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

Teaching and learning credentials
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477
your own beliefs and views about teaching and learning (and education, in
general) and those that are promoted within your own work environment; try
to explain the reasons behind similarities and differences. Is the cultural
(national and international) and political background something that impacts
directly on the way education is perceived and practised by you and in your
work environment? In what ways? In writing down your reflections, do not
be afraid to use phrases such as ‘I think’, ‘I believe’, ‘in my opinion’.
• Share your ideas on education and educational practices with colleagues and
try to find out their views on the issues that concern you; record similarities
and discrepancies between their thinking and yours, and attempt to explain
the reasons behind these.
• Similarly, ask your students if teaching practices you adopt with them are
useful for their learning and are well received. Students can act as a powerful
mirror for your work and, ultimately, they are the ones for whom the
improvement should be made – they can give you important insights that
may help you to reflect about your work in an important way.
• In addition, it is helpful to compare your thinking with that canonised in
educational literature; this will assist you in seeing the bigger picture and
frame your thinking within wider contexts. This is a particularly valid
exercise when it comes to writing about your teaching. It also has the benefit
of making you see that what you may perceive as ‘your own’ problem is
something that is part of a bigger picture.
• Finally, link your reflection to actions: once you have identified issues, think
carefully about ways to resolve them, and put these into practice. Record
issues that arise from the revision and try to find further solutions.
I suggest that reflection is an ongoing process which links together thinking and
action; it is a never-ending cycle that helps in becoming an actor of innovation,
rather than a passive recipient of change. Similarly, it helps you to see how you
progress in your career and what paths may be taken to improve things for you
and your working environment.
(Dr Roberto Di Napoli,
Centre for Educational Development,
Imperial College London)
Critical incidents
Some programmes ask staff to collect and reflect on key moments in their teaching. These
may be moments of success, failure or puzzlement, but are instances the practitioner finds
worthy of comment – they are critical in this sense. The incidents are generally reported
in writing by means of description, analysis of what was happening and of the writer’s
reaction to it, reflection, and speculation about how to avoid or re-create similar incidents