Reflective Learning at Work - A Position and Discussion Paper

The relevance of reflection for learning has long been recognised, and there is a substantial body of theoretical work on reflection. However, many questions regarding reflection at the workplace are still open, especially regarding the actual occurrence of reflection in different workplaces, and the efficient support for reflection. In our ongoing work to examine the relevance of reflective learning at work in various organisations and to design technological support, we have collected and discussed existing literature on reflective learning. Within this paper, we discuss relevant and open issues in four major topical areas that are relevant to the above research goal, namely (i) the reflection process , (ii) the various scopes of reflection such as individual and organisational learning, (iii) the context or setting in which reflection might take place and (iv) how we can facilitate and scaffold reflection by means of technology. We aim to provide a basis for discussion and to illustrate that research on reflection, especially in the context of work, is far from finished.