Introduction
Reflection is a healthy, and systematic process. It allows the teachers and learners in identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Reflection is beneficial in academics where one learns from experience. You can identify, and check your own professional knowledge. Reflection can help with this. According to Cambridge Assessment International Education, reflection helps in self-assessment. It also boosts innovation, and engagement within classrooms.
Students are often asked to write a reflective report. The reflective report is based on what they learned from prior experiences. Students reflect on their learning, and experiences within the classroom. Many reflection models and frameworks exist to guide learners. Yet many students make mistakes while writing a reflective report.
The firm of dissertation writing service has main question is how well, and how productive reflective practise really is. It depends on the way you perform, and convey it. Is it a representative of skilled creativity? Does it encourage critical self-awareness and embrace change and improvement? You should also highlight whether your reflective report is dull or not. You should carry out the reflective report critically.
In this article, we discuss some common mistakes. These are the ones that people make while writing a reflective report. Following are the 10 mistakes to avoid in your reflective report;
Length Of The Reflective Report
A typical reflective report must be between 300 to 700 words. It is short and not lengthy by any means. If you’re not sure about the word count, you can ask your guide. Ask a professor to help you out with an outline, and a word count threshold. Reflective reports should not be in the form of an essay.
Use Of Third Person Instead Of First
Many students confuse the reflective report with a research based one. Reflection is always about your own self. It’s about your own experience and encounters. Thus, you write a reflective report in the first person using “I”. But you have to avoid being too personal at the same time. Also, the sentence structure should contain a subject, and a verb. Sentence fragmentation should not occur either.
Not Appealing Introduction
A weak introduction does not look appealing in any reflective report. The introduction part should be strong. It should describe your expectations, and present a scenario. Choose one or two aspects of your experience. You should mention them within the introduction.
Not Following A Model/Framework
Many students fail to write a good reflective report. It happens because they skip using a guide, or outline. A model or framework of reflection should guide you. Gibbs, Kolb’s, Schon’s, and John’s models of reflection are some frameworks. These are used by learners to write their reflective reports. Suppose you don’t use an appropriate model of reflection. In this case, you cannot write a structured reflective report. It will also make you lose marks. Hence you should follow the right guide. You should also prepare an outline of the report beforehand.
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Skipping A Thesis Statement
The opening, and thesis statement are critical. When you conclude the introduction, you have to present your thesis statement. Thesis statement helps the reader in knowing what your aims are. It works as a transitioning sentence. It’s a short description of your expectations. It highlights whether your expectations were met or not. Similarly, the opening paragraph should be appealing. It should not be monotonous.
Less Reflection, More Description
Reflection is not simply a description. In a reflective report, you reflect on your experience. Do this by critically analysing each aspect of your personal encounter. It involves both good and bad experiences. You should not only write about what you learned, and how you learned it. It’s about evaluating, and commenting on what you learned. You need to analyse your experience for the readers to know what you gained, or lost. You should evaluate your experience without being judgmental. You should also convey honest, and accurate information to the reader.
Unprofessional Tone
Even if you are writing a reflective report, you must remain organised. You should not deviate from a professional tone. The report should look like it’s written for academic purposes. You should keep your thoughts structured, and organised. Your content should be logical, and in order too. Don’t skip your thesis and arguments. Arguments form an important part of any reflective report. You’re not only describing, but also critically evaluating your experience. Thus, a professional reflective report would follow a proper layout.
Not Using Transitions And Connection
Use of transition sentences between paragraphs is crucial. It’s important to use transition sentences to maintain a flow. Transitional phrases help readers understand how one thought links to another. It helps in the understanding, and making of a link between the thought and conclusion. Clarify your connections as per your learning, and development. You should add connections between the applied theory, and practice.
Being Too Personal
Despite the fact that it’s a reflective report, you have to avoid being too personal. The CEO of PhD dissertation writing services firm said that remember that you’re writing a reflective report for academic purposes. It’s not a letter to a friend, or family member. You have to avoid using insights, or unstructured thoughts. Keep it short and concise, but understandable. Giving personal accounts will make you lose marks.
Incomplete Conclusion
Draw specific, precise, and concrete details in the conclusion section. Many students skip a conclusion. They also fail to summarise what they mentioned in the body paragraphs. A complete conclusion contains details of both findings, as well as evaluations. Whatever you discuss in the body paragraphs make up a summarised conclusion.
Conclusion
These are the top 10 mistakes that learners often commit. You can use this guide to avoid making mistakes in your reflective report. To write an A-grade Reflective report, it is essential to prepare an outline. Use a model, or framework as a guide to help with the report. You should also take help from your professor or classmates. Avoid using any slang language within the reflective report. You should proofread, and edit your content before the final submission. It should be jargon-free. The content should not contain any redundancies either. A clear and concise reflective report does not only impress the reader. But it also ensures how that reflection would help you improve in the future.