Navigating the Next Chapter: a Reflective Toolkit for Graduating Students

This workshop outlines a toolkit supporting recent graduates in the School of Education to reflect on their learning experiences, scaffolding their lifelong learning journeys, and preparing for the transition from formal, supported learning at university. A key motivation for students pursuing work-based study opportunities is to enhance their transferable skills and open up wider opportunities for personal and professional development. We utilised Wingrave and McMahon’s (2016) professional learning model as a conceptual framework underpinning design of a resource to support students to develop and embed sustainable critical reflection practices as they navigate times of transition. This reflective debrief toolkit aims to provide a flexible resource with potential application in a range of professional or inter-disciplinary contexts. This project derived from a participatory research project on student identities involving creative methods of reflection such as collaging (Butler-Kisber and Poldma, 2010), a ‘learning story’ narrative writing approach (White and Sands, 2022) and career mapping (Forde et al., 2009). Engagement with these activities led to the creation of a multi-faceted diffractive kit, meeting a fundamental need for graduates to develop an ‘exit strategy’ through opportunities for extended engagement beyond the final return of grades. Workship participants will have the opportunity to trial our toolkit activities, reflecting on their own learning experiences and provide feedback on the utility of the toolkit. Key takeaway for audience: The opportunity to try out the toolkit activities in a fun and engaging workshop. Reflective learning exercises will include: Collaging activity – reflection on learning experiences using an online collaging tool or paper-based materials. Reflective writing – a ‘learning story’ approach focused on identifying key learning moments. Goal setting – using a career timeline to identify next steps in learning. We hope to be joined in presenting by Childhood Practice students who contributed to developing the toolkit, as well as providing worked examples. We are publishing the toolkit online and participants will receive the link to this resource which has been designed to have inter-disciplinary application. What you want to learn from others: Feedback activity: Shape the toolkit! – participants will be asked to feedback on benefits/what was difficult or uncomfortable/what was missing during the activities, and to evaluate the potential usefulness across a wider range of contexts.