reflection doing assignment

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How to Write a Reflection Paper

Why reflective writing, experiential reflection, reading reflection.

• A note on mechanics

Reflection offers you the opportunity to consider how your personal experiences and observations shape your thinking and your acceptance of new ideas.  Professors often ask students to write reading reflections.  They do this to encourage you to explore your own ideas about a text, to express your opinion rather than summarize the opinions of others.  Reflective writing can help you to improve your analytical skills because it requires you to express what you think, and more significantly, how and why you think that way.  In addition, reflective analysis asks you to acknowledge that your thoughts are shaped by your assumptions and preconceived ideas; in doing so, you can appreciate the ideas of others, notice how their assumptions and preconceived ideas may have shaped their thoughts, and perhaps recognize how your ideas support or oppose what you read.

Types of Reflective Writing

Popular in professional programs, like business, nursing, social work, forensics and education, reflection is an important part of making connections between theory and practice.  When you are asked to reflect upon experience in a placement, you do not only describe your experience, but you evaluate it based on ideas from class.  You can assess a theory or approach based on your observations and practice and evaluate your own knowledge and skills within your professional field.   This opportunity to take the time to think about your choices, your actions, your successes and your failures is best done within a specific framework, like course themes or work placement objectives.  Abstract concepts can become concrete and real to you when considered within your own experiences, and reflection on your experiences allows you to make plans for improvement.

To encourage thoughtful and balanced assessment of readings, many interdisciplinary courses may ask you to submit a reading reflection.  Often instructors will indicate to students what they expect of a reflection, but the general purpose is to elicit your informed opinions about ideas presented in the text and to consider how they affect your interpretation.   Reading reflections offer an opportunity to recognize – and perhaps break down – your assumptions which may be challenged by the text(s). 

Approaches to Reflective Inquiry

You may wonder how your professors assess your reflective writing.  What are they looking for? How can my experiences or ideas be right or wrong?  Your instructors expect you to critically engage with concepts from your course by making connections between your observations, experiences, and opinions.   They expect you to explain and analyse these concepts from your own point of view, eliciting original ideas and encouraging active interest in the course material.

It can be difficult to know where to begin when writing a critical reflection.  First, know that – like any other academic piece of writing – a reflection requires a narrow focus and strong analysis.  The best approach for identifying a focus and for reflective analysis is interrogation.   The following offers suggestions for your line of inquiry when developing a reflective response.

It is best to discuss your experiences in a work placement or practicum within the context of personal or organizational goals; doing so provides important insights and perspective for your own growth in the profession. For reflective writing, it is important to balance reporting or descriptive writing with critical reflection and analysis.

Consider these questions:

• Contextualize your reflection:  What are your learning goals? What are the objectives of the organization?  How do these goals fit with the themes or concepts from the course?
• Provide important information: What is the name of the host organization? What is their mission? Who do they serve? What was your role? What did you do?
• Analytical Reflection: What did you learn from this experience? About yourself? About working in the field? About society?
• Lessons from reflection: Did your experience fit with the goals or concepts of the course or organization?  Why or why not? What are your lessons for the future? What was successful? Why? What would you do differently? Why? How will you prepare for a future experience in the field?

Consider the purpose of reflection: to demonstrate your learning in the course.  It is important to actively and directly connect concepts from class to your personal or experiential reflection.  The following example shows how a student’s observations from a classroom can be analysed using a theoretical concept and how the experience can help a student to evaluate this concept.

For Example My observations from the classroom demonstrate that the hierarchical structure of Bloom’s Taxonomy is problematic, a concept also explored by Paul (1993).  The students often combined activities like application and synthesis or analysis and evaluation to build their knowledge and comprehension of unfamiliar concepts.  This challenges my understanding of traditional teaching methods where knowledge is the basis for inquiry.  Perhaps higher-order learning strategies like inquiry and evaluation can also be the basis for knowledge and comprehension, which are classified as lower-order skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Critical reflection requires thoughtful and persistent inquiry.  Although basic questions like “what is the thesis?” and “what is the evidence?” are important to demonstrate your understanding, you need to interrogate your own assumptions and knowledge to deepen your analysis and focus your assessment of the text.

Assess the text(s):

• What is the main point? How is it developed? Identify the purpose, impact and/or theoretical framework of the text.
• What ideas stood out to me? Why? Were they new or in opposition to existing scholarship?

