You need to develop your ability to adapt the way you learn in order to survive and thrive. This ability is called Learning Power. The Learning Journeys Profile is invaluable because it makes this ‘power’ visible. But having your strengths and weaknesses laid bare can often be confronting. Sometimes you might disagree with the results or you may not be ready to adapt your behaviour. Sometimes you might simply not know what to do next.
Reflective writing is a key vehicle for strengthening your Learning Power. It helps to connect our cognitive, logical thinking with how we feel and how we act, so learning becomes about the whole of who we are and not just a split-off part.
Catherine Cheung discovered reflective writing could be powerful when trying to unpack her Learning Power Profile. She had mixed feelings about the task at first, assuming it was “just another personality test”. But Catherine’s openness to learning meant she challenged her own assumptions and adapted to the new information, recognising the assignment could be of benefit to her development as a learner.
“Reading the profile more carefully for the first time, I had three emotions simultaneously: embarrassed, surprised and amazed.”
Catherine described feeling “embarrassed” because the profile exposed her weakness area, creativity. She was also “surprised” and “amazed” the Learning Journeys Survey was able to identify something about her so easily when it had taken her “some years” to identify it on her own.
Through additional exploration of what creativity means, Catherine was able to deepen her self-understanding. She discovered she was 'rule bound' in her learning, the opposite of being creative. Catherine then thought about why creativity would be important for her future as a data analyst. Using sense making like this is one of the benefits of self-reflection. It meant Catherine was able to see the connections between what she knew about her learning style now and how it might help or hinder her performance in the future.
“If I’m convinced about the necessity of creativity, then how should I foster it constructively?”
Catherine also used self-reflective writing to consider and plan out strategies to improve her creativity.
While the Learning Power Profile is good at identifying any current challenges, it’s also good at showing you your strengths. Catherine understood she was constantly changing and adapting as learner and that her strong hope and optimism could be used to develop her creativity.
This is an example of Catherine developing resilient agency, something that is fostered through reflective writing. Over time, someone with resilient agency develops the ability to respond to complex conditions in a beneficial way. They can mindfully transform adverse situations into growth and wellbeing.
Catherine started the task thinking it would be a challenge but was able to turn the experience into one that aided her growth and wellbeing positively. Drawing on her mindful agency she refreshed her purpose and considered her future as a data analyst and a life-long learner.
Engaging in reflective writing to support your Learning Power can crystallise learning processes and outcomes in your mind and helps to rearrange the files of learning, reducing confusion and clearing mental pathways. It shows you how you learn, what you’re good at and how you can improve. You’re then able to take responsibility for your own learning.