Assessing reflective writing

Audience: Academic staff, Research staff, Research supervisors

Date: Thursday 26 March 2026

Times: 14.00 to 16.00

Programme: Academic Staff Development Programme

Key details: An introduction to Gibbs' reflective cycle model of reflective writing, with small group work and discussion on how to assess and provide feedback on reflective writing.

Target audience

Any staff member wanting to learn more about reflective writing and how to assess it.

Course pre-work

Prior to the event running participants will be emailed four examples of reflective writing by Jenny Moon to review before attending.

Course mapped to

Professional Standards Framework: A3 (assess and give feedback for learning), K1 (how learners learn, generally and within specific subjects)

Course information

This workshop will present Gibbs' Reflective Cycle as one model for reflective writing, but please be aware that there are others. You will consider some of the benefits and challenges of setting reflective writing as assessed work, practice assessing examples of reflective writing, and discuss how to assign grades. Prior to the event running participants will be emailed four examples of reflective writing by Jenny Moon to review before attending.

14.00-14.05  Activity in chat tool as people arrive
14.05-14.20  Welcome & breakout groups: Introduce yourselves, and briefly address the following questions:
  • What are the benefits and challenges of assessing reflective writing?
  • Describe how you already use reflective writing, or could introduce it.
14.20-14.35  Report back one point from each group
14.35-14.55  Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle as a model for reflective writing
14.55-15.00  Break
15.00-15.15  Breakout groups: Read samples of reflective writing and discuss what stages of Gibbs’ cycle are evidenced in each
15.15-15.30  Whole group discussion of what “good” looks like for each stage of the cycle
15.30-15.40  Examples of assessing reflective writing
15.40-15.55  Whole group discussion on how to assign grades.

What participants have said about a previous version of this course:

  • A clear tool to reflect was described which is very useful. Working through examples as a smaller group was good.

Aims and objectives

By the end of this workshop you should be able to:

  • Describe each stage of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle
  • Explain what would comprise good performance for each stage of the cycle.
  • Assess and give feedback on samples of reflective writing.

Tutors

Dr Heather McKiggan-Fee

Course provider

OSDS
Email: osdscourses@st-andrews.ac.uk