Develop your ideas:

• What do I know about this topic? Where does my existing knowledge come from? What are the observations or experiences that shape my understanding?
• Do I agree or disagree with this argument?  Why?

Make connections:

• How does this text reinforce my existing ideas or assumptions? How does this text challenge my existing ideas or assumptions?
• How does this text help me to better understand this topic or explore this field of study/discipline?

A Note on Mechanics

As with all written assignments or reports, it is important to have a clear focus for your writing.  You do not need to discuss every experience or element of your placement.  Pick a few that you can explore within the context of your learning.  For reflective responses, identify the main arguments or important elements of the text to develop a stronger analysis which integrates relevant ideas from course materials.

Furthermore, your writing must be organized.  Introduce your topic and the point you plan to make about your experience and learning.  Develop your point through body paragraph(s), and conclude your paper by exploring the meaning you derive from your reflection. You may find the questions listed above can help you to develop an outline before you write your paper.

You should maintain a formal tone, but it is acceptable to write in the first person and to use personal pronouns.  Note, however, that it is important that you maintain confidentiality and anonymity of clients, patients or students from work or volunteer placements by using pseudonyms and masking identifying factors. 

The value of reflection: Critical reflection is a meaningful exercise which can require as much time and work as traditional essays and reports because it asks students to be purposeful and engaged participants, readers, and thinkers.

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How to Write a Reflection Paper

Last Updated: March 27, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,808,669 times.

Reflection papers allow you to communicate with your instructor about how a specific article, lesson, lecture, or experience shapes your understanding of class-related material. Reflection papers are personal and subjective [1] X Research source , but they must still maintain a somewhat academic tone and must still be thoroughly and cohesively organized. Here's what you need to know about writing an effective reflection.

Things You Should Know

• Write an introduction that outlines the expectations you had and provide a thesis statement in the last sentence.
• State your conclusions in the body paragraphs of the paper. Explain how you arrived at your conclusions using logic and concrete details.
• Conclude the paper with a concise summary of your overall experience.

Sample Outline and Paper

Brainstorming

• These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.

• For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages.
• For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.

• In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row.
• In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
• In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.

• Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention?
• Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
• Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
• Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience?
• How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?

Organizing a Reflection Paper

• Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
• If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.

• For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
• For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.

• This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
• A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
• You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I learned...”

• Your conclusions must be explained. You should provide details on how you arrived at those conclusions using logic and concrete details.
• The focus of the paper is not a summary of the text, but you still need to draw concrete, specific details from the text or experience in order to provide context for your conclusions.
• Write a separate paragraph for each conclusion or idea you developed.
• Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This topic sentence should clearly identify your major points, conclusions, or understandings.

• The conclusions or understandings explained in your body paragraphs should support your overall conclusion. One or two may conflict, but the majority should support your final conclusion.

As You Write

• If you feel uncomfortable about a personal issue that affects the conclusions you reached, it is wisest not to include personal details about it.
• If a certain issue is unavoidable but you feel uncomfortable revealing your personal experiences or feelings regarding it, write about the issue in more general terms. Identify the issue itself and indicate concerns you have professionally or academically.

• Avoid dragging someone else down in your writing. If a particular person made the experience you are reflecting on difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, you must still maintain a level of detachment as you describe that person's influence. Instead of stating something like, “Bob was such a rude jerk,” say something more along the lines of, “One man was abrupt and spoke harshly, making me feel as though I was not welcome there.” Describe the actions, not the person, and frame those actions within the context of how they influenced your conclusions.
• A reflection paper is one of the few pieces of academic writing in which you can get away with using the first person pronoun “I.” That said, you should still relate your subjective feelings and opinions using specific evidence to explain them. [8] X Research source
• Avoid slang and always use correct spelling and grammar. Internet abbreviations like “LOL” or “OMG” are fine to use personally among friends and family, but this is still an academic paper, so you need to treat it with the grammatical respect it deserves. Do not treat it as a personal journal entry.
• Check and double-check your spelling and grammar after you finish your paper.

• Keep your sentences focused. Avoid squeezing multiple ideas into one sentence.
• Avoid sentence fragments. Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb.
• Vary your sentence length. Include both simple sentences with a single subject and verb and complex sentences with multiple clauses. Doing so makes your paper sound more conversational and natural, and prevents the writing from becoming too wooden. [9] X Research source

• Common transitional phrases include "for example," "for instance," "as a result," "an opposite view is," and "a different perspective is."

