Reflective Learner Critical Thinking Examples

Beings a reflective learner, I value observation and reflecting what I have observed making attempts to determine how they are related to the information provided in my course materials as well as the information provided by my Lecturers. This has enhanced my understanding on various issues and enhanced ensured that the knowledge I acquire can be practically applied in other aspects of the society. I have observed various issues in relation to my course; this process requires a high level of attentiveness and requires that one listens carefully while recording important issues. I have also ensured that I record important issues that emerge from my personal learning process as well as group learning processes majorly, group presentations.

Substantive Evidence

During the Group presentation, there certain fact gaps that I felt needed clarification. To begin with, some groups provided presentations accompanied with examples that appeared irrelevant to their topic of discussion. That is, they discussed their topics in an appropriate manner, but failed to provide examples to support their perspectives of arguments. I feel that this might have created confusion to some of my classmates. I believe the lecturer would have solved this problem by requesting such groups to provide clarification in relation to their examples they used to support their arguments. Additionally, it would have been appropriate to seek clarification from the presenting groups to determine the relationship of the examples they offered with the topic of discussion. The use of case studies during presentations was also characterized by certain challenges; most case studies that were presented by certain groups appeared outdated; that is, they talked about issues that occurred in the last three decades for instance; certain groups offered case studies dating back in 1983. I believe that this was not appropriate considering the fact that the society has changed tremendously from 1983. This has been facilitated by technological advancements and increased knowledge that has changed the manner through which organizations, individuals and communities participate. As such, it would have been appropriate if such groups are encouraged to offer more recent case studies that reflect issues ascribed to the 21st society.
Most of the referencing materials that were provided by certain groups appeared quite outdated, while some seemed not related to their topics of discussion. While it was quite challenging to request the presenting groups to provide evidence or snapshots of the books they used as references, it is important to acknowledge that credibility of information is of paramount importance to learners. I also noted that some groups did not provide references for the certain information they provided, while it was clear that certain aspects of their information was lifted from secondary sources. The solution to referencing issue could be; provision of valid references, while giving students links where such resources can be accessed. Additionally, they can also provide information ascribed to library databases and how learners can access certain sources of information they used as references.

Areas where I could have Read Further

Considering the fact that the class presentations were characterized by various challenges; I believe that some of the solutions to these challenges could be solved through taking personal initiatives. The first initiative that I could have implemented personally is explore various library databases to access the various sources of information quoted by some groups as references for their reading materials. This is an appropriate approach as it would have provided me with an opportunity to have an in-depth understanding of the information provided during class representations. Moreover, I would have engaged in a research aimed at finding the sources of the case studies that were provided during class representations considering the fact that some of the presentations were brief. This could have provided me with a platform to analyze the case studies provided and determine their relevance in relation to the current issues of organizational, individual and community operations. I believe that reading further is also crucial for other students; this is mainly as a result of the fact that class presentations are usually provided through visual technologies i.e. through power-point presentations, which are usually brief and covers mostly main points, as such it is imperative for other students to engage in further research and studies for purposes of in-depth understanding.

Dealing with Conclusions

As an observational learner, conclusions play a significant role in understanding issues raised or issues discussed. This is mainly as a result of the fact that one may not pay a 100% attention to what the speakers are discussing, hence creating a need for a strong conclusion that summarize the main points and provide further perspectives of the presenters. From the various class presentations I attended, I must admit that most of the presenters provided appropriate conclusions for their presentations. However, some of the conclusions were provided in a manner that they only provided further perspectives and recommendations of the speakers in relation to the research topics. This was a major problem given that it some cases; I might have not understood what the speakers were discussing. Despite this challenge, some of the presenters provided an opportunity for their audience to raise concerns and questions regarding issues that appeared unclear. The only challenge I recorded during the process of responding to our concerns is that, they answers that were provided by some of the readers were brief and quite unclear.

What Works as a Good Question and How I can improve my Technique of Asking Questions

In terms of content, a good question may depend on what one aspires to achieve; this means that people can ask or answer questions in a variety of ways. However, from a general perspective, a good question should be posed in a comprehensible language. That is, a language that can easily be understood by the presenters or the targeted audience. Moreover, when posing a question one should ensure that it is related to the topic under discussion or the topic that is understood by the presenter or the target audience.
Asking questions may be challenging at times; however, I can improve my technique of asking questions by ensuring that before I ask any question, I engage in an extensive research related to the topic under discussion in order to ensure that the questions I ask are relevant and substantial. I can also improve my technique of asking questions through the use of appropriate communications skills. This would ensure that my questions are properly understood, hence enabling the target audience to provide appropriate answers.

What makes a Good Review of an Academic Paper

As an observational learner, I value recording information, specifically crucial points. This value also plays an important role when performing a review of an academic paper. That is, apart from having background information when reviewing an academic paper, one should also recording information he/she feels that is of major importance. A review should also involve asking relevant questions from the presenters for purposes of providing clarification, hence increasing understanding.