Reflective writing

Reflective Writing

Reflective writing involves looking back on an experience, theory, lecture, or reading and thinking critically about what it means. By considering your feelings, beliefs, and assumptions alongside relevant theory or research, you can develop new insights and explore how the experience may influence your future thinking and actions.

A common pitfall is using too much of the word count to recount what happened or repeat course content. Effective reflection gives more space to interpretation, evaluation, and personal insight. First-person language is appropriate because your perspective and response are central to the task.

The DIEP Model

Use the DIEP model to structure a reflection:

• Describe: Briefly identify the key event, idea, or moment. Focus on the relevant aspect rather than recounting the entire experience.
• Interpret: Consider what it means. Ask how it made you feel, how it connects to other learning, and what insights you gained.
• Evaluate: Assess how useful or beneficial the experience was.
• Plan: Explain how it may affect your future thinking or behavior, including what you might do or develop next.

A Practical Approach

1. Brainstorm relevant aspects of the experience.
2. Add related theories or course ideas.
3. Include relevant past experiences and personal beliefs.
4. Connect the ideas and identify a central theme.
5. Write a cohesive reflection centered on that theme, exploring it in depth rather than covering the entire experience or reading.
6. When editing, color-code description, interpretation, evaluation, and planning. This can help you see whether the reflection is balanced or overly descriptive.

The video compares two sample paragraphs and notes that the stronger paragraph develops a clear theme, describes the writer’s feelings, connects the experience to theory, evaluates its value, and identifies opportunities for future development. Phrases such as “I found,” “I felt,” “it reminded me,” “I need to,” and “I hope to” can signal these reflective elements.

The DIEP approach can be used to reflect on personal experiences, lectures, readings, and theories. Reflective writing improves with practice.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: An unnamed narrator presenting the material.
• Source/organization: Academic Skills, the University of Melbourne.
• Examples: Two sample reflective paragraphs are discussed; their author is not identified.