A Reflective Moment (by WanderingtheWorld)

This case study outlines the way in which a tutor has used PebblePad and the SHU Study Skills Toolkit to support students in developing their academic study skills.

Level 4 Criminology students are required to submit a reflective assignment during their second semester; however, the students often have little experience with reflection and so fail to record evidence of their learning that would be useful for the assignment. The tutor wanted to promote the value of reflection by introducing it in the first semester as a method to support and highlight academic study skills development.

From semester one, the students were given a set of structured discipline-focused activities to complete and reflect upon in PebblePad, with supporting materials provided through the Study Skills Toolkit. This assisted the students in gaining general study skills, as well as developing an understanding of reflection as an academic skill in itself. As a result of this earlier, structured introduction to reflection the students overall demonstrated deeper reflection and engagement in their semester two assessment and were able to understand their strengths and areas for development with regard to their academic skills.

You can read more about this approach by reading the two-page case study entitled: Developing Study Skills through Structured Reflection.