Pre-enrolment English Program
Seminar
SEMINAR 1 (weeks 11-15)
Chapter 24 – Writing reflective texts
Brick, J , Herk, M & Wong, D 2020, Academic Culture: a student’s guide to studying at university, 4th ed, Red
Globe Press, London.
Notes for chapter
Use the following space to take notes of the key ideas in the chapter. Complete this individually.
What is Reflection?
1. Reflection is an active process of thinking about what you have learned.
2. Helps you deepen your understanding and connect learning at university with real-life
experiences.
3. Important for developing critical thinking and personal growth.
Purpose of Reflective Texts
1. Reflective texts demonstrate how your learning has transformed your thinking.
2. Show thoughts, reactions, and understanding about the learning process.
3. Not just descriptive, but personal and involves looking back, reasoning, and moving forward.
Structure of Reflective Texts
1. Stage 1: Introduction – Responding to the topic and looking back. Explain significance.
2. Stage 2: Reasoning – Reflect on the topic, connect it to theories or past experiences, explain
your thoughts and reactions.
3. Stage 3: Conclusion – Looking forward, discuss what you've learned and how you can use it in
the future.
Lecturer Expectations
1. Lecturers want you to think deeply and critically about the topic.
2. It's not just a description; they look for active engagement with the learning process.
3. Use personal experiences and thoughts.
Language of Reflective Texts
1. Generally formal, but more subjective than essays or reports.
2. Use first-person pronouns (e.g., "I", "my") and thinking verbs (e.g., "I believe", "I learned").
3. Tenses will change between past, present, and future as you reflect.
Importance of Reflection
1. Helps in personal growth by linking learning to your professional or personal experiences.
2. Encourages you to take control of your learning journey.
Pre-enrolment English Program
Seminar
Discussion Questions
Provide ideas and answers to the following questions in dot point form. Complete this individually before the seminar
session. If appropriate, add more detail to your answers as you discuss with your group. Keep in mind that:
Open questions require creative answers, experiences, or opinions
Closed questions require you to identify an answer directly from the chapter
Remember that the goal of the seminar is to have a good discussion, so do not be afraid to have fun, go on tangents,
share personal experiences or opinions, or explore all ideas (correct and incorrect) to expand your spoken discussion.
Don’t just focus on finding the correct answer in the chapter – this will not result in a good discussion!
1. What is reflection, according to the authors? (closed question) In your study before PEP, did you
have to do assignments that asked you to write a reflection? If yes, share an example and
explain whether this was a valuable assignment. (open question)
Reflection is described as an active process where you think deeply about your experiences. It involves linking
your learning at university with external experiences, which allows you to gain deeper insights
2. You probably saw this page on MyUni:
Why do you think the University of Adelaide is so focused on developing this skill in its
students? Do you think it is worthwhile to learn this skill? Why? (open question)
Reflection helps students critically engage with their learning, develop self-awareness, and apply their knowledge
in practical ways. It is a valuable skill for lifelong learning and professional growth, which is why universities like
Adelaide emphasize it.
3. What makes a text ‘reflective’? Summarise the main points the author makes about this.
(closed question)
A reflective text includes:
Personal insights and reactions.
Critical engagement with experiences or subject matter.
Discussion of learning's significance and its future application
4. What types of activities have you done in the ‘reflective skills’ workshops? Make a list, and
then decide whether you consider that activity to be ‘reflection’ or not. (open question)
Pre-enrolment English Program
Seminar
Mistakes and errors collections
Critical thinking
5. The authors say that reflective writing is organised using paragraphs, like other types of
academic writing. However, they are also less structured overall. What are the 3 stages of a
reflection that the author mentions? (closed question) Do you think a reflection should include
anything else? (open question)
The three stages are:
Looking back: Reflect on the experience or topic.
Reasoning and relating: Engage critically with the topic and connect it to prior knowledge or experiences.
Looking forward: Identify what was learned and how it will affect future actions
I do not think so. Just collect mistake and errors collections
6. How is the language in a reflection similar and/or different to other types of academic writing
at university? Why is this the case? What are the key language features of a reflection? List
them with some examples from text 108. (closed question)
Informal language, own opinion
Same purpose which develops your skill
Evidence
7. What could be the practical application of this skill in your future work? Brainstorm some
ideas, with a focus on your particular major/area of work. (open question)
Reflective language differs from typical academic writing as it is more personal and subjective. It often uses first-
person pronouns like "I" and verbs related to thinking and feeling. However, it still maintains a formal tone and
requires logical organization
8. Complete Task 1 on page 319.
1 I felt nervous
2 However, I begin to understand
3 I can understand in another way
