Reflective Learning Journal #4

I still find reflective learning difficult. The need to be critical rather than descriptive is challenging, I think, because of my experience studying A-Level English. Despite being given some guidelines, I feel as though I need some feedback that what I am doing is correct. I do not know if I am entitled to have it ‘assessed’ by my tutor, although I do not think so. This is obviously something I need to find out. However, I think I have improved since I started writing. I suppose throughout my course I will automatically adapt to the writing standard demand of me. I am trying to improve my ability to critically analysis  journal articles and academic textbooks, which I think develops as I read.

In our previous tutorial, the group had the task of reading two different journal articles, one of which was utterly tedious. Not only was it long, but also hard to read and, after a while, I found it difficult to concentrate so I skipped to the conclusion and took notes from that. The language the author used was very complex and he seemed to lack structure in his writing, often jumping from one idea to the next and back again. Now in the context of the entire book this journal may have made some sense. For me it was too much at such an early stage but I also found it slightly difficult to pinpoint the key ideas and arguments from the journal. The second journal was not as bad and I found it a much easier and more interesting read. I enjoyed its exploration of how an image can be represented in different ways and create an imaginative Geography that becomes embedded in social culture as ‘fact’ through the researcher’s use of the Apollo Earth images as examples. I still had to take a break from reading since I am currently a slow reader because it takes me a while to understand what the author is trying to say. Despite not knowing what questions to consider when reading these articles, I noted down ideas I thought were key and suggested them in a tutorial session. At first, I found it difficult to contribute to group discussions as I was trying to follow other people’s train of thought as well as trying to figure out which part I wanted to discuss. However, when I had finally thought of a point to raise I think I managed to put across my idea quite well, but it is clear that I am slow to think of points and I am too quiet. This may be due to a lack of confidence, an issue which I know I have faced a lot in my life, or perhaps I am slightly intimidated by the members in my group since, although I am improving, I am still shy and am not yet confident in my ability. In order to combat this, I think it is important that I put myself in pressured situations that require me to speak and contribute more to discussions, which could be done through the university Career Zone. However, when I suddenly realised what my point could be I think I managed to put across my statement, which reflected on one of the parts of the journal I found so interesting.

Thanks to another tutorial session, I now know the reading skills I have to develop. Currently I have a ‘surface approach’ to reading rather than the ideal ‘deep approach’ because, at the moment, I don’t try to relate ideas I come across in other topics to what I read and I don’t often find myself questioning what I read. I hope that now I have a list of questions to reflect on when reading geographical articles, my reading approach will change. I think that it is important for me to continue reading as many journals as possible because I think the more I read, the more I will understand and be able to critically analyse what I read.

~ Jones' Journal