Reflecting on the Process [2:54]

https://players.brightcove.net/2566261579001/HyuWsfFhb_default/index.html?videoId=6050042751001

About

Learn ways to facilitate meaningful student reflection during and at the completion of an inquiry process

Transcript

Self-assessment is a vital part of learning. At the end of an inquiry project, it's important for students to reflect on what they've accomplished and define their own learning outcomes. Students can gain significant insights about both their subject and their learning process at the end of a project through content reflection, process reflection, and synthesis of the two to arrive at new knowledge and awareness.

To help your students reflect on the content of their projects, start by asking what they found out about their initial research question. Students can then see how their inquiry was shaped (and maybe even limited) by the way they posed that first question and talk about how it changed as they conducted research and gained more information. For example, a student who began a research task about the civil rights movement with a question about Martin Luther King Jr.'s march in Selma, Alabama, may describe how early research helped him realize he ultimately wanted to pose a deeper question about the evolution of nonviolent protest.

From there, students can reflect on how each step in their research process revealed not just new information, but new complications about the subject itself. They can think about the sources they discovered, how useful they were—and might be again in the future—and how they now view their subject differently.

Reflection on process, on the other hand, allows students to examine how they learned during their inquiry project. This type of reflection is especially productive if students have been using key tools throughout the project itself, like inquiry logs, journals, research maps, and worksheets. Ask students about their process with questions like, "What tools were most helpful to you?" "Did you talk with others about your ideas or need more quiet time alone?" "Where did your focus or interest seem to diminish and how did you get it back?"

After reflecting on both the content of their project and the process they went through, students can synthesize their insights from both areas by asking practical questions like, "What does this tell me about the way I learn best?" "What are my research strengths?" "What will I do differently the next time I research a new subject?" Answering these questions can help students strengthen their thinking skills and apply those skills to other classes and assignments.

When students identify the content of their new knowledge, reflect on their process, and synthesize the two to arrive at insights about the way they learn, they can become more self-directed, confident, and motivated learners.

Activities

Ways to Reflect

By reflecting on their inquiry process, students further internalize their learning, both regarding the topic they explored and, perhaps even more importantly, their awareness of how they learn. Providing time and guidance for reflection both throughout the process and at its conclusion is an essential part of inquiry. Read the articles in the Resources below on different ways to help students reflect and then complete the Reflect & Practice activity.

RESOURCES:

Form

Research Reflections, Journaling, and Exit Slips

Article

The Role of Reflection in the Inquiry Plan

Article

REFLECT & PRACTICE:

Looking at the ideas shared in the video lesson as well as the resources above, use the above form to write down your ideas on what types of reflection would work best within your school community.

Entry ID: 2215154

Additional Resources

Bibliography.

About the Authors

Rebecca J. Morris, MLIS, PhD, is teaching associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information. She earned her master's degree and doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh and her undergraduate degree in elementary education at Pennsylvania State University. Rebecca has published articles in journals including School Library Research, Knowledge Quest, School Libraries Worldwide, Teacher Librarian and the Journal of Research on Young Adults in Libraries. She is the author of School Libraries and Student Learning: A Guide for School Leaders (Harvard Education Publishing Group, 2015). Rebecca is a former elementary classroom teacher and middle school librarian.

Email: rmorris@schoollibraryconnection.com

Twitter: @rebeccajm87.

Sharon Coatney is a former library media specialist from Kansas. She is a past president of the AASL and Councilor at Large of the American Library Association. She is now the Senior Acquisitions Editor for Education and School Library Products at Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press.

Seth Taylor, MFA, has 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and professional development specialist. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Rhetoric, Composition and Research Methodology at San Diego State University, Colorado State University, and the University of Redlands.

Jane Cullina, MSEd, is the professional development manager for School Library Connection and ABC-CLIO. A former children's librarian and humanities teacher, Jane earned her master's degree from the Bank Street College of Education in New York City and has taught in Boston, New York, Maine, California, and South Africa.

Select Citation Style:

MLA Citation

"Inquiry-Based Learning. Reflecting on the Process [2:54]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, July 2019, schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214196?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902.

Chicago Citation

"Inquiry-Based Learning. Reflecting on the Process [2:54]." School Library Connection video. July 2019. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214196?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902.

APA Citation

Inquiry-based learning. Reflecting on the process [2:54] [Video]. School Library Connection. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214196?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2214196?learningModuleId=2214085&topicCenterId=2247902

Entry ID: 2214196