Unit rationale, description and aim

Engaging in reflective practice helps develop critical thinking skills through the process of analysing and evaluating experiences and actions to sustain continuous learning, improve motivation, adjust, and respond to situations in a thoughtful and considered manner. Reflective practice helps students understand their own actions and supports them to apply these skills in real life. In this unit, students will explore different forms of reflective language and practice using structured reflective approaches to enhance their reflective writing and oral communication skills. By drawing on their own past and present experiences, they will learn to critically analyse and evaluate situations. Additionally, students will engage with real-world scenarios, applying the knowledge and reflective techniques gained to develop actionable insights and prepare for future decision-making and growth. The aim of this unit is to enhance students’ understanding of the importance of reflective practice in personal, academic, and professional learning, while equipping them with the language and skills needed to thrive as reflective practitioners in their chosen fields.

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Define reflective practice and recognise appropria...

Learning Outcome 01

Define reflective practice and recognise appropriate opportunities for use
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC3, GC9, GC11

Explore various frameworks and models associated w...

Learning Outcome 02

Explore various frameworks and models associated with reflective practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC6, GC7, GC12

Apply reflective models and theories to different ...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply reflective models and theories to different experiences
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Evaluate personal experiences, situations and scen...

Learning Outcome 04

Evaluate personal experiences, situations and scenarios using reflective language
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Content

Topics include: 

  • Recognising how personal beliefs are formed, expressed, challenged and/or evolved
  • Understanding how and why reflection is used as an educational and assessment tool at university and beyond
  • Analysis of practical approaches to reflection using appropriate reflective models (e.g. Gibb’s reflective cycle, Schon’s ladder of reflection)
  • Analysis of sample reflective writing across a range of disciplines
  • Developing effective communication strategies
  • Building understanding of the working and social environment of the communities in which students will study and work in the future
  • How to source and synthesise ideas from relevant literature and integrate them into their work using proper referencing and reflective language 

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessment takes the form of three interconnected assignments that develop the knowledge and skills necessary for reflective practice through engagement with a particular interest, question or issue related to students’ future field of study or career. The stages of the assessments are designed to scaffold students’ understanding of reflection as a medium of assessment. The first assessment encourages students to think, evaluate and challenge prior knowledge and preconceptions about the interest, question or issue to be explored through the development and sharing of a concept map. The second assessment is designed to encourage students to continually reflect on the interest, question or issue and note any changes in beliefs over the course of the unit. The final assessment is a reflective writing response analysing and evaluating the process of information gathering, new learning and future actions using a chosen model of reflection.

Overview of assessments

Assessment 1: Concept map Students will create ...

Assessment 1: Concept map

Students will create and present a graphic description of an identified issue and reflect on personal attitude and preconceptions.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Assessment 2: Reflective diary Students will inc...

Assessment 2: Reflective diary

Students will include a reflection on each stage of information gathering, reflecting on their increasing knowledge of the issue.

Weighting

35%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Assessment 3: Reflective writing task Students w...

Assessment 3: Reflective writing task

Students will provide a written piece that identifies the reflective journey taken over the course of the unit, examining how their opinions of the issue have been altered or solidified by the process of information gathering.  

Weighting

45%

Learning Outcomes LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Workshops will focus on practical activities, employing student-centred, active learning strategies, including collaboration, discussion, and problem-solving, to engage students in meaningful exploration and skill development and encouraging them to explore their personal beliefs and ideas for their future self. They will build on their knowledge and ideas using various thinking tools to encourage analysis, evaluation and interpretation of their experiences. The unit will also provide students with the opportunity to engage with members of the community through various communication methods, such as emails or professional social networks, to further their understanding and deepen their reflections on their chosen area of interest for their assessments. They will engage with theoretical concepts and employ various reflective models to improve their confidence and ability to become effective reflective practitioners.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Australian Catholic University. (n.d.). Reflective writing. Academic Skills Unit. https://canvas.acu.edu.au/courses/518/pages/reflective-writing?module_item_id=29626

Bassot, B. (2024). The reflective journal (4th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

Bassot, B. (2023). The reflective practice guide: An interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003277699

Johns, C. (Ed.). (2017). Becoming a reflective practitioner (5th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.

Page, L. (2013). Reflective practice (1st ed.). Polity.

Timmins, F. (2015). A-Z of reflective practice. Palgrave.

Thompson, N., & Pascal, J. (2012). Developing critically reflective practice. Reflective Practice13(2), 311–325. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2012.657795

Thompson, S., & Thompson, N. (2023). The critically reflective practitioner (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

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