ethical concept woven into what it means to be human.

The Japanese term for ‘human being’ is ningen (人間), composed of two characters for ‘person’ (人), and ‘between’ (間). The Japanese understanding of human as in-betweenness, etymologised by ‘between person’, situates it as a relational being. This is the central framework for my notions of ‘self’ and being ‘human’ . This concept of human is strikingly different from major Western philosophies that emphasises ‘anthropos’ or ‘homo’, denoting the individual. Being human-centred is criticised for perpetuating an anthropocentric position , further contributing to humanity’s self-centredness and environmentally destructive behaviour. The profound ethical difference of conceiving humans as detached and in isolation, compared to the Japanese concept of human as relational in-betweennes, is argued by one of the most significant Japanese philosophers of the twentieth century, Tetsuro Watsuji . He was influenced by hermeneutics, phenomenology, Zen Buddhism and the Japanese indigenous spirituality of Shinto. In his book Rinrigaku, ethics in Japan, Watsuji is critical of Western philosophy (Heidegger and many others ) that emphasises the individual concept of self and the locus of the ethical problem pertaining to the consciousness of the individual. The paper dives deeply into Watsuji’s ethical framework in explaining the ningen ‘between person’ that is significant to my definition of being human-centred. I attempt to combine the Eastern philosophy with the West by bringing in a selection of other philosophers such as Goethe, Bortoft and Merleau-Ponty that have resonance with the argument constructed. There is nothing to be gained from East-West dualism or exoticism, as it locks down discourse. Although these Eastern and Western philosophies that I draw upon have not, until now, directly engaged with each other in the discourse of design , they have many valuable overlaps that I would like to share in this paper.

The relational association located in the betweenness, Watsuji argues, to be human is to shift and change continually – it is undergoing a process of constant transformation. The transformation of a designer to being a human-centred practitioner is achieved in relation to others. This connection between self and others (including people, animals, objects and environment) is essential in positioning and embedding oneself in the world. The transformative process is more than cognitive learning or professional development – it is in fact a process of self-awareness that comes from continually reflecting on our activity, our behaviour and how we are with others. This is reflective practice. Though in contrast to reflection and reflective practice that is grounded in critical theory , I explore this by incorporating aspects of wholeness from Goethe’s phenomenology and embodied perception by Merleau-Ponty . I argue the importance of being a reflective practitioner as the first step in being able to fully understand ourselves, our relationship and our connection to others. This pursuit of self-awareness, through reflective practice, is the central argument of this paper of being a human-centred practitioner. Through weaving together these various frameworks, I discuss the cyclical journey of transformation of the self where reflection is experienced in an immersive, affective, embodied way.

True, long-term sustainable change towards building and creating an ethical practice cannot come from being told what to design or choosing the ‘right’ values to adopt. Neither does it come from simply undertaking community-based projects, taking up a social cause or deploying participatory methods. To manifest and practise human-centredness is not a switch one can flick ‘on’ when you are in the design studio at 9am and ‘off’ when you’re leaving work. Instead, I stress the importance of human-centredness manifesting through all facets of our lives that involves engaging in the in-betweenness with others. It requires active creation and the practising of practice that is truly human-centred and aware – aware of oneself, of others and the world we live in. It is a day-to-day application and manifestation, but it is not merely a mechanical repetition. The significance of this being a practice is that it is a transformation and evolution of ourselves in bringing an awareness and embedded-ness to what we do everyday. It is a path (Tao) we each carve our ‘way of being’ in the world.

Eco-Arsonists, Bomb-Wielding Neighbors & Queer Vegans: Reflecting on Labeling As Reflective Practice [2012]

by Michael Loadenthal

The following discussion will attempt to draw out aspects of reflective practice a bit more, focusing on the three... more The following discussion will attempt to draw out aspects of reflective practice a bit more, focusing on the three venues touched upon namely: researching the animal and environmental liberation movement, organizing and reporting on the Palestinian intifada, and finally, advocating for a politic of holistic anti-oppression situated in problematizing the animal-human binary and advancing a vegan framework within academic fields of analysis.

2009, « Habitus, Freedom and Reflexivity », in Theory and Psychology Volume 19, no. 6, pp. 728-755.

by Mathieu Hilgers

The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is... more The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is an essential and necessary component for the coherence of the analyses which mobilize habitus both in terms of their theoretical articulation and in terms of their grounding in empirical reality. This argument can seem surprising considering that the theory of habitus has often been accused of being deterministic. Yet I show that, from an epistemological point of view, habitus theory is not deterministic. Bourdieu’s treatment of this concept implies at least three principles that exclude determinism: (1) the production of an infinite number of behaviors from a limited number of principles, (2) permanent mutation, and (3) the intensive and extensive limits of sociological understanding. After identifying and describing these principles, I show the reason for their incompatibility with a deterministic perspective and consider their implications for the corresponding model of action. I illustrate this analysis by a discussion of Loïc Wacquant’s carnal sociology of the pugilistic universe which reveals why it is essential to understand and explain the relation between habitus and freedom.

