How to Be A Reflective and Creative Learner

University of East Anglia
Norwich Business School
Employability, Creativity and
Personal Development
NBS-5131A
Seminar 7-8
21 and 25 October, 2024
Dr. Fahri Karakas
F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk

2
Seminar Activity 1: Time Management Grid

3
28.
02.
201
1
Dr.
Fah
ri
Kar
aka
s
AB
TA
Pro
fess
ion
al
De
vel
op
me
nt
Wo
rks
hop
3
Seminar Act. 2: Personal and Professional Development
Plan

4
Seminar Act. 3: Top 10 Employable Skills Evidence Table

5
Seminar Activity 4: Personal Branding Canvas

6
Seminar Activity 5:
Complete:
Asset Creation
Worksheet and
Toolkit

7
Week Self-Directed
Learning Activity
(i.e. what you
did)
Learning/Inspiration/Lesson drawn
1 Listened to
Desert Island
Discs episode of
Dame Zaha
Hadid
I reflected on the critical importance of courage to shake up
traditional practices and concepts of architecture through fluid and
futuristic thinking. Zaha Hadid was one of the most celebrated
architects in the world in a field dominated by men. Her triumph was
to turn the beautiful graphic visions of her sculptural approach into
reality. This is due to her rare courage, conviction, tenacity and a free
creative spirit – all qualities that I find extremely valuable in my future
career. I am inspired to learn more about the unique life and career of
this remarkable woman.
2 Listened to
Desert Island
Discs episode of
Cath Kidston
Known for her floral designs combining the vintage and the modern,
Cath Kidston achieved amazing business success with her business
and brand worth £50 million and 100 shops worldwide. Japanese are
crazy about the brand calling it ‘kawaii’ (cute), a celebration of
cheerfulness. I find it a remarkable success story based on finding this
universal appeal of ‘cheering people up’ through practical design.
Listening to her story, including the obstacles and her vulnerable
feelings during growing up her business, was refreshing and gave me
hope. Like her, perhaps I can nourish my entrepreneurial side one day
– all it requires is the courage and readiness to experiment/fail along
with a niche business idea/solution that makes cheers up people.
Seminar 6: Evidence Table for Self-Directed Learning

Seminar 7: Gibbs Cycle of Reflection

9
Seminar 8: Choose Your Own Option
Four Options – choose one of them
1. Flower Exercise
2. Personal Logo Table
3. Ten Responses Table: Your Best Year Yet
4. Imagine You Create Your Netflix Show

10
Agenda
 Seminar 7 Activity:
 Gibbs Cycle of Reflection
◦ Exercise and Discussion
 Seminar 8 Activity:
 Choose Your Own Option
◦ Exercise

Seminar 7 Activity
Gibbs Cycle of Reflection

12
Reflection - Definitions
‘… looking back on an experience and making sense of it to
identify what to do in the future.’(Drew and Bingham, 2001
p.221)
‘ The art of writing things down helps you to clarify your
thoughts and emotions, to work out strategies, and to focus
on your development and progress…’ (Cottrell, 2001 p.67)
‘…a process of disengaging from or stepping back from an
experience and taking time to deliberately and carefully
review it, think about it and construct meaning from it’
(Doyle & Young, 2000, p. 18)
‘on-the-spot surfacing, criticizing, restructuring, and testing of
intuitive understanding of experienced phenomena; often it
takes the form of a reflective conversation with the situation’
(Schon 1983: 241-242).

13
Why Reflect?
Reflection:
 is focused thought, focussing on the ways in which you
respond to, understand and develop and apply your
learning in new situations
 is a way of learning from your direct experiences, rather
than from the second-hand experiences of others
 is known as ‘experiential learning’ – real activity with
real consequences
 enhances your ability to evaluate situations and to
action plan for success
 enhances self awareness,
 enhances problem solving skills,
 enables you to develop creative answers to difficulties
 is therefore linked to effective management

14
The Reflective Manager
 Recounts the stories of failures and successes in a search for
meaningful lessons.
 Manages meaningfully by ascribing meaning to experience
 Turns events to experiences vs going through a series of events
unconsciously
 Creates a vision by looking at the past present and future
 Critically questions and challenges organisational structures and
practices with the view to transform them
 Questions taken for granted beliefs and values to make moral
evaluations
 Questions power structures and political agendas in the
organisation

15
The Reflective Mindset (Gosling and
Mintzberg 2003)
 "events ... become experience only after they have
been reflected upon thoughtfully" (p. 57).
 Without an understanding of meaning from one’s
experiences, managing becomes a “mindless”
exercise. Reflection, is the “suspended space”
between where the manager has had an experience
and the explanation for it. This space is where the
individual is able to make the linkages, including
possible options – call it imagination space.
Gosling, J. and Mintzberg, H. 2003, “The Five Minds of a Manager”, Harvard Business Review, November 2003, pp 54 - 63.

How to Be A Reflective and Creative Learner

18
Methods of Reflection
Reflective Journal
A Reflective Journal focuses on:
• Your reaction to the event or experience
• Different ways that you might look at it
• How you can understand the experience in the light of
theory
• How your experience links with other experiences
• What you need to learn
• What you have learned
• How will you react in a similar situation in the future

19
The deepening of reflection
 Shift from description to reflective account
 Shift from no questions to questions to responding to questions
 Recognise emotional influence and handle increasingly
effectively
 Stand back from the event
 Engage in self questioning, challenge own ideas
 Recognise relevance of prior experience
 Take into account others’ views
 Metacognition – review own reflective processes

20
10 questions to facilitate reflection
1. What are the issues that should be addressed in the assignment? What
happened that most surprised you?
2. How significant was the episode for you?
3. How did you feel during the episode? How long did the effect of this episode
last? Is there any difference with how you feel now about it?
4. How did the views of other people (colleagues, employers, clients, fellow
students, friends, family etc) influence your views?
5. Do you think that if you would pass now from the same experience you
would handle it differently? How?
6. How did your feelings influence your actions? What did you learn from the
experience about how you react to change or new experiences?

21
10 questions to facilitate reflection
(contd)
7. What do you think went well, what not so well and what were the
implications for your work related learning?
8. What does the experience suggest to you about your strengths? What
does the experience suggest to you about your weaknesses and
opportunities for development?
9. If you were another person involved in the episode, would you see the
situation differently?
10. Overall what do you think you learnt from the experience? What
patterns can you recognise in your performance that are consistent in the
way you approach your work (at university or at workplace)? What might
you do different in similar circumstances in the future as a result of your
reflection?

22
Sources of reflection
Everyday events
Positive experiences
Negative experiences
Critical incidents
Unusual incidents
Mistakes you have done
Conversations that you revisit
Issues that keep you awake at night
Meaningful events
10/29/2024

23
Skills / attitudes for reflection
Keeping a diary and detailed notes
Recording critical incidents and your reactions to
them
Willing to learn from experience and change
things
Making time for regular reflection and writing
Being open and honest
Willing to share and discuss your experiences
Being motivated to replay / describe / analyse
experiences
Making an action plan
10/29/2024

24
Borton’s (1970) cue questions:
What?
So
what?
Now
what?
(Cited in Jasper, 2003, p.99)

25
What does that mean?
What?
So
what?
Now
what?
Thinking and
analysis
Drawing
conclusions
Describing
event or
process
Future goals
and actions

26
Skills involved
 Self-awareness
 Description / factual reporting
 Critical analysis
 Synthesis
 Evaluation
(Atkins and Schutz, 2008, p.26)
Self-awareness is the main skill that is not usual in other
academic writing.
26

27
Preparing: Focused free write
This technique can help you to start thinking freely about something.
 Start from the incident, experience, process you want to reflect on
 Write for 5 -15 minutes without stopping, just following your train of
thought as if you are talking to yourself on paper
 Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation or anything else
 If you wander off the topic, don’t worry, just bring yourself gently back
 When the time is up, skim through for any interesting/useful words,
phrases, ideas or thoughts
The idea of free writing, from which focused free writing is adapted, was popularised by Peter Elbow (1973)

28
Reflective Thinking is critical at UEA
because..
Employers want managers/professionals:
 who are self-aware,
 who capitalise on their strengths,
 who will have impact wherever they work,
 who are committed to personal
development and life-long learning, and
 who can confidently provide evidence for
these claims.
 And that’s where the reflective process comes
in…

29
Methods of Reflection
Critical Incident
A critical incident is an incident that is in some way
significant to the individual recounting it.
• What the situation was
• How you behaved in the situation
• How would you behave if you were the other person
• How would you behave if you were a fly on the wall
• What happened as a result of your actions
• A reflection on the situation or event and the process by
which it unfolded.

