Slow and surprising reflection: rethinking reflective practice in the era of GenAI
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Vikki Pollard
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
This conceptual paper examines whether reflective practice — traditionally viewed as emotionally rich, experiential, and hard to automate — is actually taught in instrumental, procedural ways that make it vulnerable to replication by Generative AI. The author argues that because GenAI cannot genuinely wonder or be surprised, teaching must foreground those capacities. They propose adopting the literary technique of defamiliarisation (foregrounding) to cultivate "slow reflection" that prioritises surprise and aesthetic disturbance over instrumental self-improvement, and outline pedagogical strategies to teach students how to produce this kind of reflective writing.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2026.2647743
Post created by: Virginia Signorini