Abstract

As Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) adapt to the demands of contemporary learners, rapid technological changes prompt a re-evaluation of traditional pedagogical methodologies and sustainability directives. This chapter investigates the impact of digital environments in teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) practices. Findings indicate that student autonomy in assessments is influenced by the method of critical reflection adopted by instructors and learners. Our connection with Brookfield’s work becomes more apparent in an applied philosophical analysis of reflective teaching, and the intersection of new teaching paradigms under Noopshere and speculative epistemological frameworks. To this day, Brookfield’s core thesis remains largely unchanged: the critically reflective teacher identifies and scrutinises assumptions that shape practice by using the four lenses of critical reflection: (1) students’ eyes, (2) colleagues’ perspectives, (3) theory, and (4) personal experience. We argue that critical adjustments in HEIs support reflective practices in examining these changes through an additional autobiographical lens, alongside students’ eyes, colleagues’ perceptions, and theoretical literature associated with reflection. Our study builds on a recent proposal for incorporating a fifth lens—the “Learning Environment” to effectively account for the learners’ interactions with the physical classroom, digital interfaces, simulations, or virtual learning environments (VLEs).