Teaching ‘Networking with Others’: A Reflective Account.

Abstract

Reflective practice is about seeing yourself and your life differently. It is a method of self-appraisal that, when used in academia, has the potential to provide insights that are not always immediately apparent to the practitioner. The author of this paper shares a piece of structured reflection based on Gibbs’s (1988) framework. This personal narrative relates to a teaching session entitled, ‘Networking with Others’ that was delivered to UK and International postgraduate health care students. It is this activity that forms the basis of this reflective work. A number of educational issues are considered as the reflection unfolds, many relating to methods and modes of delivery. The final part of this paper reports on an action plan developed to improve the session. This includes the adoption of more collaborative working in order to support the student’s professional as well as academic needs. It is anticipated that this new workshop style session will improve the learning experience, and provide students with a firm base from which to grow their networking skills for the future. In addition, the plan may offer suggestions for anyone running similar sessions throughout the UK and the world.