A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

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Enhancing personal practice
Action research
Case study 1 from the University of Plymouth describes action research as part of a
programme.
Essays and case studies
Essays are used in a few programmes. Here the requirement is usually for an essay in the
arts or humanities style that demonstrates good powers of reasoning, knowledge of
theory and/or policy, good and critical use of literature and perhaps reflection on practice.
It could be argued that this method is good for demonstrating formal knowledge, but not
necessarily strongly linked to developing practice. Variations on essays, such as position
papers, mock grant applications and so on are also used. Case studies and reports may
be used to link reflection, use of research evidence and literature with the developing
teaching practice of the author.
Critical appraisal/review of journal paper
An educational journal paper(s) is set or chosen and then critiqued. This helps
engagement with the concepts of learning and teaching in higher education and the
research and literature, but unless linked to personal practice (e.g. through choice of
paper) can also be a rather formal ‘scholastic’ exercise.
Reflection, reflective practice, reflective writing
Reflection involves consideration of an experience, or of learning, so as to enhance
understanding or inform action. Reflective practice is the idea that ‘practitioners’ engage
in reflection as part of their normal approach to their job. It is thus part of what drives
successful professional activity, enabling it to progress, grow, respond to new ideas and
introduce innovation. Not everyone ‘automatically’ uses reflection to enhance their
performance in all areas; thus programmes for early career academics place considerable
stress on using reflection to enhance teaching practice. Boud et al. (1985) describe reflection
as ‘turning experience into learning’. Reflection as it relates to experiential learning is
discussed more fully in Chapter 2. Some programmes ask participants to reflect on their
practice in writing, by keeping a diary, journal or log-book, or by writing a reflective
commentary on their teaching. Reflective writing requires writing in the first person and
analysis of one’s own actions in the light of responses to them (including one’s own) and
their effectiveness. Evidence demonstrating the impact of reflective practice is hard to
come by. Biggs suggests that reflection, through interpretation and integration, translates
lower-order inputs to higher-order knowledge (Biggs, 1988: 190). Chapter 15 makes the
pertinent point that consideration of generic knowledge about learning and teaching,
personal style preferences and discipline-specific knowledge need to be brought together
by reflection to develop a personal and discipline-based pedagogy. Case study 2 describes
how one educational developer introduces the idea of reflection to early career academics
and how he seeks to help them use reflection to enhance practice.