Proceedings of the BAAL Conference 2007 The form, meaning and purpose of university level assessed reflective writing Hilary Nesi 79 The form, meaning and purpose of university level assessed reflective writing Hilary Nesi Coventry University h.nesi@coventry.ac.uk Reflective writing, characterised by self-reference and evaluative commentary, is becoming an increasingly important genre in British universities. Although it is often associated with professional training because there is a particular need for reflective practitioners in work situations where unpredictable and irreversible events take place (Squires 2005), reflective writing tasks are now commonly set in a wide range of UK university departments, both pure and applied. A major aim of reflective writing is to provide opportunities for Personal Development Planning (PDP), thus supporting national initiatives to encourage young people to „reflect on their own learning, performance and/or achievement‟ and „plan for their personal, educational and career development‟ (Higher Education Academy, 2005). Apart from assisting students to become more reflective, PDP can also be used to provide alternative evidence of student learning, when employers need to differentiate between apparently equally well qualified graduates. PDP is a cyclical process of planning ahead for future action, working on tasks, and recording what has been learnt and achieved. It also involves evaluating personal achievements and considering ways to improve performance, and this second element poses the greater challenge to students because it requires them to write honestly about themselves. Many disciplines have traditionally discouraged personal and subjective writing. Indeed, “the fact that reflective writing involves paying attention to the experience of the writer as a practitioner can make it seem incompatible with deeply held views about, for example, legitimate modes of academic enquiry and the nature of „evidence‟” (Warwick University Centre for Academic Practice, 2006). Moreover, the purpose of much academic writing is to persuade the reader of the validity of a given argument, whereas truly reflective writing is often critical of the writer‟s own thoughts and actions, and does not put a positive gloss on personal mistakes or limitations. Thus reflection in writing is both unfamiliar and potentially risky; it could be argued that the more personal reflection a text contains, the less it conforms to academic norms, and the greater the risk that the writer will lose the reader‟s esteem. According to the Higher Education Academy, PDP is most effective when it is integrated within mainstream academic pursuits, linked to the learning objectives and outcomes of academic programmes, and supported and endorsed by lecturers and HE institutions. In other words, it works best when it is embedded within disciplinary practice, when it is perceived to be an integral part of academic study rather than just a paper exercise, and when it is not the sole responsibility of personal tutors concerned with student welfare rather than academic progression. Some reflective writing activities, such as personal notes, time-planning schedules, weblogs and reflective journals, are not formally assessed. Reader access to these kinds of texts can be restricted by the writer, making them an ideal repository for honest reflection but unsuitable as a means of evidencing student learning, or monitoring the development of personal development planning skills. Thus, in the hope of obtaining proof that students are reflecting on their learning, departments often make reflective writing both compulsory and subject to some form of assessment. A wide variety of assessed reflective writing tasks have been identified as part of our ESRC- funded project to investigate genres of student writing 1 , including:  reflective prologues to dramatised dissertations (Law)  reflective commentaries accompanying literature reviews (Health Studies, Anthropology), and creative rewriting (English Studies)  diaries reflecting on practical sessions (Archaeology), teamwork (Business, Occupational Therapy), patient care (Occupational Therapy) and overseas visits (Engineering. Medicine)  authors’ assessments of projects (Mechanical Engineering)  sections labelled learning process / strategy learning review / key learning moments / development of knowledge and understanding (Business)  annexes critiquing the authors‟ own approach (Business)  feedback sections (Computer Science)  self-reflection tasks following responses to a series of questions (Computer Science)  final sections of multi-part tasks (Manufacturing, Medicine) Students may be required to write an entire assignment reflecting on their past personal experiences (“A medical student faced with the three suicide bombings of Cairo in April 2005”) or future ambitions (“What sort of doctor do I want to be by the year 2020?”). Alternatively, and apparently more commonly, a reflective section is required at the beginning or end of a longer assessed assignment, perhaps marked as a „commentary‟, „feedback‟ or „conclusion‟. 1 'An Investigation of Genres of Assessed Writing in British Higher Education', funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (project number RES-000-23- 0800).