CIC’s long term work with Cherie Lucas (School of Pharmacy) was the focus of a workshop last week at the 13th International Conference on Life Long Learning in Pharmacy, joint with Efi Mantzourani (Cardiff U.) sharing what we have been learning about the effective use of AcaWriter’s automated feedback to support reflective writing. Full details below, including the slides.
Lucas, C., Buckingham Shum, S. & Mantzourani, E. (2021). The Art of Reflection: Provisions and Companions in our Professional Learning Journey. Workshop: 13th International Conference on Life Long Learning in Pharmacy (Dublin, IRE, 27-30 June, 2021). [Workshop Resources: https://cic.uts.edu.au/reflectionwkshp-pharmacy2021]
The Art of Reflection: Provisions and Companions in our Professional Learning Journey
Cherie Lucas,1 Simon Buckingham Shum,2 Efi Mantzourani 3
1 University of Technology Sydney, (Graduate School of Health) Sydney, Australia
2 University of Technology Sydney,(Connected Intelligence Centre) Sydney, Australia
3 Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Learning outcome objectives – at the conclusion of this session you should be able to:
Discuss the use of AcaWriter for critical self-appraisal of reflections for continuous professional development and professional revalidation.
Slides [PDF]
Structured Abstract:
Background: Pharmacy regulators internationally are increasingly recognising reflection as pivotal to pharmacy professionals fostering their own growth and development. Even though the concept of reflection is not new, maximising its effectiveness via formal structured processes that contribute to maintaining registration to the profession is in its infancy in pharmacy, globally.
Objective/Aim: To expose participants to structured processes and artificial intelligence tools that can spur growth; individuals and teams will critique their own learning to enhance future practice and reflect on how AcaWriter can be leveraged to promote the quality of individual and group reflections.
Design/Methodology: AcaWriter, developed by the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, is an online web application utilized to assist reflective writing capacity.
Results: AcaWriter has been shown to enhance pharmacy students’ reflective writing ability and has the potential to be utilized for wider purposes in professional development.
Discussion: Given that reflection is an attribute required to critique one’s practice, AcaWriter could be beneficial for the professional purposes and enhancing reflective practice, either through a self-directed learning process or through peer discussions.
Format of activities:
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- 15 minutes presentation: brief summary of registration requirements update in UK, Australia, and other countries, including current status of reflection and self-development; peer interactions in a learning environment, with emphasis on leveraging reflection opportunities;
- 15 minutes presentation: Reflection, utility and evaluation using AcaWriter;
- 15minutes audience participation: Demonstration of AcaWriter use—Reflecting on a learning event from the Lifelong Learning Conference;
- 20 minutes audience participation: two groups and swap between groups (10 minutes per group): (i) Reflection scenarios to think, share, and discuss difficult scenarios involving dyads or groups of learners that might otherwise challenge or impede their growth using AcaWriter; (ii) Reflective practice for licencing purposes using AcaWriter;
- 10 minutes: Q&A
Reference list:
Lucas, C., Gibson, A., & Buckingham Shum, S. (2019). Pharmacy Students’ Utilization of an Online Tool for Immediate Formative Feedback on Reflective Writing Tasks. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(6), 1260-1267. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6800
Mantzourani, E., Desselle, S., Le, J., Lonie, J. M., & Lucas, C. (2019). The role of reflective practice in healthcare professions: Next steps for pharmacy education and practice. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15(12), 1476-1479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.03.011
Self-assessment questions:
Question one: Do you feel more confident with submitting your reflective account after engaging in this workshop and utilizing the AcaWriter online web application?
Question two: How can reflection facilitate the concurrent growth of two or more individuals in a peer relationship?
Keywords: Reflective Practice, Reflective Writing