This document discusses two extracts from reflective writing assignments by education students. The extracts are from the same points in each assignment and use the same reflective model. The document provides an example of the third extract from one student's reflection. In this extract, the student describes an experience where tasks were not equally distributed within a group, which put cooperation at risk. They interpret this situation through the lens of social interdependence theory. The outcome was that the group ultimately achieved success, but the student suggests having a chairperson to better distribute tasks and encourage cooperation for future group work. The document asks the reader to discuss which extract is better and what good reflective writing looks like based on these examples.

1. Reflective Writing
Read these extracts from different points in two Education students’ reflections. The
extracts are from the same points in each assignment, using the same reflective model.
In your groups, discuss which you thinkis better and why.
Based on your evaluation of these, what do you think good reflective writing looks like?
Extracts One:
A)

2. B)

3. Extracts Two:
A)
B)

4. Example three: where is the description, interpretation and outcome?
Specific tasks were shared out amongst members of my team. Initially, however, the tasks
were not seen as equally difficult by all team members. Cooperation between group
members was at risk because of this perception of unfairness. Social interdependence
theory recognises a type of group interaction called ‘positive interdependence’, meaning
cooperation (Johnson & Johnson, 1993, cited by Maughan & Webb, 2001), and many studies
have demonstrated that “cooperative learning experiences encourage higher achievement”
(Maughan & Webb, 2001). Ultimately, our group achieved a successful outcome, but to
improve the process, we perhaps needed a chairperson to help encourage cooperation
when tasks were being shared out. In future group work, on the course and at work, I would
probably suggest this.