PROMOTING DEEP LEARNING THROUGH PERSONAL REFLECTIVE E-JOURNALING: A CASE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/48-2-93Abstract
Social work educators are in the business of forming social workers. We are concerned not only with the transmission of knowledge and skills; we want to shape the whole person to become a professional social work practitioner (Dempsey, Halton & Murphy, 2001). To achieve this, we strive to facilitate deep learning among students – the kind of learning that enables students to locate themselves in their learning (Collins & Van Breda, 2010), to construct personal meaning (Clare, 2007). A deep learning approach, Marton and Säljö (1976) argue, involves sense making and having multiple understandings of our world, while a surface learning approach involves rote learning or memorisation of facts. Entwistle and Ramsden (1983) add a third approach known as a strategic learning approach, which entails students purposefully managing their time, study methods and developing an awareness of assessment processes.Downloads
References
BABBIE, E. & MOUTON, J. 2001. The practice of social research (South African Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press BATES, M. 2003. The assessment of work integrated learning: symptoms of personal change. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 14(2):303-326.
BEATY, L. 2003. Supporting learning from experience. In: FRY, H., KETTRIDGE, S. & MARSHALL, S. (eds), A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: enhancing academic practice (2nd ed). Abingdon, UK: Routledge: 134-147.
BOOTH-KEWLEY, S., LARSON, G.E. & MIYOSHI, D.K. 2007. Social desirability effects on computerized and paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Computers in Human Behavior, 23(1):463-477.
BOUD, D., KEOGH, R. & WALKER, D. (eds). 1985. Reflection: turning experience into learning. London, UK: Routledge.
BURNARD, P. 1992. Effective communication skills for health professionals. London, UK: Chapman and Hall.
CAMPBELL, A., McNAMARA, O. & GILROY, P. 2004. Practitioner research and professional development in education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
CLARE, B. 2007. Promoting deep learning: a teaching, learning and assessment endeavour. Social Work Education, 26(5):433-446.
COLLINS, K.J. & VAN BREDA, A.D. 2010. Academic support for first-year social work students in South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 46(1):14-25.
CONSTABLE, G. 2010. Reflection as a catalyst for change. In: KNOTT, C. & SCRAGG, T. (eds), Reflective practice in social work (2nd ed). Exeter: Learning Matters: 48-64.
DEMPSEY, M., HALTON, C. & MURPHY, M. 2001. Reflective learning in social work education: scaffolding the process. Social Work Education, 20(6):631-641.
DENSCOMBE, M. 2010. The good research guide for small-scale social research projects (3rd ed.). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
DEWEY, J. 1916. Essays in experimental logic. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
ENTWISTLE, N. & RAMSDEN, P. 1983. Understanding student learning. London: Croom Helm.
EZZY, D. 2002. Qualitative analysis: practice and innovation. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
FOOK, J. 2002. Social work: critical theory and practice. London, UK: Sage Publications.
FOOK, J. & GARDNER, F. 2007. Practising critical reflection: a resource handbook, Maidenhead, UK: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.
HORNER, N. 2004. What is social work? Context and perspectives. Exeter, UK: Learning Matters.
KING, K.P. 2002. Keeping pace with technology: educational technology that transforms, Vol. one: the challenge and promise for K-12 educators. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
KOLB, D.A. 1984. Experiential learning. London, UK: Prentice-Hall.
KOLB, A.Y. & KOLB, D.A. 2008. Experiential learning theory: a dynamic, holistic approach to management learning, education and development. Department of Organizational Behavior, Case Western Reserve University Working Paper.KÜBLER-ROSS, E. 2009. On death and dying. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
LAY, K. & McGUIRE, L. 2009. Building a lens for critical reflection and reflexivity in social work education. Social Work Education, doi:10.1080/02615470903159125.
LE CORNU, A. 2009. Meaning, internalization, and externalization: Toward a fuller understanding of the process of reflection and its role in the construction of the self. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(4):279-297.
MARTON, F. & SÄLJÖ, R. 1976. On qualitative differences in learning: outcome and process. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 46:4-11.
MERRIAM, S.B. 2004. The role of cognitive development in Mezirow's transformational learning theory. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(1):60-68.
MEZIROW, J. 1991. Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
MEZIROW, J. 1997. Transformative learning: theory to practice. In: CRANTON, P. (ed), Transformative learning in action: insights from practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass: 5-12.
MEZIROW, J. 2000. Learning as transformation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
MEYERS, S.A. 2009. Do your students care whether you care about them? College Teaching, 57(4):205-210.
MILLER, J.P. 1999. Making connections through holistic learning. Educational Leadership, 56(4):46-48.
MOON, J. 1999. Learning journals: a handbook for academics, students and professional development (2nd ed). London, UK: Routledge.
MOON, J. 2005. Progression in higher education: a study of learning as represented in level descriptors. In: HARTLEY, P., WOODS, A. & PILL, M. (eds), Enhancing teaching in higher education. Abingdon, UK: Routledge: 113-122.
MOORE, B. & STANLEY, T. 2010. Critical thinking and formative assessments: increasing the rigor in your classroom. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
MORLEY, C. 2008. Teaching critical practice: resisting structural domination through critical reflection. Social Work Education, 27(4):407-421.
MOUTON, J. 2001. How to succeed in your Master's and Doctoral studies: a South African guide and resource book. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
PETROS, G., AIRHIHENBUWA, C., SIMBAYI, L., RAMLAGAN, S. & BROWN, B. 2006. HIV/AIDS and ‘othering’ in South Africa: The blame goes on. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 8:67-77.
PROCHASKA, J.O., REDDING, C. & HARLOW, L. 1994. The trans-theoretical model of change and HIV prevention: a review. Health Education Quarterly, 21(4):471-486.
SCHÖN, D.A. 1995. The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. Aldershot, UK: Arena.
SHISANA, O., PELTZER, K., ZUNGU-DIRWAYI, N. & LOUW, J.S. 2005. The health of our educators: a focus on HIV/AIDS in South African public schools. Cape Town: HSRC.TAYLOR, C. & WHITE, S. 2000. Practising reflexivity in health and welfare: making knowledge. Buckingham: Open University Press.
TAYLOR, E.W. 2000. Analyzing research on transformative learning theory. In: MEZIROW, J. (ed), Learning as transformation: critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass: 285-328.
THOMPSON, N. 2006. Anti-discriminatory practice (4th ed.). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
TSIEN, T.B.K. & TSUI, M. 2007. A participative learning and teaching model: the partnership of students and teachers in practice teaching. Social Work Education, 26(4):348-358.
VAN BREDA, A.D. 2011. University of Johannesburg social work students’ experiences of life challenges. Unpublished manuscript, University of Johannesburg.
WHITE, M. 1988/9. Saying hullo again: the incorporation of the lost relationship in the resolution of grief. In: WHITE, M. (ed), Selected papers. Adelaide, Australia: Dulwich Centre: 7-11.
WORDEN, J.W. 1991. Grief counselling and grief therapy. London, UK: Tavistock/Routledge.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged when works are cited.
Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk hold copyright.
Auhtors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, and with conferences.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-4.0
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.
Articles as a whole may not be re-published with another journal.