Reactivity and reactions to regulatory transparency in medicine, psychotherapy and counselling

by Michael Fischer

Co-authored with Gerry McGivern (2012) Social Science & Medicine, 74(3): 289-296
doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.09.035

We explore how doctors, psychotherapists and counsellors in the UK react to regulatory transparency, drawing on... more We explore how doctors, psychotherapists and counsellors in the UK react to regulatory transparency, drawing on qualitative research involving 51 semi-structured interviews conducted during 2008-10. We use the concept of ‘reactivity mechanisms’ (Espeland and Sauder, 2007) to explain how regulatory transparency disrupts practices through simplifying and decontextualizing them, altering practitioners' reflexivity, leading to defensive forms of practice. We make an empirical contribution by exploring the impact of transparency on doctors compared with psychotherapists and counsellors, who represent an extreme case due to their uniquely complex practice, which is particularly affected by this form of regulation. We make a contribution to knowledge by developing a model of reactivity mechanisms, which explains how clinical professionals make sense of media and professional narratives about regulation in ways that produce emotional reactions and, in turn, defensive reactivity to transparency.

Turning Practically: Broadening the Horizon

by Olav Eikeland

Introduction by Olav Eikeland and Davide Nicolini to Special Issue of Journal of Organizational Change Management,pp. 164-174, Vol.24, No. 2, 2011, on Changing Practice Through Reflection

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue, positioning the articles... more Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue, positioning the articles in relation to the current “turn to practice” within organisation and management studies.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper introduces a schematic classification of ways of putting practice at the centre of the concern of social scientists depending on the interest of the researcher and his/her position with regard to the object of the research.

Findings – The paper finds that turning to practice does not necessarily, or simply, equate with becoming more engaged, or with making social science relevant, or with moving social science closer to the practical concerns of separate practitioners. It is argued that the effort should be concentrated on developing a type of theory that helps practitioners articulate what they already do, and therefore somehow know. The model for this way of theorising would therefore be not physics or astronomy but rather grammar – a discipline that although just as old, has been based traditionally on a very different relationship between knower and known.

Practical implications – The paper argues that when conceived after a grammatical model, “theory” may become a resource to be used in action and for action to produce emancipatory awareness and trigger change through critical reflection.

Originality/value – The papers in this special issue constitute an initial contribution in this direction as they indicate different ways in which theory, when developed “with” and “amid” and not “for” or even “about” practitioners, may become a powerful trigger of change and transformation.

Conversation Analysis, Practitioner Based Research, Reflexivity and Reflective Practice: Some Exploratory Remarks

by William Housley

Ethnographic Studies: Issue No. 5 (Autumn 2000)


http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/disciplines/sociology/about/events/ethnography/journal/issue5/index.html

http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/disciplines/sociology/about/events/ethnography/journal/

ABSTRACT

During the course of this paper we intend to explore some possibilities that relate to... more ABSTRACT

During the course of this paper we intend to explore some possibilities that relate to ethnomethodology, conversation analysis, reflexive practice and practitioner based research. We intend to explore the way in which conversation analysis may facilitate some objectives and goals of reflexive practice and practitioner based research within professional practice. In order to fulfil this objective, this paper will discuss and describe the methodological approach of conversation analysis,explore the principles of reflexive practice and practitioner based research and consider the extent to which conversation analysis may be used as a means of fulfilling the aims of these inter-related projects within professional settings.

Key Words: Reflective practice, ethnomethodology, conversation analysis,
practitioner based research,

On choosing to teach: a po.fessor reflects (Part 1)

by Peter Mellalieu

Mellalieu, P. J. (2010, October 11). On choosing to teach: a po.fessor reflects (Part 1). Ethos Consultancy NZ. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from http://www.ethosconsultancynz.com/profiles/blogs/on-choosing-to-teach-a

In mid-1987 I received a telephone call from a university in New Zealand inviting me to take up a teaching position. I... more In mid-1987 I received a telephone call from a university in New Zealand inviting me to take up a teaching position. I was working out the end of my employment with a high-tech systems company in Belgium. The call from the Dean of the Faculty of Business was timely. I recall investigating another position in systems engineering at New Zealand's principal telecommunications provider.


