Reflection is an important component of learning. We form links between known and new knowledge during this stage. Most educators realize the importance of reflection and build it into evaluation, class time, and assignments. I had an experience this weekend with my 10 year old daughter that brings to mind another important related (but not often discussed) concept: debriefing learning experiences.
My daughter has a strong sense of self-criticism. While doing her homework recently, she expressed certain negative viewpoints about her learning skills and abilities. As a parent, I automatically shifted into "instructor" mode and tried to highlight the error of the conclusions she was drawing from her past learning experiences. In doing so, I realized how rarely we focus on the conclusions we draw from failures in learning.
For learners, a negative experience is catalogued as a "I can't do that" statement...and if not questioned, it is perceived as a fact in future encounters. We need to actively promote debriefing in all learning experiences...particularly negative ones. It can help to prevent the formation of erroneous impressions of learner competence.
Here's a few thoughts on the types of questions we should teach learners to ask themselves: