Writing to Learn: Reflective Writing

One such student relates that last semester I was getting B’s in my courses. This semester because I am using reflective-writing in all of my courses to look at the material before I come to class, I am an A student. The increase in the student’s marks indicates that the self-dialogue helped the student develop functions within the zone of proximal development.

Sometimes when you start reflective writing, you realize that you do not understand the content. While doing reflective writing you can often pin point particular important ideas you don’t understand. It causes you to have questions too. Sometimes that is painful because you expect yourself to have answers and don’t. I try to look up answers from books I have at home after doing reflective writing. But it has happened that I stumbled upon an answer myself during my reflective writing. Actually I do explore the answers to my questions while doing reflective writing. (Student view on the purpose of reflective writing.)