After deliberation, I accepted the position at Massey University. Specifically, I was attracted by the prospect of teaching a subject for which I had a great passion and some consulting experience: strategic management (Mellalieu, 1982; Mellalieu & Hall, 1983; Mellalieu, 1987).


The Dean's phone call arose from an earlier meeting I had instigated with staff at Massey University. That meeting - in 1985 - was prior to our family embarking on several years Overseas Experience (OE) in Europe. I was working as an industrial scientist in Palmerston North at what is now part of a Crown Research Institute (CRI). I met several staff in Massey's marketing department to express my interest in becoming a university teacher. Those teachers with whom I had met in 1985 responded to the Dean's search for a candidate to take up a teaching position.

Beyond the Case Method: A Master Class for Enterprise Development

by Peter Mellalieu

Mellalieu, P. J. (1998). Beyond the Case Method: A Master Class for Enterprise Development. Proceedings of the Annual Educators Conference of the New Zealand Strategic Management Society, 6th Annual Conference. The University of Auckland N.Z.: New Zealand Strategic Management Society.

See also related:
Mellalieu, P. J. (1998). Weaving the threads of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial learning through a university-located reality-TV and master class: Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW)™. International Conference on Higher Education and Small/Medium Enterprise (SMEs). Presented at the International Conference on Higher Education and Small/Medium Enterprise (SMEs), Rennes, France: Centre Études et Recherche EURO PME, Rennes International School of Business. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/emw1998

Examines the strengths and limitations of the case method as a teaching tool for developing the professional... more Examines the strengths and limitations of the case method as a teaching tool for developing the professional competence of personnel engaged in strategic management and enterprise development projects. Reports on progress towards introducing a new pedagogical genre for educators, trainers and consultants informed by the notion of a ‘master class for entrepreneurs’. The approach, Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW), extends on the traditional case study method of teaching by offering multi-media material that is timely, lively, relevant to the context of small enterprise and new venture development, and augmented with written material comparable to the traditional case format.

Illustrates the EMW approach in detail for one prototype package based on the foundation and growth of the New Zealand ‘born global’ company Pacific Lithium Limited, and its founding entrepreneur, Robin Johannink. Outlines results from trials of the pedagogical ‘package’ in several situations and presents future development intentions. for the production and dissemination of the EMW courseware packages. Argues that the EMW approach provides a cost-effective approach for surfacing the tacit knowledge of a high-performing (‘masterful’) enterprise developer, and passing on that knowledge to selected learning partners.

Think revolution, not evolution: Creating entrepreneurial capability through rewarding learning from outrageous behaviour

by Peter Mellalieu

Mellalieu, P. J. (2001). Think revolution, not evolution: Creating entrepreneurial capability through rewarding learning from outrageous behaviour. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Thinking. Presented at the Breakthroughs: The 9th International Conference on Thinking, Auckland, NZ: International Conference on Thinking.

How can educators construct assessment schemes that encourage students to deliver innovative performance whilst... more How can educators construct assessment schemes that encourage students to deliver innovative performance whilst adopting managed risk taking?


The presentation reports on the pedagogical approach that was taken to ensure that a new course - 152.334 Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity - practised what it preached. Students (learning partners) were given a wide range of choice in terms of both the genre and format of assignments that they created for the course. They were encouraged to be experimental through the teacher’s adoption of a grading regime that rewarded equally: content, presentation, process, and reflective learning.

Review of "The Reflexive Teacher Educator in TESOL: Roots and Wings" by J. Edge

by Joseph Joonsuk Lee

published in ELT Journal, 2012, 66(2), 277-278 (co-authored with Jack Hardy)

From exploring practice to exploring inquiry: a practitioner researcher's experience (this PhD thesis gives the beginnings of "messy method")

by Nigel Mellor

Vist website www.nmellor.com for this thesis - on page called "messy method"

On reflection (this article explore the process of reflection for practitioners)

by Nigel Mellor

Turning to practice - what does it mean and why is it important

by Olav Eikeland

How my reflective practices informed the Honours Research project

by Gavan Bright

This document outlines how I went about investigating my practice through the action research methodology.

Assignment three for Reflective Practices : The 3rd assignment is primarily about investigating your practice through... more Assignment three for Reflective Practices : The 3rd assignment is primarily about investigating your practice through the action research methodology. Of course, you will refer to and make connections with the practices of the "other(s)", either the same as assignment 2 or new sources or both. Authenticity to your own site should be a guiding principle in this assignment.