Personal Learning Challenge Reflective Practice Design

Personal Learning Challenge Reflective Practicelearning Design Blu

Begin in the second week of the course, you will undertake a personal learning challenge where you select a new skill to learn over four weeks, documenting your process and reflecting on your experience. You will share your journey through five graded blog posts, discussing your planning, challenges, successes, and the connection to learning design principles. Your goal isn't mastery but understanding the learning process, and your reflections should include data such as success rates, practice time, confidence ratings, and media like photos, videos, or recordings. You should analyze patterns like optimal practice times, breakthrough moments, difficulties, and ease. The activity encourages collaborative learning, so engaging with others can enhance your experience. Your reflections will integrate theories of learning and learning design discussed in class, offering a meta-awareness of your development.

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The concept of a personal learning challenge offers a profound opportunity to engage in experiential learning and reflective practice, essential components in understanding how individuals acquire new skills. This process not only fosters self-awareness but also aligns closely with theories of learning design, emphasizing the importance of intentional practice, feedback, and reflection in facilitating deep learning (Kolb, 1984; Schön, 1983). Embarking on a four-week skill acquisition journey—be it learning a musical instrument, mastering a new sport, or developing a habit—serves as a hands-on demonstration of how learners' brains adapt, rewire, and grow through deliberate effort and reflection.

The task begins with careful planning, where learners set goals, identify resources, and develop strategies for practice. This phase resonates with the foundational principles of intentional learning, rooted in Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where learners operate just outside their current competence zone, guided by reflection and scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1978). Recording data such as success rates, timing, confidence levels, and media provides rich qualitative and quantitative feedback. Such data enable learners to identify patterns, such as the optimal times for practice or breakthrough moments—key milestones in the learning journey (Dweck, 2006). For example, learners might discover they are more productive practicing in the morning or that a particular method yields faster progress.

Reflective practice is central to this activity, closely aligned with Schön’s (1983) concept of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Blogging about experiences offers a platform to articulate challenges, strategies, and insights, deepening understanding. Learners evaluate whether practicing alone or in groups is more beneficial, considering the social aspects of learning and motivation. Collaboration can enhance engagement through peer feedback and shared motivation, which are supported by social constructivist theories (Bandura, 1977). Experiencing setbacks and successes, learners develop a growth mindset—believing that effort leads to improvement—thus cultivating resilience and persistence essential for skill mastery.

The connection between this reflection activity and learning design theories underscores the importance of structured yet flexible learning environments. The process promotes metacognitive skills, encouraging learners to think about their thinking, plan effectively, monitor progress, and adapt strategies accordingly (Flavell, 1979). By documenting the journey, learners become aware of their learning processes, facilitating transfer and application of skills beyond the activity itself (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). This aligns with the principles of formative assessment, where ongoing reflection and feedback guide development—making learning an active, self-regulated process.

Furthermore, this activity exemplifies the experiential learning cycle, as learners concretize their experiences, reflect on outcomes, conceptualize improvements, and experiment with new approaches. Such experiential engagement mirrors Kolb’s (1984) model, emphasizing the cyclical nature of learning and the importance of reflection for transforming concrete experiences into abstract concepts. Therefore, engaging in this challenge illuminates how deliberate practice, reflection, and feedback synergistically contribute to skill acquisition and personal growth. Ultimately, connecting these insights to learning design enhances understanding of how to structure effective learning experiences, whether in formal settings or informal personal pursuits (Biggs & Tang, 2007).

References

• Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Oxford, England: Prentice-Hall.
• Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
• Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911.
• Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.
• Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.