Step 3: Self-Evaluation Methods and Reflection Exercises
The Self-Evaluation/Reflection Process
When reflection is carefully structured, it can be a powerful tool that turns the service experience into a meaningful learning experience. Service learning activities often place residents into challenging and complex situations. Through reflection residents would be able to process and understand the implications of their thoughts in their experiences. Reflection also allows for discussion, exploration and resolution to difficult circumstances. It also allows for the better understanding of the scope of larger issues involved in patient care.
Mark Cooper at Florida International University identified three levels of reflection for journal writing. We will use the three levels to structure the reflection activities for this module. The levels act as guides for all methods of reflection helping residents and faculty make better sense of the learning occurred during the service experience.
We recommend you to choose al least three questions in each level to guide your journal writing. At different points during the AEGD program Dr. Bunza will assigned various reflection questions to guide web based discussions or be included as part of a "semi private" reflection discussion with him.
The three levels of reflection
Level 1: The Mirror: Reflection of the self, the self becomes clearer
This level of reflection helps you to understand yourself and your personal values. It helps you begin to see how the service experience has helped you learn more about aspects of yourself.
Level 1 Reflection questions:
- Who am I? What are my values?
- What have I learned about myself through this experience?
- How was the experience affected my understanding of the group I'm working with? of the community? of my own role in the community?
- How has this experience challenged my assumptions or biases? If any?
- How has it challenged me physically?
- How will this experience change the way I act of think in the future?
- How has this experience challenged stereotypes or prejudices I have/had?
- How has this experienced challenged myself, my ideals, philosophies, or my concept of life or of the way I live?
Level 2: The Microscope: Make the small experience large
Refection as a microscope helps you understand the impact of individual activities on the people or community served on yourself, and on the program as a whole. It allows you to reflect on events that occurred, your role in them, and their impact.
Level 2 reflection questions:
- What happened today?
- What would I change about this situation if I was in charge, and why?
- What have I learned about the people I work with?
- What have I learned about this agency, these people, or the community?
- Was there a moment of failure, success, indecision, doubt, humor, frustration, happiness, sadness?
- Do I feel my actions had any impact? On whom?
- Does this experience compliment or contrast with what I learned in dental school? How?
Level 3: The Binoculars: The distant becomes closer
Reflection as binoculars helps you identify larger issues that surround the service you are providing (in this case patient care). It can expand your understanding, vision, of causes effects and impacts and can help you envision your future career.
Level 3 reflection questions
- What did I learn from this experience as a whole?
- How can I apply this knowledge to other parts of my life?
- Did things turn out the way I anticipated?
- How did this experience relate to what I learned in dental school?
- What are my views on the community now? How have they changed?
- How will this experience alter my future behaviors/attitudes/and career?
How should I answer the reflection questions?
Answers could include snapshots filled with sights, sounds, smells, concerns, insights, doubts, fears, and critical questions about issues, people, and, most importantly, yourself. Reflection questions are not meant to be a work log of tasks, events, times and dates. These should be answer in the most candid way and should be answered freely. We would recommend you write an entry after each visit. If you can't write a full entry, jot down random thoughts, images that you can use and revisit later.
High quality reflection should show the following (according to Marilyn Olson at the Lane County Education Service District in Oregon):
| Content (factual/inferential) |
General observations, specific examples, comparisons, positive/negative observations, evidence of problem-solving process |
| Reasoning |
Meaning/usefulness of the experience, adjustment for future, comparison to prior work, reasons for decisions or choices |
| Generative (creative/productive) |
Evidence of new methods, new topics, new treatments, new skills, new meaning |
| Expression |
New vocabulary, fluency |