It is 11 pm, your reflective log is due tomorrow, and you are staring at a blank page, wondering how three questions are supposed to turn a messy shift into a structured piece of writing. If this rings true to you, then the Driscoll Model of Reflection is precisely what you need to understand right now. Apparently, it simplifies reflective writing to just three questions: "What?"; "So what?"; and "Now what?" In contrast to leaving you guessing about how to structure your work amidst tight deadlines, this reflective model provides you with a roadmap from experience to insight. In this blog post, we will look into each phase of this model and learn how to apply it.
What Is the Driscoll Model of Reflection?
The Driscoll Model of Reflection can be described as a three-step process for making sense of an experience by answering three easy questions. The steps to follow are: “What?”, “So What?”, and “Now What?”
John Driscoll created the model back in 1994 and improved it in 2000 and 2007 based on three stem questions developed in the 1970s by Terry Borton. Although the Driscoll model was originally created for nursing practice usage, it has now become popular in teaching, business and other fields of academic studies.
Driscoll reflection is so popular because of its simplicity. You are not only asked to describe your experience but to find out what you did, why it was important, and what you will do differently next time.
The Three Stages of the Driscoll Model
At its heart, the Driscoll Model of Reflection is just three questions asked in order, and each one builds on the answer before it.
What? - Describing the Experience
The first stage is more about describing than analyzing. Its purpose is to lay out the facts before any judgment can be made. The goal at this stage is simply to set the scene; thus, it is helpful to consider the following questions:
- What took place in simple terms?
- Who was involved? What was your part?
- What were some of the actions that took place?
- What was the outcome or result?
This step being fact-based is important since analyzing a situation too early tends to lead to premature conclusions in reflection.
So What? - Analysing the Experience
That is where the Driscoll Model of Reflection makes you think, and most often it requires the largest word count. Good questions to consider at this stage can be:
- What were your feelings in relation to the experience?
- Why was this particular experience important to you?
- What went right and what didn’t go right?
- How did your personal actions influence the result?
- What theory, model or previous knowledge allows you to better understand this experience?
- What have you learned through this experience?
In this phase, the description gets turned into critical reflection, and you are no longer just describing the event, but analyzing your perceptions of it and connecting it to the existing theory or literature on the topic.
Now What? - Planning Future Action
It marks the end point where Driscoll reflection becomes practical since otherwise it tends to be forgotten soon after being done. Ask yourself:
- What did you learn from which you can benefit in the future?
- What would you do differently next time if the same situation comes up again?
- What skills or information still need development?
- Exactly how are you going to use this experience?
- What will you do if such a situation occurs again in the future?
This stage completes the process between Driscoll 2007 model of reflection and practice because reflection is meant to lead to a different handling of the situation in future than before.
Advantages and Limitations of the Driscoll Model
|
BASIS |
ADVANTAGE |
LIMITATION |
|
Structure |
Just three concise questions help structure the process of reflection. |
It can be too restrictive for activities that cannot be classified into three steps. |
|
Depth of analysis |
The "So What?" step helps you move beyond description and into critical thinking. |
Without discipline, this step can still be superficial even though it has been done quickly or inadequately. |
|
Ease of use |
The framework is simple to understand and quick to use when pressed for time. |
Since it is quite simple, it lacks many intrinsic prompts found in more elaborate models like Gibbs'. |
|
Application |
It has proven effective in nursing, teaching, business, and academia in general. |
It may be too simple to handle complicated and emotional situations. |
|
Action-orientation |
The "Now What?" step ensures reflection remains practically oriented. |
In case the previous steps have been poorly executed, the action plan can become unrealistic. |
To sum up, the weakness of this model of reflection, its simplicity, is at the same time its greatest strength. This reflective framework will prove to be efficient when every stage, especially the stage of So What?, is carefully considered, otherwise it may result in shallow reflection.
How to Use Driscoll's Model Effectively?
Answering the questions is just the beginning of the process, and several practices can significantly affect the quality of the reflection:
- Select one experience rather than trying to reflect upon all of them simultaneously
- Concentrate on the parts which seemed to be particularly important or controversial
- Transcend the descriptive phase and move to analysis when answering the So What? question
- Support your reflection with the appropriate academic literature or theory
- Take the lessons learned and transform them into concrete actions
- Protect the confidentiality of others involved in the reflection
These practices help the reflection model perform its function adequately, not just become a checklist exercise.
Closing Thoughts
All things considered, the Driscoll Reflection Model gives you a way to go from experience to learning. You explain what took place, figure out what its significance was, and determine how you should act differently next time. The questions posed by the model are easy enough to memorize, but are well-structured to generate some insight during every stage of the process. If you are dealing with a reflection assignment and need another opinion on the way you have structured and analyzed it, an assignment help in UK service will be helpful to you.
