Studies show that reflection helps learners engage in critical thinking, develop metacognitive skills, and deepen understanding of coursework. Reflections also provide a way for instructors to gather students’ perspectives and address student needs through course content adjustments, assignment revisions, and personalized support. When we demonstrate that we value their input, students are empowered to ask for help or clarification or even give suggestions if the class is struggling.
For learners and instructors to benefit from them, reflection activities must be intentionally designed. The following are some questions to consider when creating your own reflections.
Do you want to know who wrote the reflection?
If the reflection is anonymous, students might feel more comfortable giving critical and constructive feedback for the course. You can gather suggestions and feedback from students on what might be improved or further clarified by asking simple questions about what’s working well and what improvements they recommend.
If students share their identities in the feedback, you can understand who needs individualized support. This is also a good way to gauge student progress and the dynamics of group work.
Why are you using reflection?
If the reflection is for your students, the activity might be more informal and abstract. Consider letting them use lists or incomplete sentences so they can focus on the ideas and not the polish of the communication.
If the reflection is for you, make sure students understand that expectation. If you use reflections to assess prior knowledge or current understanding of your course’s topic, let students know what you plan to do with that information. Encourage students to think about and communicate their progress, concerns, questions, challenges, and needs by demonstrating that you will adapt according to their feedback.
When are you asking students to reflect?
Reflection activities often happen at mid-term, but they could become a regular part of the weekly schedule. For instance, you might choose to pair reflective activities with new learning units, assignments, or important concepts or readings. Intentionally planning reflections can help you understand the level of comfort students have with the content, assignments, and delivery of the course. Frequently checking in with students is a great way to see where they need extra assistance or more (or different) resources.
Keep in mind that the more direction students have when writing reflections, the more thoughtful their responses and the more helpful their feedback will be.
Reflection Resources
For suggestions on how to design and implement reflections for your own course as well as sample prompts, see the following resources:
- Reflective Journals and Learning Logs
- Midterm Check-in Reflections
- Using Quick Check-Ins to Measure Student Understanding
- 7 Ways to Do Formative Assessments in Your Virtual Classroom
- 5 Activities That Promote Reflection in the Classroom
- Scaffolding Student Reflections + Sample Questions
Feel free to contact CITL to discuss reflection options or to ask for help with any aspect of teaching or instructional technology!
