Structured reflections – reflective model

Overview

Using reflective models also ensures that reflections move through all key stages of reflections to extract learning and plan for how to use it going forward.  This page briefly introduces Driscoll’s (1994) ‘What? So what? Now What?’-model and highlights other places to find reflective models.

Theoretical perspectives

Reflection (the act of critically examining past experiences and thoughts with the goal of learning from them) is extremely valuable in the mentoring relationship, and reflection is highly recognised as a valuable skill in higher education (Reflection Toolkit, 2018).

When approaching reflection, it is common to use a reflective model.  Reflective models capture the essential parts of the reflective processes, namely engaging with the details of the situation one wishes to analyse, the analysis of the situation, and finally how one can use the learning going forward (Reflection Toolkit, 2018). 

In mentoring, reflective models can be a useful tool for the mentee to work through and make sense of their experiences.  The reflective models can both be used as a basis for conversation within the mentoring session and can also be introduced as a tool for the mentee to use elsewhere in their educational journey.  The higher education literature identifies reflection as a key graduate attribute and predicts that most employers want to hire students who can reflect and improve their own practice (e.g., Dacre Pool & Sewell, 2007).

There are many reflective models with the most famous ones probably being Gibbs’ reflective cycle or Driscoll’s ‘What? So What? Now What?’-model.   Check out these models and others on the University’s Reflection Toolkit. 

Discoll’s model

In the reflective models, the reflector will work through a series of stages, which will help them extract learning from the situation.  Here, we introduce Discoll’s model as it is easy to engage with. 

What? – Here the reflector asks questions about the situation; questions such as ‘what happened?’, ‘what did I and others do?’, ‘what were my thoughts and feelings?’.  This relates to the facts, thoughts, and feelings of the situation.

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So what? – Here the reflector works to make sense of the things that happen.  They will ask themselves questions such as ‘so what does this mean?’, ‘so what does this tell me about…?’.  This stage is where meaning and learning is created.

Now what? – Here the reflector takes the learning and meaning created in the previous stage and contextualises it to the reflector’s future practice.  Questions that are helpful here are ‘now what am I going to do differently?’, ‘now what am I going to continue to do or do more off?’.  This stage is about planning to use the learning in their future life.

Context for mentoring African International Students

Reflection is an inherently meaning creating activity that allows people to extract learning from experiences.  Using a model is extremely useful in mentoring situations and allows the mentor and mentee to have a recognised framework to work through in the mentoring situation.  Furthermore, it allows the student to take a valuable skill with them for the rest of the educational and professional journey. 

In intercultural mentoring relationships reflection and reflective models can provide a way in which diverse experiences are valued and heard.  When a mentor uses active and radical listening to work through a reflective model with a mentee, knowledge is co-created through the mentor’s questions and the lived experience and thoughts of the mentee this way building trust and value to both.

Useful links

For more reading and support on reflective models and to see a list of reflective models with associated reflective prompts, see the ‘Reflecting on Experience’-part of the Reflection Toolkit.