Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - EDUC 252 OL01

Introduction to Reflective Practice (4)

Class Number: 6444

Delivery Method: Distance Education

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Provides opportunities for prospective educators to begin their development as reflective practitioners. Through readings, classroom activities and discussions, and interactions with students and practicing teachers, students will be exposed to various educational issues and questions. They will be given time to explore their own values and beliefs about education and teaching. Time may be spent observing in a selection of educational settings, and there may be opportunities to work with learners individually, and in small and large groups. Students enrolled in or with credit for EDUC 401, 402, 403 or holding a teaching certificate may not take this course for credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

This online course introduces students to the art of reflective practice that can be applied to and enacted in educational settings of wide varieties and venues. Reflective practice as theorized and practiced in this course rests on three foundational orientations:

  • Existential inquiry: Reflection starts with, and returns to, the self’s existential condition, questions, and quest in one’s real-world contexts.
  • Contemplative inquiry: Reflection is vitally supported and facilitated by contemplative inquires and practices, for which the self taps into different states of consciousness through engaging in contemplative (body-mind) practices.
  • Transformative learning: A reflective practitioner engages in transformative learning activities whereby the self enacts and undergoes transformative change, which is refracted into self’s creating changes in the outer world.

This course is structured in such a way that theory and practice go hand-in-hand, and curriculum content and pedagogical process are integrated. Weekly learning activities include:

  • reading published works and watching video materials that inquire into and explore the phenomenology of reflection and related practices;
  • engaging in canvas dialogue with peers and instructors;
  • doing reflective writings and journaling on these materials (including exploring arts-based and multimodal approaches), and;
  • undertaking a set of exercises drawn from the three foundational orientations (existential inquiry, contemplative inquiry, and transformative learning).

These exercises and practices are deliberately capacity- and skills-building, and thus relevant to students and people interested in reflective practice across a broad range of domains and fields. Course participants are invited to engage in daily reflective practice, applying what they are learning each module/week.

 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

While the approach to assessment is not one of 'ticking boxes', it is still useful to have 'big picture' learning/educational goals in mind to orient all involved along the journey through the course and the assignments. By the end of the course, students should(/will!) be able to:

  • Recognize and appreciate the inner orientation and inner work involved in reflection.
  • Understand that reflection is a holistic, complex phenomenon involving working with multiple human dimensions, capacities, capabilities, skills, etc.
  • Explain the fundamentals of dialogue as a reflective practice and demonstrate how to overcome obstructions in the way of dialogue.
  • Describe the basic requirements and supportive conditions for practicing reflection.
  • Understand the phenomenology, or inner experience, involved in reflective practice.
  • Practicea range of body-mind contemplative practices to de-stress in body and mind.
  • Create inner conditions conducive to reflection.
  • Understand and explain the essential connections between emotionality and reflective practice.
  • Recognize and value the internal connections among democracy, dialogue, and reflective practice.

As students are engaged in their journey through the course -- reflecting on learning resources in the Reflection Journal, dialoguing with peers through Canvas, practicing different body-mind exercises – we encourage them to consider returning to this list of thinking/doing/valuing often.

 

Grading

  • Reflective Journal and Portfolio 65%
  • Canvas/Peer Dialogue 35%

NOTES:

ASSESSMENT FOR THE COURSE:

To holistically assess student’s overall contributions to reflective practice in this class we adopt a flexible and open-ended rubric structure (which is also a tool/questionnaire for reflective, self-assessment).

 

Stemming from 252’s foundational orientation around transformative learning (see Course Description above), this framework for holistic assessment is in part based off of Jack Mezirow's framework of Transformative Learning -- which specifically distinguishes forms of instrumental learning (narrowly outcome or productivity driven) from transformative learning practices, which are deliberately aimed at transforming people's mindsets, habits, and meaning perspectives.

Important: this framework for assessing and reflecting upon student’s engagement in transformative, reflective practices -- with the first threshold, Meaningful Engagement being the foundation for, the second threshold, Agentive Co-Creation -- provides the basis for all assignment-rubrics in this class.

Reflective Journal & Portfolio (65%)

  1. Reflective Journal (ongoing, submitted week 13)                                         30%
  2. Sample from Reflection Journal (submitted week 4)                                        5%
  3. Embodied-Contemplative Practices (ongoing, submitted week 13)          10%
  4. Final reflection essay (submitted week 13)                                                   20%

Canvas/Peer Dialogue (35%)

  1. Canvas Community of Practice (ongoing)                                                     25%
  2. Mid-term Dialogue Self-Assessment (submitted week 7)                           10%

See specific assignment pages on Canvas for detailed rubrics, criteria and submission info.

Materials

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html