• For instance, if reflecting on a piece of literary criticism, you could mention how your beliefs and ideas about the literary theory addressed in the article relate to what your instructor taught you about it or how it applies to prose and poetry read in class.
• As another example, if reflecting on a new social experience for a sociology class, you could relate that experience to specific ideas or social patterns discussed in class.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.csuohio.edu/writing-center/reflection-papers
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments/reflectionpaper
• ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
• ↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-write-university/how-approach-any-assignment/how-write-reflection-paper
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/writing-assessment/reflective-writing/reflective-essays
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/sentencestructure

About This Article

To write a reflection paper, start with an introduction where you state any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience you're reflecting on. At the end of your intro, include a thesis statement that explains how your views have changed. In the body of your essay, explain the conclusions you reached after the reading, lesson, or experience and discuss how you arrived at them. Finally, finish your paper with a succinct conclusion that explains what you've learned. To learn how to brainstorm for your paper, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Examples of Reflective Writing

Types of reflective writing assignments.

A journal  requires you to write weekly entries throughout a semester. May require you to base your reflection on course content.

A learning diary is similar to a journal, but may require group participation. The diary then becomes a place for you to communicate in writing with other group members.

A logbook is often used in disciplines based on experimental work, such as science. You note down or 'log' what you have done. A log gives you an accurate record of a process and helps you reflect on past actions and make better decisions for future actions.

A reflective note is often used in law. A reflective note encourages you to think about your personal reaction to a legal issue raised in a course.

An essay diary  can take the form of an annotated bibliography (where you examine sources of evidence you might include in your essay) and a critique (where you reflect on your own writing and research processes).

a peer review  usually involves students showing their work to their peers for feedback.

A self-assessment task  requires you to comment on your own work.

Some examples of reflective writing

Social science fieldwork report (methods section), engineering design report, learning journal (weekly reflection).

Brookfield, S 1987, Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting , Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

Mezirow, J 1990, Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Schön, DA 1987, Educating the reflective practitioner , Jossey-Bass. San Francisco.

We thank the students who permitted us to feature examples of their writing.

Prepared by Academic Skills, UNSW. This guide may be distributed or adapted for educational purposes. Full and proper acknowledgement is required. 

Essay and assignment writing guide

• Essay writing basics
• Essay and assignment planning
• Answering assignment questions
• Editing checklist
• Writing a critical review
• Annotated bibliography
• How do I write reflectively?
• Examples of reflective writing
• ^ More support

Scholarly Resources 4 Students | scite.ai 21 May 2024

Discover your Library: Main Library 21 May 2024

Reflective Writing

“Reflection is a mode of inquiry: a deliberate way of systematically recalling writing experiences to reframe the current writing situation. It allows writers to recognize what they are doing in that particular moment (cognition), as well as to consider why they made the rhetorical choices they did (metacognition). The combination of cognition and metacognition, accessed through reflection, helps writers begin assessing themselves as writers, recognizing and building on their prior knowledge about writing.” —Kara Taczak, “Reflection is Critical for Writers’ Development” (78) Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies

Reflective writing assignments are common across the university. You may be asked to reflect on your learning, your writing, your personal experiences in relation to a theory or text, or your personal experiences in an internship or other type of experience in relation to course readings. These are assignments, as Kara Taczak notes, that offer opportunities to solidify knowledge about our experiences and how they might relate to others’ experiences and existing research. Moreso, reflection can lead to more informed understandings of our own experiences and course content in ways that may make that knowledge more useful in future classes and practice. However, often  reflective writing  is not taught as an explicit writing skill and can be problematically treated as a less rigorous form of writing. Below are some broad writing tips that can help not only your reflective writing to be stronger, but also the reflective inquiry to be more meaningful.

Collect relevant evidence before you start writing.

Yes–we recommend using  evidence  in reflective writing! When connecting personal experiences to the readings, that means selecting quotes from the readings and then coming up with specific moments in your life that relate to those quotes. When reflecting on learning or growth, that might mean locating evidence (quotes) from your previous papers that showcase growth.

Be specific.

