Experiential learning is increasingly recognized as a high-impact educational practice, and reflection is an essential piece of consolidating learning from experiences, as many models of service learning and other experiential learning note. This paper addresses the mechanics of assigning reflection, with an emphasis on assignment structure. The prompt should be open-ended enough to allow students to bring elements of their experience that they may think don’t pertain to the subject at hand -- precisely because those moments are often where the greatest learning takes place. Drawing from years of experience with the Immersion Experience component of the Pavlis Honors College curriculum, this paper analyzes student reflections and offers suggestions about the structure of reflective assignments and their placement in curricula.
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Learning and Professional Development Through Integrated Reflective Activities in Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses
This Research-to-Practice Full Paper describes the implementation of integrated reflective activities in two computer engineering courses. Reflective activities contribute to student learning and professional development. Instructional team members have been examining the need and opportunities to deepen learning by integrating reflective activities into problem-solving experiences. We implemented reflective activities using a coordinated framework for a modified Kolbian cycle. The framework consists of reflection-for-action, reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, and composted reflections. Reflection-for-action takes place before the experience and involves thinking about and planning future actions. Reflection-in-action takes place during the experience while actively problem-solving. Reflection-on-action takes place after the problem-solving experience. Composting involves revisiting past experiences and reflections to inform future planning. We describe the reflective activities in the context of the coordinated framework, including strategies to support reflection and increase the likelihood of engagement and success. We conclude with an analysis of the activities using the CPREE framework for reflection pathways.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1623125
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10337876
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 9
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE49875.2021.9637478
