Success Reflection

Example

Demonstration of Success Reflection in a workshop with lecturers from various departments of the University of Amsterdam and the Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Example

Success Reflection is used in a workshop with tutors from various departments of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam en the University of Amsterdam.

The starting theme is: "Making the student responsible", on the assumption that this theme will be relevant for a very diverse group of lecturers. The facilitator starts by asking participants to think of an example of a situation in which you, as lecturer, were really very happy about the supervision you gave, where you felt that students really assumed responsibility. (step 1)

Two examples are developed further in the group. The facilitator assigns the group a task to discuss the success stories in pairs and then to discuss with each other which factors contributed to this success: what is successful behaviour? This leads to an enthusiastic exchange between all participants . (step 2)

Following this, the facilitator makes an inventory on the board. From this long list, facilitator and participants together choose to go further with the theme self-direction. (step 3+4)

The facilitator explains a theoretical model of self-direction:

 

taking over << controlling, organising << giving students responsibility >> letting go >> neglecting

Participants zoom in on a number of examples. There is discussion about what self-direction really means and what is the best way for the tutor to work with different sorts of students: what is effective and what is effective in which situation? In the workshop there is some resistance to the model of self-direction. But when participants look at their experiences again in the light of this model, it does provide new insights. This in turn brings the participants to different ways of behaving. (step 5)