30
Choose an incident /
experience
 Make notes on the following:
 Describe the experience - who? where? what
was happening?
 What were your thoughts and feelings?
 What was positive?
 What was negative?
 What have you learned?
10/29/2024

31
Description
 Where was I?
 Who else was there?
 Why was I there?
 What was I doing?
 What happened?
10/29/2024

32
Description
Describe it as if you are writing a novel – be
specific
Pick relevant, significant details
Setting, context, layout, sounds
People, actors, power, relationships
Describe events unfolding and your reactions to them
Track your emotions – then and now
Objective rather than emotional: thoughts & feelings
are recorded rather than colouring account

33
Feelings
 How was I feeling at the beginning?
 What was I thinking about?
 What did other people’s actions make me
think / feel?
 How did I feel about the outcome?
 What do I think about it now?
10/29/2024

34
Evaluation
 What was good about the experience?
 What was bad about the experience?
10/29/2024

35
Analysis
 ‘Breaking it down’
 What did I do well / not so well?
 What did others do well?
 Did it go as expected?
 Why / why not?
 What theory / research helps me
understand the experience?
10/29/2024

36
Conclusion
 Could I have done anything differently?
 What are the key things I have learned
from this incident - about me, my
performance, others and their performance?
 Any new insights or perspectives?
10/29/2024

37
Action Plan
 What would I do in a similar situation in
the future?
 What aspects of my knowledge / skills
could I develop?
 How will I do this?
 What goals can I set myself for the future?
 What outcomes / competencies do I need
to focus on now?
10/29/2024

40
 Information Provided
Describing what happened or what was observed in enough detail. Should be honest
and unbiased. This should be sufficient to give the feeling that to an independent person
that they were actually there. Care is needed to include information that is assumed to be known or
self-evident.
 Self-Awareness
Being open and honest about performance but also writing about own feelings and/or
that of others
 Critical Thinking
Breaking the bigger picture into smaller parts, analysing the bigger and smaller
pictures, identifying and challenging assumptions, problem solving, describing own
thought processes, developing alternatives
 Evidence of learning = [SYNTHESIS + JUDGEMENT + EVALUATION]
Synthesis – integrating new with old information and taking into account feelings.
Bringing up elements into a whole.
Judgement – considering the possibilities and weighing them up. Describing what
needs to be learned, why and how.
Evaluation – looking back to see what difference it made.

Seminar Exercise
Gibbs Cycle of Reflection
 Complete your Cycle of Reflection
 Each team: Share your cycle of reflection with one
another
 Discuss the following:
◦ 1. Compare and contrast your cycle of reflection. Go over
six parts quickly.
◦ 2. Where is the deeper learning and reflection?
◦ 3. How can your friend improve the quality of reflection?

Seminar 8 Activity
Choose Your Own Option

48
Option 1: Flower
Exercise

49
 In a nutshell, the “flower diagram” is a self-
assessment, intended to help you figure out what
type of work is most appropriate for you.
 Rather than existing in the form of a test, it merely
exists as a small set of questions that help you to
nail down what you’re actually looking for.
 These questions take the form of petals on a flower.
Option 1: What is the Flower Exercise?

52
 Where do you want to live?
 List top 3 factors that describe where you would like
your dream job to be located.
◦ Cold or warm weather?
◦ Big city or small town?
◦ Near the beach, the forest, or the mountain?
◦ Ideal cities and countries that you would like to work in?
1) Geography

53
 Which position do you wish to start at? Your job
title?
 Level of responsibility?
 Target annual salary: £
◦ Target monthly salary:
2) Salary/Compensation and Position

54
 What are your preferable working conditions
under which you could do your most effective
work?
◦ Indoors or outdoors?
◦ Stay in one place or travel a lot?
◦ Prescribed or flexible hours?
◦ Working alone or as part of a team?
◦ More autonomy or structure?
3) Favourite Working Conditions

55
1. Working with the human mind
 To bring more knowledge, truth, and clarity into the world
2. Working with the human body
 To provide shelter, food, clothing, fitness, or health
3. Working with the senses
 To bring more beauty into the world through art, music, flowers,
photography, decoration, crafts, jewellery, painting
4. Working with the human heart
 To bring more love and empathy to the world
5. Working with the human conscience
 To bring justice, morality, righteousness and honesty
6. Working with the human spirit
 To bring laughter, spirituality, faith, and compassion
7. Working with the earth
 To ensure sustainability and protection of the planet
4) Work Goals and Interests

