Designing Socially Mediated Reflection in Virtual Learning Communities

In The Culture of Education, Jerome Bruner defined reflection as "thinking about thinking" and argued that reflection is critical to transformational learning. Reflection helps students understand the value of their learning experience. Reflection can be individually mediated, for example through journals, one-on-one discussions, and papers and it also can be socially-mediated, where students reflect together in social spaces either face-to-face or in virtual learning communities. The purpose of this presentation is to share how socially mediated reflection was designed in a Web-enhanced experiential learning course on water and sustainability and discuss strategies for designing socially mediated reflection activities in virtual environments. Through presentation and interactive discussion, the audience will walk away with an understanding of the research that supports this practice as well as practical tips for designing for reflection in their own virtual learning spaces.