The Value of Reflection Papers

I've asked my students from my classes this year to write an end-of-the-year paper that will cause them to reflect on their classes and on themselves as students.  They groaned a bit because  they realized they would have to put some deliberate thought into this assignment.  

I thought I'd give some of my thoughts about reflective work that students can do in order to be more effective learners.  Reflection, put simply, is looking back and thinking about what you've done, where you've been, what activities you've been involved in, and what you've learned.  It's taking time to allow think about the information you've learned and your performance as a student.  When students take time to "think about their thinking," it affects their retention and enables them in future studies.

How does this happen?  Firstly, when a student is forced (at least that's how if might feel to him) to take stock of what he's learned and how he's learned, he owns his education to a greater degree.  He not only has learned stuff, but he's aware that he's learned it.  He also might be more aware of how he learned it.  Secondly, being reflective helps them in future classes.  The more a student is aware of how he learns, the better he will learn new material.  According to Republic Polytechnic in Singapore, "Learning is not just a process of accumulation of information. Instead it is about how the new knowledge that the learner encounters is integrated with his existing schemata of prior knowledge ... Reflective thinking is not only an organic component in the learning cycle, it is simultaneously the very ground from which knowledge and belief spring.  Reflective thinking, in short, is both process and product."

Other thoughts about reflection:
1.  Reflection helps turn an experience or academic information into genuine learning.  It's crucial for integrating material in a real way.
2.  Reflection helps a student assess his own goals, values, and progress.
3.  Reflection can help improve basic academic skills; it promotes a deeper understanding of the class materials and its relations to the rest of the world.
4.  Reflection papers force a student into higher level thinking by causing them to look at his own personal development, sense of self-awareness, and capacities.
5.  The writing process itself often brings new ideas to mind.