Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle
Learning is most effective when time is taken to think through the process and impact of experiences and to attempt to make sense of thoughts, feelings and reactions. Such reflection can enable the learner to identify patterns, resolve uncertainties and make decisions for tackling new situations in the future.
A number of models have been devised to illustrate cycles of reflection and one of these was the Reflective Cycle developed by Gibbs. It’s used a lot in training healthcare professionals to become reflective practitioners.
Gibbs G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Cheltenham: The Geography Discipline Network. Available to download
http://www2.glos.ac.uk/gdn/gibbs/ (Accessed 08/11/06)
First identify and describe a task, event or experience for reflection, and then rather than simply describing the facts, attempt to answer the following:
Feelings: What were your reactions and feelings?
Evaluation: What was good and bad about the experience? – identify positive and negative aspects
Analysis: What sense can you make of the situation and your attitudes to it?
Include here ideas from outside this experience to help you understand what was going on.
Conclusions: What can you conclude from this and other experiences, and the analyses you have undertaken?
Personal Action plans: What will you do differently in this type of situation next time? What action are you going to take on the basis of learning from this experience?
Useful links on reflective practice and Gibbs Reflective Cycle:
Useful resource from Northampton University
Terry King @ University of Portsmouth
A Word document with a useful framework, from Brighton University