The Fourth R: Reflection

"I did learn a lot: not just about the technology, or my strengths and weaknesses as a writer, but also about the power of the video medium, and the effect it can have on an audience. The class dogma definitely applies to this project, as it has for all of the others: the STORY is the most important thing." —upper division student

"I prepare myself for class to try to gain accurate information from the reading assignments. Many times, I have read the writing assignments a couple times, hoping to have the best understanding of the assignments before I come to class. However, I do feel that my critical reading skills are still not too strong, even though I believe they have already significantly improved from the beginning of the semester." —first year student

We all reflect on our experiences, frequently chastising ourselves for not taking advantage of a learning situation, or not being adequately prepared for it. Occasionally, we congratulate ourselves on a job well done or more likely, just a job completed. Typically, these reflections are fleeting thoughts, but in the classroom, they can be harnessed and put into the service of greater educational goals. They serve instructors by helping us learn more about students' objectives and progress in our courses. And they serve our students, by making them aware of their own learning processes, and how best to profit from them.

As instructors, we often rely on writing assignments to assess students' knowledge or understanding of course material. However, reflective writing allows students to articulate their goals and learning practices, and assess their own achievement.

Reflection on past practices

"I have read strategies of how to write better essays, but when it comes to actual writing, I failed miserably." —first year student

With each new assignment comes a new set of expectations. If an assignment is something students are likely to have done before, such as writing an essay or doing library research, ask them to write about their past practices. Questions you might pose are:

• What have been your past successes and failures with this type of assignment?
• What kinds of assignments have been a problem for you? Why do you think those kinds of assignments are difficult?
• What strategies do you use to overcome a difficult assignment?
• What kinds of assignments have you learned the most from? Why do you think those kinds of assignments have worked well for you?

When we ask students to consider their past learning experiences, we help them prepare strategies to succeed in new ones.

Reflection on course tasks

"Even with all of its flaws [in the project], I'm not sure I would change that much; my main audience was always myself and I am very satisfied." —upper division student

"I'm fairly happy with my stories except they seem to include more exposition than narrative. I had a difficult time with that." —upper division student

An assignment, whether an experiment in a chemistry lab or a research project for a history class, ideally reflects a set of goals we hold for students. These goals may be, for example, the understanding of a particular chemical process or of the complexity of an historical event. We then assess whether these goals are met through quizzes, examinations, or writing assignments. It shouldn't surprise us, however, that students' goals sometimes diverge from ours. For example, a Comparative Literature instructor may want students to demonstrate an understanding of common themes in two pieces of literature, while the student may hope that s/he can write effectively on the chosen topic for eight pages without becoming repetitious.

After students have completed a major assignment, it can be helpful to ask them to write about the process. Questions to ask include:

• What did you learn that was useful to you?
• What difficulties did you encounter? Were they difficulties in understanding the assignment, or were they a result of procrastination or other difficulties with study habits?
• If you had the opportunity to do the assignment again, what would you do differently?
• What are you most proud of in this assignment?

These questions, or ones like them, help students gain insight into how they have gone about mastering (or not mastering) the material. It's even possible to ask students to suggest a grade for themselves, along with a justification for that grade. For grading tasks that require some element of subjectivity, students' thoughts on their work (which are often more critical than our own) can be helpful in helping us formulate a grade that is both fair and reflective of the gains the student has made.

Reflection on participation and progress

"The truth is, I feel quite embarrassed to participate LOUDLY in class because I am quite aware of wrong answers. I used to participate all the time in high school and other students thought I was hogging the conversation or was sucking up to the teacher. These were really not my intentions. Here, when I know an answer, I mumble in class and you seem to catch on a little of what I am saying. I am never a good speaker in front of people. I get extremely frustrated and nervous when having to present in front of class." —first year student

We sometimes include participation or progress in a course as a component of a course grade. In fact, we often associate "talking in class" with participation, or an improvement in grades as progress. Students often see participation and progress as broader concepts, and have their own perceptions of how well they have done. Of course, participation is largely unmeasurable, and progress is often invisible. However, reflective writing can help uncover the understanding students have about their own behavior. And when done mid-semester, such reflection might motivate students to use the insights gained to make changes in their approach to the class. A mid-semester or end-of-course reflection might ask students:

• What is your definition of class participation? In what ways do you believe you have participated, given that definition?
• In what ways could you improve your participation?
• How did your participation contribute (or fail to contribute) to your understanding of the course material?
• How would you define progress for yourself in the class? What specific areas do you feel you made progress in?
• In what areas would you have liked to progress more? What prevented you from making that progress?

Insights into progress and participation are often the most enlightening. These reflections allow us to see the barriers students may face, whether personal or academic, or the differences between our expectations and theirs. (For example, an instructor may consider the quiet student non-participatory, while the same student may find the fact that s/he attended every class, came prepared and on time, and listened intently and politely to what others had to say a clear example of excellent participation in a class.)

Adding reflective practice to classroom tasks has multiple benefits. However, it need not add to your workload or reading load. You can ask students to respond to these tasks without turning their writing in. Similarly, they can keep journals or logs of their reflections, or write for a few minutes during class time without your collecting them. The benefit to students may be enough of a justification for their use.

Still, our students' reflective writing invites us to reflect in turn on our own goals and classroom practices in relationship to student learning. When we take a little time to read these reflective pieces, we gain an insider's view into students' practices and thoughts.

Maggie Sokolik is a Lecturer in the College Writing Programs and Director of the Berkeley Summer ESL Workshop. She is the author of several textbooks, including the series Rethinking America and the Newbury House Guide to Writing.