It’s really easy to see reflective writing as more informal or casual, and thus, as requiring less attention to details; however, strong reflective writing is very precise and specific. Some examples of statements that are too vague and meaningless include, “I learned a lot about writing this semester.” Or, “I feel like my experiences are exactly as Author B says in this quote.” Neither of these statements tells us much–they are a bit devoid of content. Instead, try to name exactly what you learned about writing or exactly how your experiences are related to the quote. For example, you might reflect, “At the beginning of the semester, unsure of how to summarize a text well, I was just describing the main the idea of the text. However, after learning about Harris’ concept of capturing a writer’s “project,” I believe I have become better at really explaining a text as a whole. Specifically, in my last essay, I was able to provide a fully developed explanation of Author A’s argument and purpose for the essay as well as their materials and methods (that is, how they made the argument). For example, in this quote from my last essay,...”

Focus on a small moment from your experiences.

It’s hard to not want to recap our entire childhood or the full summer before something happened for context when sharing a personal story. However, it’s usually more effective to select a very specific moment in time and try to accurately describe what happened, who was involved, and how it made you feel and react. When writing about a moment, try to place readers there with you–help readers to understand what happened, who was involved, where it happened, why it happened, and what the results were. If this is a more creative assignment, you might even include some sensory descriptions to make the moment more of an experience for readers.

Fully explain the quote or focus of each point.

In reflective writing, you are usually asked to share your experiences in relation to something–a perspective in a text, learning about writing, the first-year experience, a summer internship, etc. When introducing this focal point, make sure you fully explain it. That is, explain what you think the quote means and provide a little summary for context. Or, if you’re reflecting on writing skills learned, before you jump to your learning and growth, stop to explain how you understand the writing skill itself–”what is analysis?,” for example. Usually, you want to fully explain the focus, explain your personal experiences with it, and then return to the significance of your experiences.

Use “I” when appropriate.

Often, in high schools, students are taught to abandon the first-person subject altogether in order to avoid over-use. However, reflective writing requires some use of “I.” You can’t talk about your experiences without using “I”! That being said, we’ve saved this advice for the bottom of the list because, as we hope the above tips suggest, there are a lot of important things that likely need explaining in addition to your personal experiences. That means you want to use “I” when appropriate, balancing your use of “I” with your explanation of the theory, quote, or situation you were in, for example.

Reflection conclusions can look forward to the future.

In the conclusion, you may want to ask and answer questions like:

• What is the significance of my experiences with X?
• What did I learn from reflecting on my experiences with Y?
• How might this reflective work inform future decisions?
• What specific tools or strategies did this activity use that might be employed in the future? When and why?

Write the reflection introduction last.

We always recommend writing introductions after you’ve drafted your entire essay–this allows you to actually introduce the specific essay you’ve already written (it’s easier to do and more likely to be strong). Reflective introductions have a little bit more flexibility. You do want to introduce the focus of your essay right away–and you might do that by naming it, by sharing a related anecdote, by naming a previously held idea/belief that has changed through learning happening during this course, or by explaining a reading or class discussion that make you curious about the focus you selected.

A Link to a PDF Handout of this Writing Guide

Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

• How did the article affect you?
• How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
• Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
• Has the article left you with any questions?
• Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
• Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
• Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

• How my views on rap music have changed over time
• My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
• How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

• State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
• Briefly summarize the work.
• Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

• Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
• Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

• Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
• Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
• Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
• Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

• Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
• Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
• Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
• Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
• Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

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General tips for academic reflections

An overview of key things to keep in mind for academic reflections.

Make sure you know what the assessor is asking for

Your main consideration when producing written or any kind of academic reflection is to know exactly what is expected of you. Therefore, you should ask your assessor what kind of language and structure they are expecting. With that in mind, the characteristics described here and in the sections on language and structure for academic reflections are what is often sought after.

Language of academic reflections

Structure of academic reflections

Using private reflections as foundations for academic reflections

Academic reflective writing is often used to evidence that you have done reflection. Therefore, it is often beneficial to first do a private reflection where you can be as informal and unstructured as you want, and then readapt that into a piece of academic writing.

By using a private reflection initially, you can ensure that you get the full learning opportunity without censoring yourself or being conscious of language, before deciding how best to present your reflections to your assessor. This is similar to figuring out what your argument is and taking notes before writing an essay, or to all the background work you do to solve a technical/mathematical problem that you do not include in your hand-in.

