The Driscoll Model of Reflection: What so what now what model of Reflection

Professional development cannot be done alone without practice. It has one more missing piece, which is reflection. Reflection is the process of revisiting your actions, emotions, and thoughts. But how can we perform reflection practice? The easiest practice of knowing yourself is the Driscoll model of reflection developed by John Driscoll. 

The driscoll paradigm of reflective cycle is a structured analyze their own experiences and identify what they should do differently next time.

John Driscoll’s model of reflection is widely used in healthcare, education, business management, counselling, and personal development. This reflective practice can be used to improve practices and behaviors. 

In this guide, we will understand the components, function, importance, and the practical implications Driscoll cycle.  But first, let us see what is John Driscoll’s model of reflection:

The Making of a Reflective Classic: Driscoll’s Model Explained

Driscoll’s learning cycle is a framework of experiential learning for helping students derive insights about their actions from their own experiences. This term is much more familiar to individuals in education, nursing, and healthcare. 

This theory was developed by John Driscoll in 1994 and was later finalised in the 2000s.  Driscoll formulated the theory from the early work of Terry Broton, Reach, Touch, and Teach. John himself was a famous figure in the social and healthcare sector. His model was a result of his dedication to social practice.

According to John Driscoll, there was a gap in the existing theories of reflective practice and experiential learning. Thus, he created a model that was simple and accessible for guiding people to think about their actions through the reflective process.  

Explaining the Components of the Driscoll Cycle

The Driscoll reflection model was introduced as a simple approach for deepening self-awareness among individuals. It was formulated to resolve difficulties faced by professionals when trying to convert real-world experiences into meaningful learning.

Driscoll’s model of reflection explains that learning is an ongoing cycle shaped by experience. By weaving these foundational ideas together, driscolls reflection model offers a structured method for individuals to engage in thoughtful analysis of their actions, decisions, and emotional responses.

Today, the Driscolls reflective model remains a widely adopted framework in reflective practice, for fostering a habit of lifelong learning through structured introspection.

The Driscoll cycle has three questions to study a situation.

1. What?

This is the first question of the driscoll reflection model. In the driscoll what model, an individual tries to find out what actually happened in the event. We can ask the what question in three different ways: What did I do, or what did you do? What happened before and after the event? Was the situation good or bad? Who was involved? So, driscoll’s what model is to evaluate the facts about any event.

2. So What?

After a person is informed about what has happened, he proceeds with asking, “So what?”. In Driscoll’s reflection model, this step is important to study any situation in depth. This can be done by asking So what questions like:

What were your thoughts and emotions at the time? Why was this encounter significant to you? What assumptions or ideas were challenged by this experience? How has this occurrence influenced your perception of the situation?

After we have analyse the situation in the context of driscoll what model do we find out that why the experience mattered and what emotions or reactions it evoked. 

3. Now What?

After we trigger questions related to the situation or experience, we also sought to know about the future implications the event will have. The next step involves analyzing the experience by the Now What angle. 

Applications of Driscoll Reflection Model Beyond Healthcare

The Driscoll’s Model of Reflection is a versatile framework applicable across various industries. It is grounded in three stem questions “What? So What? Now What?”. These questions asked help to unveil present facts, future action, and experiential learning in dynamic working environments beyond the healthcare sector.  Let’s see its applications in various sectors:

Education and Learning:

Educators can use the Driscoll reflective model to analyze why the lesson plans are not engaging for the students. They can assess the pros and cons of a change in policy.

The driscoll reflective model is equally helpful for teachers and students to analyze different teaching methods and identify the areas of improvement required. This reflective practice can improve the students grades and support their pedagogical development.

By following the driscoll reflection model, teachers can identify what teaching strategies are effective in enhancing student learning and then think about the actions to refine their teaching strategies in a better way.

For example, a mathematics teacher might rethink that why students are not engaging in the algebra lesson inside the class. 

Lets apply the driscoll’s model of reflection here:

• What? The students were distracted during the algebra activity.
• So What? The algebra concepts may not have been clear, which may have caused confusion in them.
• Now What? Plan to change the algebra teaching methods and classroom activities.

Business and Leadership 

The Driscoll model of reflection is also helpful in the domain of business. Managers can apply the what so what now what model of reflection to analyse the hurdles in project execution. They can address issues in team dynamics, and make better decisions as a leader. They can also derive lessons from success and failures using driscoll reflective model and improve their task planning and execution.

Driscoll model of reflection in business can be used when a team lead wants to review why the project completion never met the deadline.

