Effective Reflection
Why use faculty-guided reflection in the classroom?
 Make connections and find meaning
 Examine and form beliefs, values, opinions, assumptions, judgments and practices
 Develop critical thinking skills
 Create a framework for assessment
 Focus on the learning, not just the service activity
When, where and how:
Reflection should be done before, during and after the service experience to capture the range
and changes in perceptions of the experience. Students should have opportunities for private (i.e.
journals, papers) and public (classroom discussions, presentations) reflection. Reflection may
involve community agency staff, community members and other students in and outside of the
classroom setting.
Meaningful reflection must be frequent and regular, faculty-guided and linked to course
content/knowledge, and allow for real-world connections that bring a new understanding of
community, including civic responsibility and diversity, as students work with different
populations of people within the community. Reflection allows for exploration. Encourage
students to go outside their comfort zone to experience opportunities for greater learning and
personal growth.
Good versus poor reflection:
Provide students structure and guidance for better outcomes regarding reflection. Pose specific
questions for students to respond and link their experiences to course objectives to avoid poor
learning connections and reflection assignments. Examples of good and poor reflections based
on guided and non-guided expectations:
Poor reflection: I went to the nursing home. I played bingo with the residents. I served punch
and cookies. I went home.
Good reflection: I went to the nursing home. While playing bingo with the residents, I observed
the deterioration of hearing and eyesight that is part of the aging process we discussed in class.
To compensate for the decline in the capability to see and hear, I was able to assist the residents
by repeating words louder and point to the bingo squares.
Creating the reflection assignment:
1. Set the learning objectives. These should be a subset of the course objectives
2. Determine the assessment instrument – papers, journals, presentations, etc.
3. Communicate the criteria for assessment
Effective reflection checklist:
 Is structured, guided and purposeful
 Is a regularly occurring activity
 Includes components that can be evaluated based on well-defined criteria
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Links service objectives to course objectives by integrating the service experience with
course learning
Includes both private and public reflection
Fosters civic responsibility
Fosters appreciation of diversity
Sample reflection questions for a reflective journal or essay
(Developed by William Stark, AACC mathematics professor)
The questions can be modified to fit any course and discipline.
How has your service-learning experience changed your ideas about the following topics:
 The importance or relevance of mathematics?
 The importance or nature of mathematics?
 Your ability and interest in mathematics?
 Effective methods to study and learn mathematics?
 Your knowledge and understanding of mathematics?
How has your service-learning experience helped the following:
 Develop your general communication skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking?
 Develop your specific communication skills in mathematics?
 Clarify your ideas about the responsibilities of a citizen of your community?
 Establish yourself as a contributing citizen of your community?
 Clarify your personal objectives and your understanding of yourself?
Another reflection model
The SOAP model on the next page is another useful approach to reflection and assessing a
student’s understanding of course content and the connection to the service experience.
The SOAP Model
Developed by the Maryland State AmeriCorps/Campus Corps Service-Learning Consortium
1. Subjective Component – The experiential dimensions of service-learning
In an attempt to address the subjective component of the reflective process, the instructor should
encourage the student to address the following or similar questions:
• What were the student's expectations of the experience?
• What were the student's perceptions? (Consider environmental setting/interactions)
• What were the student's feelings?
• What were the student's observations?
2. Objective Component – The cognitive dimensions of service-learning
In an attempt to address the objective component of the reflective process, the instructor should
encourage the student to address the following or similar questions:
• What concepts did the student identify/explore?
• What theories did the student identify/explore?
• What topics did the student identify/explore?
• What course objectives did the student identify/explore?
• What issues did the student identify/explore?
• What skills did the student identify/explore?
3.
Associative Component – The connective aspects of service-learning to course
content
In an attempt to address the associative component of the reflective process, the instructor
should assist the student in answering the following or similar questions regarding the value of
this experience in relation to the specific course:
• How did the student's experience change his/her understanding, thinking and feelings
about the course content or specific course objectives?
• How did the student's experience influence his/her understanding, thinking and feelings
about the course content or specific course objectives?
• How did the student's experience enhance his/her understanding, thinking and feelings
about the course content or specific course objectives?
4.
Product/Synthesis – The presentational aspects of service-learning and the ways
that the student demonstrates the educational outcomes of service-learning. Some
example formats of the product/synthesis component are:
Journals – both structured and free writing
Structured reflective sessions
Critical incident journals
Reflective papers
Team journals
Service-learning portfolios
Photo or video journaling
Interviews
Experiential research papers
Group dialogs, in person or online
Presentations
Exam questions that ask students to
connect experience to course content.