My face cringed initially when I saw how many reflective writing assignments we had to submit for the PIDP courses.
I deal with numbers throughout most of my career. Therefore I have only written analytical and operational reports, reporting facts and data. I didn’t have to write such “touchy-feely” subject matters. As such, I had butterflies in my tummy and a few sleepless nights when I first started having to work on the assignments. Despite having written quite a few of these assignments, I am still trying to cope with this anxiety. I figure what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.
Perhaps one of the most valuable learning experiences from this PIDP course is reflective practice. It may sound a bit ironic given the fear that I have towards this learning activity. For someone who is always on the go like an everlasting Duracell battery (according to my husband), this learning activity has forced me to put aside time to think and contemplate. I have learnt a lot about myself, as well as the people whom I have known, such as bosses, colleagues, instructors and my husband, for many years and in some cases decades have made me who I am today.
There was some discussion in the class that this reflective practice writing is not suitable for learners with emotional and psychological issues. While I agree that in most cases, as educators, we do not have the expertise to deal with such issues and it should be left to the experts, such as school counsellors.
However, I think for individuals who are dealing with such personal issues, they just sometimes need someone to lean on or listen to them. In most cases we may not have the solutions of how we can help them. Also in other cases, some individuals may not be comfortable sharing their private lives in the classroom. By letting them express themselves in private through reflective practice writing, these individuals may feel like they aren’t alone dealing with the challenges in their lives. In some ways, I think reflective practice works in such circumstances. The same holds true for introvert learners who value their privacy and solitude.
I am trying to see how I can incorporate such an activity in the accounting and finance curriculum while keeping it relevant to the course subject. Perhaps a topic like ethical dilemma may be an appropriate environment to do so. As it is highly controversial topic and personal, reflective writing assignment may provide the appropriate platform for learners to freely express their point of views without hurting anyone’s feelings.
If anyone has any suggestion on how I can incorporate this learning activity into an accounting and finance curriculum, I would love to hear from you.