Critical Incidents
A critical incident is an event that provides an opportunity for learning - it may be a 'eureka!' moment or a puzzling one. You may already have recorded critical incidents in your learning journal - these may help you to focus your choice. When a light bulb goes on in your head you need to capture and reflect on what tripped the switch. An artifact is something which captures, depicts or reminds you of the critical incident. Artifacts can be used as evidence and help you to recall and reflect on your critical incidents. You can not always predict when a critical incident will occur, you might find it valuable to supplement you own recall by asking others who were present to talk about what they believe happened.
Some theoretical examples, along with the evidence that might be captured, are listed below
| Critical incident | Artifact |
| The moment when a server problem was remedied after three days of trial and error. | A mobile phone video clip of the moment a cable goes in to a server to finally make it work. before and after screenshots of the relevant server window. |
| A breakthrough in your attempts to be creative with technology | A screenshot or extract from a conversation that helped you overcome a barrier, a description of how you uncovered the way yourself. Evidence of the breakthrough. |
| The moment when a child stormed from a class in temper and I realised I had been unnecessarily confrontational. | The note I sent to his parents about the incident (names taken out to preserve anonymity). |
| The moment when my children refused to eat and I thought that I could have handled the situation better. | A slightly too late video of the disastrous dinner table and disgruntled children along with a straight to camera on the spot reflection from you in the style of a news reporter...or Jeremy Beadle....or........ |
| You meet an expectation from a customer, parent, child or colleague that you cannot immediately full-fill or you are not happy with what you could offer them. | A description of the event. Your colleagues view on the situation. |
| An observation of others interacting | A description of the event and a video/audio/text transcript of a post event interview. |
| A physical change in your work environment impacts on your practice | A photographic record. A discussion with others who share the environment. |
Tripp on Critical Incidents
"People often ask
what a critical incident is and how to recognise one. The answer is, of course,
that critical incidents are not ‘things’ which exist independently
of an observer and are awaiting discovery like gold nuggets or desert islands,
but like all data, critical incidents are created. Incidents happen but critical
incidents are produced by the way we look at a situation: a critical incident
is an interpretation of the significance of an event. To take something as a
critical incident is a value judgment we make, and the basis of the judgment
is the significance we attach to the meaning of the incident."
(Tripp, 1993, p.8)
Reference
Tripp, D. (1993) Critical Incidents in Teaching: Developing Professional Judgement, London: Routledge.