Just as developing your argument and working through each step of a problem can be essential for the final essay or hand-in, for some people doing a private reflection can be very helpful in writing an effective academic reflection. For others, writing their reflection in a formal and structured way from the outset helps them structure their thoughts.

The core elements of academic reflective writing

Academic reflective writing is a genre and just like an essay has characteristics, so does academic reflective writing.

Academic reflective writing requires critical and analytic thought, a clear line of argument, and the use of evidence through examples of personal experiences and thoughts and often also theoretical literature.

You should aim for a balance between personal experience, tone, and academic practice and rigor.

Academic reflective writing should:

• develop a perspective or line of reasoning
• develop a link between your experience or practice and existing knowledge (theoretical or personal)
• show understanding and appreciation of different perspectives to your own
• show recognition that your own understanding is likely incomplete and situations are rarely clear-cut and simplistic
• show learning resulting from the reflection (either by discovering something new or confirming existing knowledge) and how you plan to use it
• be written in an appropriate style with language relevant to your academic discipline
• sometimes, but not always, use theoretical literature to inform your understanding. 

People can have misconceptions about academic reflective writing – some of the common ones are described below.

Developed from:

Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.

University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online].  Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable).  Reflection. [online].  Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.

Reflective writing: What is reflection? Why do it?

What is reflection why do it.

• What does reflection involve?
• Reflective questioning
• Reflective writing for academic assessment
• Types of reflective assignments
• Differences between discursive and reflective writing
• Sources of evidence for reflective writing assignments
• Linking theory to experience
• Reflective essays
• Portfolios and learning journals, logs and diaries
• Examples of reflective writing
• Video summary
• Bibliography

On this page:

“Whether we focus on problematic experiences or positive ones, reflecting on them will provide us with opportunities for growth and development.” Bassot,  The reflective journal

To build on the definition of reflection from the previous page, it is useful to consider its purpose while you are at university. The following points are the core reasons why you may be asked to reflect (or why you may want to reflect yourself):

1) Consider the process of our own learning

Think about how you learn with the aim of improving this process. This is particularly useful for revision.

2) Critically review something

Think about a particular event or personal aspect. This could be your own behaviour, that of others or the product of behaviour.

3) Build theory from observations

Think about your experiences and observations to construct your own theories. Often we use the theories of other authors and this provides you with an opportunity to construct your own.

4) Engage in personal or self-development

Reflection is focused on producing useful outcomes from the future. It can help you becoming more self-aware and can make you a better learner, researcher, practitioner or employee.

5) Make decisions or resolve uncertainty

Thinking about previous experiences can help you make decisions about new ones

Note: While all of these reasons for reflection are valid, different disciplines place emphasis on different areas. You do not necessarily need to cover all of the above in every reflective assignment. Think about why you are being asked to reflect and make sure you focus on the most appropriate area.

Having an experience in itself is not a guarantee that learning will take place. All the major theories of reflective practice suggest that reflection on an experience provides the context for learning. It is this reflection that leads to the formulation of new concepts and ways of thinking - not the act of having an experience.  Gibbs (1988 ), for example, maintains that:  

‘It is not sufficient simply to have an experience in order to learn. Without reflecting upon this experience it may quickly be forgotten, or its learning potential lost. It is from the feelings and thoughts emerging from this reflection that generalisations or concepts can be generated. And it is generalisations that allow new situations to be tackled effectively.’

Gibbs (1988 ) in Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods

Why reflect?

A positive by-product of engaging in the reflective process is that it can help you grow in self-confidence. Some of the other areas of self-change could include:

• gaining control over your own thoughts and emotions, especially when confronted by others and new situations
• developing deeper insights
• make more informed judgements
• monitoring your own performance
• gauging not only your progress, but also your speed of change
• tapping into your true motivations for doing something (e.g. examining your commitment to others)
• establishing your learning preferences and thinking styles
• developing a realistic image of yourself.

Therefore, whether you are examining yourself or your academic work, you need the ability to stand back and see the broader picture.

Reflection is an important part of learning through experience. By reflecting on our experiences, we maximise the potential of any new learning. This is particularly important when considering positives. They are often harder to recall than the bad elements of any experience.

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Reflection and Reflective Writing - Skills Guide

Reflective assignments.