56
◦ Choose and circle 5-7 characteristics from the table
5) Favourite People

57
◦ Choose and circle 5 fields or sectors from the table
6) Field or Special Knowledges or Sectors

58
◦ Choose and circle 10-12 skills that represent your strengths
7) Transferable Skills

59
Sample
Completed
Flower
Exercise

60
Sample 2
Completed
Flower
Exercise

61
Option 2: Design your own logo
61
• Take 3 minutes to come up with at least 8 different
concepts for a logo
• A symbol that conveys the essence of YOU
• Can represent something or be abstract
• The symbol needs to be meaningful to you
• Look at your vision board for inspiration
• Think Pareto: Do not worry yet about style or design

62
62
Option 2: Personal Logo Table: Design your own logo
 Take 1 minute to identify
your favourite 2-3 concepts
– go with gut feel
 Write for a few minutes to
discuss your concepts
 Take 1 more minute to
make a decision which
concept to further develop
 Take 3 minutes to sketch
different designs for the
same concept
 No words or letters in logo
itself
 Try different colours, line
styles, action, movement,
orientation, height-length
dimensions etc.

63
 Choose a design you like best
 On a separate piece of paper, take 3
minutes to draw your own logo in
details (you can also do this
digitally if you would like)
 Explain why you chose this logo
 Spend 20% of time to achieve 80%
of the results to design your own
logo
 If you are not happy yet with your
logo, spend some more time on it
 Stop when you are 80% happy…
≥
63
Option 2: Personal Logo Table: Design your own logo

64
 Your table will include:
1) The process of logo creation;
including sketches and
prototypes
2) Description of the logo;
including what it represents
and why you have chosen this
symbol/logo
3) A few sentences on how this
logo is linked to your values
and your personal brand
4) Your final personal logo
5) You can include a motto or a
slogan if you want
64
Option 2: Personal Logo Table

65
1. What did I accomplish over the past 12 months?
2. What were my biggest disappointments?
3. What did I learn?
4. How do I limit myself, and how can I stop?
5. What are my personal values?
6. What roles do I play in my life? (Daughter, teacher, student, job
applicant, writer, consultant and so on)
7. Which role is my major focus for the next 12 months?
8. What are my goals for the next year?
9. What are my top 10 goals for the next year?
10. How can I make sure that I achieve them?
Option 3: Ten Responses Table: “Your Best Year Yet”

66
 Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions
for Making the Next Twelve
Months Your Most Successful Ever
 This book is the best seller self-
coaching book of Jinny Ditzler
 In a table, please respond to these
10 questions in 1-2 sentences
Option 3: Ten Responses Table: “Your Best Year Yet”

67
Option 4: Create Your Own Netflix Show
https://medium.com/an-idea/imagine-you-create-your-own-netflix-show-ff03d5696
8d?sk=e3e071bf9da16edd369939a58a3a8c4d

Seminar 8 Exercise
Choose Your Own Option
 Decide which option you will pursue:
◦ Flower Exerciese
◦ Personal Logo Table
◦ Ten Responses Table: Your Best Year Yet
◦ Create your own Netflix show
 Start working on your option and do some brainstorming on your
exercise
 Make some progress, put down your ideas, write notes to yourself
on how to complete this table
 Each team: Share your initial work with one another
 Discuss and guide each other in your work

 Finalize your “Gibbs Cycle” (7)
 Finalize your “Choose Your Own Option” (8)
 Attach them to your coursework
 Try to finalize all your portfolio elements:
◦ Job application portfolio
◦ Two creativity challenges
◦ Lecture evidence
◦ Seminars 1-8
Action: Things to do

 Finalize your Job Application Portfolio (Job Ad, CV,
Cover Letter)
 Finalize your Poster (Creative CV or Vision Board)
 Do 2 of the Creative Challenges
 Continue preparing your Learning Adventures
(lecture evidence)
 Finalize your 8 Seminar Activities
 Finalize PORTFOLIO 1 and submit from Blackboard
(Nov. 14, Thursday 15.00 deadline)
Action: Things to do

How to Be A Reflective and Creative Learner

More Related Content

Similar to How to Be A Reflective and Creative Learner (20)

More from Fahri Karakas (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

How to Be A Reflective and Creative Learner

Editor's Notes