If we apply the three stages of driscoll reflective model, we can ask the following questions:

• What? The team missed the client deadline by two days.
• So What? The cause of missing the deadline was miscommunication regarding tasks.
• Now What? The unclear flow of instructions can be resolved by implementing weekly check-ins using different tracking systems.

Personal Development:

Personal development is one of the Driscoll reflection model. Whether navigating life choices and personal relationships, the Driscoll reflective model can improve emotional intelligence and personal growth in people.

If a person is reflecting on a stressful argument, the driscolls reflection model can be used as:

• What? I misbehaved with a friend during a disagreement.
• So What? I was already stressed, and a small conversation triggered my anger toward him.
• Now What? I should practice emotional control and critical thinking to communicate my thoughts peacefully next time.

Social Work and Psychology 

Practitioners in social services can adopt Driscoll’s model of reflection in their approach when they are interacting with their clients. 

 This model will help in the emotional responses of their customers. The reflective practitioner can gain a better understanding of the ethical challenges he might be facing in the situation. The model can then inform future actions and help him redefine his strategies for resolving the client issues.

For example, a social worker might face difficulty in resolving the communication of client. If we look at it from the perspective of John driscoll model of reflection, we can ask three simple questions:

• What? The client refused to attend a communication session.  
• So What? I may not have addressed the right concerns that were bothering him.
• Now What? It’s time to ask for help from a supervisor and formulate a strategy to win the client’s trust.

Comparing the Driscoll Model with Other Reflective Models

To appreciate the uniqueness of the Driscoll Model, let’s compare it with other reflective frameworks:

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle:

The Gibbs reflective cycle is widely used by healthcare workers practicing clinical supervision to help individuals think critically about how they felt during a situation.

It has six stages. In the first stage, you describe your experience in the situation. In the next stage, you reflect on how you felt during the event, followed by what you learned from the situation.

Now recall what decisions you made, and was there anything that could have been different? In the last stage, you plan actions to deal with similar situations in the future.

Despite that, Gibbs’ approach is very detailed, it is very confusing and overwhelming for beginners who want to reflect on their actions.

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle:

In Kolb’s experiential learning, people learn through their experiences in four stages. First, they present their new concrete experience. Next, they start their reflective observation on their experience by remembering what they felt, what had happened, and why it happened. 

In the third stage, learners develop new theories about their experience. Lastly, they start to actively experiment with their newly developed ideas. Individuals now apply their theories to new situations.

It is a useful learning reflective practice, but it cannot be applied to quick reflections of small events. 

Johns’ Driscoll Model for Reflection:

We cannot say that John Driscoll’s model of reflection is “better” than other two approaches, but its rather a simpler method. Driscoll’s model emphasizes an organized approach to self-reflection. This model is suitable for people who are new to the reflective practice profession, where speedy reflection is necessary. 

Gibbs reflective cycle, on the other hand, is based on reflecting on emotions and feelings. It becomes quite complicated for individuals who are new to this practice. Also, following the emotional way of reflecting back and not actively engaging in situations might not the ideal way of learning for many people.  While Kolb’s approach is also useful but it stresses only on practical application of newly developed ideas.

What are the Benefits Driscoll’s Model of Reflection

Driscoll reflective model is very helpful in learning and development, benefiting individuals in many ways. Some of its benefits are:

• We can describe what the situation is using only three questions, which makes reflective practice easy to remember and apply.
• The Driscoll model of reflection is one of those practices that helps develop self-assessment and critical thinking skills in people.
• It also gives you the chance for self-improvement. You can recognize where improvement in behaviors is required and how it can be achieved.
• It is one of the simplest models that can be used in various career and personal development practices.

How To Maintain Reflection Using the Driscoll’s Model of Reflection

Healthcare students or practitioners using the Reflective learning Model developed by Driscoll should take into account these essential tips:

First of all, whenever you are expressing your actions or emotions, be honest. Tell every detail about the situation truthfully, which will help you set in context with the learning process. You might hesitate while accepting your mistakes, but the reflective model cannot work without telling honestly about every situation.

Second, do not confuse one situation with the other. Answer every detail relevant to the specific event. Avoid using examples because it might confuse you on going to the next step of the process. Provide in in-depth description of your actions

Lastly, only consistency in habits can help you make real progress in professional development. Remember, you should reflect daily on what you have done throughout the day. You will also be able to understand yourself much better. This way, you will not only improve your skills but also become a better version of yourself.

At last the the personal development is an important part of our growth, and the Driscoll Reflective Cycle is one way to do it. Growth is a continuous cycle of learning, and it cannot happen without one’s willingness to change. This was the detailed description and application of Driscoll’s Reflection Model. Now, after reading this, it is your responsibility to incorporate self-reflection into your daily life.