• Reflecting on Your Experiences
• Reflecting on Your Skills
• Reflecting on Feedback
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• Audio Playlist
• Further Reading
• Downloadable Resources

What is a reflective assignment?

Reflective assignments can take many different forms and there will be differences between courses and between modules.  An assignment might require you to reflect on your skills, or experiences, or both.  It will generally (although not always) require you to use a reflective model.  In the Resources box of this page you will find key sources of reflective models.  Some of the conventions of academic writing are different for reflective assignments: It is generally acceptable to write in the first person (e.g. "My task was to..."), and you will be expected to draw upon your own experiences.  Other things remain the same, for example you will usually still be expected to read around the subject and include references to the work of others.

How do I write a reflective assignment?

Because reflective assignments can vary so much, it is important that you fully understand the question and the assignment brief.  Make sure you understand what you are being asked to write, what format you should submit your work in and if there is a specific reflective model that you need to use.  If you are in any doubt then check with your lecturer.  Sources for some of the key reflective models can be found in the ' Further Reading ' section of this guide.

It can be difficult to balance the personal nature of reflection with the knowledge that what you write will be read by someone else.  If you are struggling you may find it helpful to begin with a purely personal reflection using some of the tools on the other pages of this guide.  You can then adapt your reflection to fit the requirements of your assignment.

Another challenging aspect can be including references to academic sources, as it can be difficult to see how these fit in to writing about your own personal experiences.  Academic theories or research can be used to enhance your understanding of your experiences and help you make sense of what has happened.  Again, it might be useful to begin with a personal reflection and then review this with an academic theory in mind, looking for ways that the theory could apply to your personal experience.

Sources for Key Reflective Models

Reflective Writing Tips and Advice

Reflective writing tips and advice video podcast - 28 mins.

Alex and Tim discuss reflective writing, outlining their tips, some useful reflective models and tips from students.  This video was recorded live during the Reflective Writing Livestream on the 14th October 2020.

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Reflection assignments, format and criteria.

For your assigned reflection, please read the articles/webpages and watch the videos that are linked to your reflection topic.  The links associated with each topic are found below.  

After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection in the following format:

• Begin your reflection with a brief paragraph highlighting/summarizing the main theme(s) or the thesis of the article(s) or presentation(s). This paragraph should also share what about the provided material grabbed you. Try to keep this paragraph as brief as possible – maybe only one or two sentences on the main thesis/theme and one or two sentences on what was most interesting about the material.
• In the next few paragraphs, tell us why that part of the readings or presentations grabbed you. What were you thinking about as you read/watched it? Of course, it would be nice if you had positive thoughts, but that is not always going to be the case. If the readings or presentations frustrated or angered you, you can write about that. If you found yourself wishing the articles or presentations would talk about something else or present the material differently, write about that. As you read or watched, what experiences did you think about?
• In the final paragraph, what is your take away from the content you discussed? Will you do something different? Is there something from an article or presentation you will try to remember as you move forward? Maybe the readings or presentations reinforce something you are already doing? The last part of your reflection should summarize how the information in the article(s) or presentation(s) will be (or already are) a part of your life. It may be helpful to answer the question, “what will you do differently or think about differently based on this reflection?”

Reflections should demonstrate that the student critically engaged the provided materials. Reflections will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Accurate description of the theme/thesis of the provided materials.
• Robust discussion regarding the parts of the provided materials that were most interesting. 
• Identification of a new (or renewed) commitment to an action or way of thinking in response to the materials provided. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Resolution Center for Student Conduct and Conflict at [email protected] or 509-313-4009.

Prompts 

Benefits of failure.

Please read the following articles and view the following videos. After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above.

• Video: Being Vulnerable: Dan Stover at TEDxColumbus  - Warning: the speaker in this video addresses suicide.
• Article: How to Motivate Yourself in Times of Failure
• Video: Denzel Washington’s Life Changing Speech on Failure and Success

Please read the following articles and webpages.  After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above. 

• Article:  How Privilege Shaped the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Article:  Why Even Healthy Low-Income People Have Greater Health Risks Than Higher-Income People
• Article:  Motivating People from Privileged Groups to Support Social Justice
• Article:  Social Determinants of Health-Related Needs During COVID-19 Among Low-Income Households with Children
• Video:  What if gentrification was about healing communities instead of displacing them?

