Gibbs Reflective Cycle is one of the most advanced models of reflection. It leads you through different stages to make sense of an experience. Developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988, the cyclitic nature of the model helps in understanding repeated experiences, allowing you to learn from things that did not go in your favor.

The Cycle covers 6 stages, which are:

  1. Description

This section offers you a chance to describe the situation in detail. The crucial points that you must include here are:

  • Where and when did this happen?
  • Who was present?
  • What happened?
  • Why were you there?
  • What did you do?
  • What was the outcome?
  • What did you want to happen?

Remember not to draw any conclusion this stage. If you are writing this the first time, it is necessary that you take a look at a few examples. If the task seems daunting to you, avail Gibbs Reflective Cycle  help from the experts.

For example, four friends and I decided to work on a project that was allotted by our university. We decided to handle different sections of the assignment. However, when we met, we found out that the writing style was different. So, we had to rewrite it, to make it a coherent piece of work. However, the program was not ore-planned; hence, two of the members could not devote their time.

2. Feelings

Here, you have to explore the thoughts or feelings you had during the experience. Some of the questions that you can ask yourself are:

  • What was satisfactory and bad about the experience?
  • What didn’t go in your favor?
  • What did you and other members/people contribute to the situation?
  • What went in your favor?

For instance, you can write the following statements. We realized we had lots of work to do, before we came together. We were happy that the work was divided equally among us. However, things took a turn for the worse when we realized that we couldn’t submit a top-notch assignment. I had little motivation, given the fact two of my project partners did not turn up. So, I had to work harder to achieve the results faster.

3. Evaluation

In this stage, you have to evaluate what worked and what did not. You have to be both objective and honest as possible, so that you can understand both the constructive and the negative aspects of the event. Some of the most valuable questions that will help you get started are:

  • What was positive about the situation?
  • What was pessimistic about the situation?
  • What went well in your favor?
  • What did not go your way?

For example, if you were to continue to the anecdote written previously, you can write the following details. Although there were commitment issues, the members were able to hand over their tasks well within the deadline. They are talented and well-versed in their respective domain; hence, it didn’t take long to get the work done.

Moreover, the fact that two members of the group were not able to give their time acted as an impetus. The remaining members kept pushing and rectified the mistakes that hindered our progress. The only negative aspect of the project was the failed overall time plan and management.

4. Analysis

This is the particular place where you can delve into the nitty-gritty of what happened. Here, you can extract the meaning from the context. You can single out the different aspects and take it under the microscope. You can ask yourself questions like:

  • Why did things go well?
  • Why didn’t it go in my favor?
  • How can I interpret the situation?
  • What skill or knowledge can help me comprehend the situation better?

Let us take a look at the example. The reason the initial division of work went well is because the person had a say in the selection process, based on their strengths. Personally, I felt comfortable this way before, and it felt natural to me. I thought it would save us time, but it did cost us more, and we ended up rushing and rewriting.

Upon looking through certain literature review, we found that work delegation and effective teamwork depends on each strength and weakness. But, we certainly didn’t proceed thinking that way.  In the end, we were able to submit the task. But, two members had to work hard, whereas the others didn’t contribute.

I think that studying the personal traits, knowledge, and skills is important before we form groups.

5. Conclusion

This is the section where you make conclusions about what happened. This is the place where you highlight the changes in your approach that could have yielded a more productive outcome. In short, you have to summarize the learning.

The questions that you will ask yourself are:

  • What did I learn from the situation?
  • What else could I have done?
  • What skills did I require to handle the situation?
  • How could the situation be more positive for everyone?

For example: After the completion of the project, we learned that proper discussion and division of work is required for the commencement of the task. People should state their strengths and weaknesses, so that it would be easier to allot the tasks. In addition to this, if they agree to do the project, they should not back out.

5. Action Plan

This is the final section of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Here you plan for what you would do differently in a similar or situation in the future. Hence, you need to address questions like:

  • What would I do differently if I had to do the same thing again?
  • How would I develop the required skills I need?
  • What steps must I adopt to make sure that I act differently the next time?

In this area, you can write the aspects that go. When I work on the next project, I will first hold a meeting with the interested members. I will hear the fields that they are well-versed with and take note of their previous experiences and project works. Moreover, they have to sign an agreement that they will remain available throughout the project.

As you can see, you can clearly analyze a personal experience through the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. But, before you proceed to write one, you must go through several examples in order to understand what it is all about. The more you read, the more you will get to understand how to organize the content.

If you are working on a paper, be sure to check out a variety of resources to get the authentic information. And if you are wondering, “Who can write my dissertation?” you should take the help of the professional experts.