Reflection is an important part of your learning journey. At SANTS, you have a range of resources designed to support your personal and academic growth. This blog will take you through each resource and how it can help you improve your performance across all learning touchpoints.
Reflection Tools for SANTS Students
Curriculum and Learning Guides (CLGs)
The curriculum and learning guides provide content to support you in improving your teaching, learning, and reflect on your assessments. The outcomes of all modules will assist you in developing the competencies for critical reflection, reading, writing, and processing information of academic texts.
Complete the reading and writing activities that have been designed to help you master the content and reflect on what you have learnt. Use the commentaries that appear at the bottom of the activities. The commentaries are not answers but a reflection to guide your understanding of the activity and to assist you with the correct application and knowledge of the content of the modules.
Review Your Assignments
It’s recommended to reflect on your assignments, particularly if you didn’t get the results you were hoping for. Even if you believe you gave it your all, it’s still necessary to consider potential areas of failure. Review your markers’ comments to ensure your work meets the assignment requirements. These comments can enhance your knowledge of the modules and how to complete your assignments successfully.
You can use this reflection to pinpoint your areas of weakness and create plans for upcoming tasks. Use your Assessment Support Guidelines (ASGs) to compare your answers and refer to your Curriculum and Learning Guidelines (CLGs).
Reflect on How Your Examinations Went
Post each exam, take 30 minutes to reflect on the paper. This will aid you in winding down and processing the examination you’ve written. As part of this reflection, ask yourself, what went well and what didn’t go well? This might be your timing, your recall, your revision and preparation among other things. Could any of this been done differently?
When preparing for your next examination, take these learnings and create your action plan. This will ensure you are continuously working toward improving your results.
Practices for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
In WIL encounters, reflection is essential. Spend some time thinking back on what you saw, what you took away from the experiences, and how you could do better when you watch experts in action or finish practical projects. Recognise the idea on which you are required to reflect and provide in-depth writing about it. Record teaching sessions and review them to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Reflection activities require you to review critically what you have learnt and link this with your personal experiences or what you have observed during your periods of Teaching Practice (WIL).
Reflection is not just another task to tick off, it is a powerful habit that deepens your understanding and strengthens your skills and empowers you to grow as a future educator. By actively engaging with these tools, which SANTS provides, you equip yourself to navigate challenges and continuously improve.
Coming soon: Practical reflective strategies will be shared to support you throughout your learning journey at SANTS. Stay tuned!
Authors:
Kayise Anderson and Melinda Joubert
Academic Quality Enhancement Unit
