title: Teaching reflection: Speech & language therapy students using visual clues for reflection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reflection is an essential tool for the development of professional behaviour. Central to all reflection methods is language, either written or spoken. As the use of language is not easy for all students, especially those learning in a language other than their native tongue, it is essential that teachers use alternative methods to stimulate reflection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the benefits that speech and language therapy students perceive in an educational approach that combines pictures and drawings as a stimulus for reflecting on professional experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  During an international course twenty-two students of various nationalities participated in a two-hour session and reflected on professional experiences. To stimulate reflection, drawings and pictures were used. All the students were asked to evaluate this educational approach by responding to five open-ended questions. Their responses were coded and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students' comments fell into three categories of perceived benefits: (1) educational approach benefits; (2) personal benefits; and (3) professional benefits. Almost all the students reported that the nature of the reflection exercises helped them verbalize their experiences after the profession-related exercises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that visualizing as a first step towards verbalizing experiences can foster learning through reflection. It provides students with greater opportunities to verbalize awareness, especially within a group of students who may have difficulty expressing themselves in a non-native language.
authors.affiliation: Hanze University Groningen, Netherlands. m.a.schaub@home.nl
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schaub-de Jong
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van der Schans
mesh_terms: D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D006801:Humans; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D013850:Thinking