Some of the benefits of reflective thinking in relation to problem solving are, making decisions based on what they know from previous efforts, observations and understanding of a situation.Think about a previous situation and remember what was involved, how it made the person feel, and what outcome resulted.Take a little bit of knowledge from every experience to benefit in order to help problem solving.
I agree. If you do not take that step back sometimes your judgement and decisions can be clouded.
Betty,
Right you are. I seem to experience this almost every day at school If students are acting and speaking this way while in school how can the expect to be successful in the workplace. They need to stop, reflect, analyze and the propose solutions just as you have outlined. This is when success will come their way.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Too many times people jump into a situation, do something dumb, or say something stupid because they did not take the time to reflect. By stepping back and reflecting, a person can outweigh the good and bad; thus, he has a better chance of finding a better solution that works for him.
Christopher,
Yours is a perfect area for developing skill in reflective thinking. To be successful in the field your students are going have to be able to develop skill in the area of reflective thinking. The way you have it set up you are providing them with opportunities for this type of development and expertise.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
For my design students Reflective Thinking or (self critique) allows them to step back from the ongoing process and be objective about their successes up to that point, and the path they have taken to get their work to that point. This can be done before project completion, but is always done afterward, and is in general the best way for them to have an understanding of how they might improve the next time around.
Mardi,
Great points about reflective thinking. Without knowledge in terms of what has been done in the past there is not a foundation upon which to reflect about what should be done in an emergency situation. With the foundation a number of possible solutions can come to mind and this gives a person a departure point for providing care.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having used this while I was attaining my MSN; I see this as a valuable tool; although often overlooked.
To look back and reflect on what the situation was, how you handled it and what could have been done differently, makes you see that situation in a different light.
I teach during Emergency Procedures that one of the key parts in any Emergency Plan is to prepare by reviewing what has been done in the past; has it worked? What are the areas for improvement? By having this knowledge you will not make the same mistakes again and by reviewing you can see your strengths and your weaknesses.
Christopher,
Patience is not a strong point in our culture today. Neither is self discipline. By offering opportunities to define and then develop both the students are going to leave school with the ability to work in diverse settings and be of value to their employers. This is something they need to understand in relation to why you want them to work through the reflective thinking process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that reflective thinking is art of patiently taking the time to see and understand the possible outcomes of a specific situation or project. This can be done in some cases by using the hindsight from past outcomes and apply it as foresight as you move forward. Once you have selected the best possible solution – use reverse planning to identify all the steps to achieve your outcome.
John,
Great quote. It is so true because we do need to think through the situation, options and possible solutions before we jump into the deep end of the pool. Reflective thinking is one of the most effective ways of getting the problem internalized in relation to next steps.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am a fan of Einstein's quote on problem solving, in a nutshell it goes like this...if I had one hour to solve the world's biggest problem, i would take the first 59 minutes to understand and define the problem and execute the solution the last minute of time available...
tough to do this in a business where "time is money" but the notion is sound, identify the problem, understand it as thoroughly as possible, then act.
The use of reflective practice creates problem solving competency, especially for dental hygiene students. Having students reflect on their patient care makes the student have an intentional teaching moment and promotes autonomous type of learning. This type of learning develops a better understanding of the problem they my have been faced with for the day. The reflective process also proves to be beneficial for their peers as they learn from one another on their assessments of each patient for that day as a group. It has been constructive, critical and allowed for some real original thoughts and ideas.
Tequilla,
Thank you for these comments about the value of using reflective thinking in problem solving efforts. The more early reflective thinking that is done the easier it will be to finalize possible solutions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking allows you to take a look within yourself as you relate to others. In an attempt to solve a problem, one can reflect on how they can or have contributed to the the problem or the solution. Reflective thinking allows you to take a step back and view all aspects of the problem, ask questions, reevaluate, ask more questions, and reflect again. Reflective thinking gives us the the advantage of knowing that everything is not as it seems. Some problems may only appear to be a problem, but after much reflecting on the issue a little more, you may have a better understanding.
Maggie,
By taking some time and stepping back a bit to see the big picture and then the parts that make up that picture you will become a reflective thinker and a problem solver. Your three parts of reaching a solution are right on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Annette,
Great to hear about way the module was of help to you. Yes, your approach is dead on in terms of helping your students to analyze situations and come up with solutions. That is one of the critical elements of nursing. I am sure your students appreciate your methods and the preparation efforts you are putting into helping them to become proficient in their field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Using reflective thinking properly will always or should always comes up with a positive solution which includes observation, listening and understanding.
I see benefits in reflective thinking all of the time in nursing and work to instill this in the students. When assessing the clinical status of a patient it is easy to look only at the grossly evident signs and symptoms they present with. It takes time to take in the whole picture, to delve into the not so evident parts of an illness. It took me a while to be patient enough to apply this technique when beginning my practice. It is not something that comes naturally to all nursing students. I feel assisting them in what directions they could use to broaden their scope of inquiry has been helpful. Taking in the whole picture the student gains focus on what the current assessments actually mean to the patient wholistically not just focused on localized problem. I found areas in this module to be supportive and clarifying of things I currently do and look for in students. AHH, a good day!!
Neelam,
I agree with you about the need for refined reflective thinking. It is the foundation upon which we build our skills as problem solvers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
