Reflective Writing DIEP Strategy

Reflective writing is: Reflective writing is not:

Your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information Just conveying information, instruction or argument
Your response to thoughts and feelings Pure description, though there may be some descriptive elements
A way of thinking to explore your learning Straightforward decision or judgement (eg. right or wrong, good or bad)
An opportunity to gain self-knowledge Simple problem-solving
A way to achieve clarity & better understanding of what you have learned A summary of course notes
A way of making meaning out of what you study A standard university essay

Identify an interesting or illuminating new thing you learned

Topic/Insight

Describe objectively what happened (who, what, when, where) The most interesting/surprising/important/significant
Description What did I learn? insight/theory/thing I read/saw/heard/realised/learned this week is
What did I do, see, hear, etc? One thing I realise/understand now is
A significant issue I have not addressed in my previous writing is

Explain why events happened in the way they did This realisation may have important relevance for three reasons. First,
Interpretation Your learning/understanding/insight it implies
Connection to other learning A possible implication/meaning of this new idea/understanding is
Your feelings This new understanding of is likely to mean three things. It could
Questions unanswered be
Your hypothesis/conclusion

Evaluation Evaluate the effectiveness & usefulness of the experience This concept of is valuable for/will change the way I approach
Make judgements about what you learned This understanding is important in a number of ways. First it
Your opinion This insight is connected with theoretical approaches
What is the value of the experience to/theories/concepts
Why do I think this? Having realised that I wonder if/I intend to

How this information will be useful to you This new insight will be useful in my future career/course/life
Plan How will you apply/transfer your learning/knowledge to the Understanding insight could
future

Adapted from RMIT University (2010) Reflective Writing: DIEP. Retrieved from https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_assessmenttasks/assess_pdf/Reflective%20journal.pdf