The Value of Reflection

Reflection consists of reflective thinking, reflective learning, and reflective practice (OpenLearn, n.d.). These skills entail showcasing self-direction, self-reflection on learning progress, and the pursuit of knowledge and skill development to an advanced level. I must acknowledge that I do not dedicate enough time to reflection and occasionally overlook its value in my learning and development. Similar to my work context, people are typically enthusiastic about starting new projects and invest a lot of time in their initiation, but often overlook the project closure phase, neglecting the opportunity to learn lessons and improve for future projects.

Before the start of this course, I felt that I lacked confidence and the mastery of technical skills in creating my own digital learning resource (DLR). Engaging in the user-centric design thinking process helped me recognize the significance of each step that contributes to the final product of the DLR, going beyond the technical aspects and considering the user’s perspective as well. This design thinking approach allowed me to investigate the inefficiency of onboarding process at my workplace in different perspectives, empathize with my colleagues without assumptions and biases, and enhance my imagination on a range of ideas or solutions for addressing the problem in a more effective and efficient way. Taking a more detailed approach, the creative mind-mapping tool significantly assisted me in organizing, categorizing, and establishing connections between various learning theories, instructional designs, and ideas.   

The suggestions and feedback I received from my instructor, cohort, and colleagues were invaluable. They provided reassurance that onboarding is a critical process for all roles within the organization and emphasized its supportive and affirming quality for new employees, making it essential to retain over time. I appreciated the opportunity to create a well-structured and succinct DLR for the onboarding process in this course. I am eager to continue developing this project for my department, colleagues, and new employees, aiming to practice my instructional design skills, enhance knowledge development, and learning engagement in the work environment. By effectively utilizing and learning the available technologies at work, the objective is to achieve a successful onboarding journey that equips employees with relevant knowledge and skills, fostering confidence in taking on their new roles and cultivating a continuous learning culture.  

Reflection should not be forgotten. It is a cyclical process that facilitates a deeper understand of the situation and leads to the development of new ideas for the next stages of learning (OpenLearn, n.d.). I plan to employ Gibbs’ reflection model as a guiding framework for my reflections and professional development and practice in the future. The questions of “What?”, “So what?”, and “Now what?” in this model will play an important role in supporting my lifelong learning goals. Most importantly, I have been delighted to learn about how people learn, and networked learning with my cohort continues to be critical in my lifelong learning journey.

Reference:

OpenLearn. (n.d.). Succeeding in postgraduate study. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=51386