Community Impact & Restorative Justice

Please read the following articles and view the following videos. After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above. 

• Article: Our personal choices affect more than ourselves
• Video: Restorative Circles: Creating a Safe Environment for Students to Reflect
• Video: His Holiness Pope Francis at TED2017

Creating and Enforcing Personal Boundaries

•  Also review first video: "Setting Healthy Boundaries"
• Article: How to Set Boundaries: 5 Ways to Draw the Line Politely
• Article: How to Respect Other People's Boundaries
• Optional Worksheet: Boundary Exploration Worksheet

Cura Personalis

Please read the following articles, websites, and documents and view the following video.  After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above. 

• Article: Cura Personalis
• Video: The Eight Dimensions of Wellness
• Document: Assessing Your Life Balance
• Website: Wellness Toolbox - A helpful resource

Fire Safety

Please read the following articles and websites. After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above.

• Article: Keep Your Family Safe From Fire
• Collection of Materials from the National Fire Protection Association: Campus Housing
• Collection of Materials from the U.S. Fire Administration: Campus Fire Safety Outreach Materials

Forgiveness & Reconciliation

Please read the following article and website and view the following video. After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above.

• Article: Two Differences between Forgiveness and Reconciliation
• Video: How to Apologize
• Website: Making an Effective Apology

Integrity & Authenticity

Please read the following articles and view the following video. After engaging with the provided materials, please write a reflection following the format above.

• Article: 6 Steps to Leading a Life of Integrity
• Article: How to Live an Authentic Life: Two Key Practices
• Video: Clip from the Movie Fortune’s Truth (1993)

Theft & Vandalism

• Website: Sign Theft: A Surprisingly Dangerous Crime
• Article: Replacing Street Signs is Expensive
• Website: Washington Theft Laws

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How do You Use Social Media? Be entered to win a $50 gift card!

45 Awesome Must-Use Questions to Encourage Student Reflection and Growth

Reflection questions for before, during, and after a project or lesson.

Teaching our students the importance of reflecting upon their knowledge, work, effort, and learning is super important, but it’s not always that easy. 

Reflection questions allow students to think about their thinking.

This kind of questioning allows students to better understand how they are working or learning so they can make changes and adjustments from there. Reflection takes time, and often students think that once their work is complete, they should be finished. Often, the younger the student, the more difficult it can be to get them to reflect on what they’ve done. 

Here are a few of our favorite reflection questions to use in your instruction. Adjust or edit these questions to meet your students’ needs. 

Before students begin their work: 

• What do I know about this topic or subject?
• What would I like to learn about this topic or subject?
• Where will I find the information I need for this assignment? 
• What kinds of research do I need to do?
• Do I fully understand the question or prompt? 
• How can I break down the assignment into smaller parts? 
• Did I give myself ample time to really think about this assignment and brainstorm possible solutions? 
• Who can help me get what I need to complete this work? 
• What tools or supplies should I use for this assignment?
• How will I be assessed for this project? 
• Do I understand all parts of the rubric or scoring guide?
• What are my goals for this assignment? 
• What do I need to do in order to meet those goals?
• How will this assignment be turned in to my teacher? 
• Do I know the due date for this project, and am I able to meet it? 

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While students are working:

• What have I learned so far?
• What else do I need to know in order to finish this task? 
• Can I make a few predictions about what will happen next?
• How well am I using my time?
• Am I answering all parts of the questions completely? 
• Which parts of this assignment are easy for me?
• Which parts of this assignment are challenging for me?
• Does my work reflect my effort thus far? 
• Am I putting forth my best effort in my work?
• Are the sources I am using reliable?
• Am I citing my sources properly?
• How close am I to achieving my original goals with this assignment?
• Are the goals I set before I began this assignment still reasonable? Do I need to readjust them?
• If possible, can I ask my teacher or a classmate for feedback on my current progress on this assignment?
• Am I learning interesting information as I work on this project? 

After students finish their work or assignment:

• What new information have I learned from this assignment? 
• What surprised me about what I learned?
• How quickly was I able to finish this work?
• Where were my roadblocks? 
• How did I move through roadblocks or challenges?
• Is my work adapted for the correct, appropriate audience?
• How closely did I follow the parameters of the assignment?
• Using the grade rubric, how would I score my own work?
• What would the teacher say about my work? 
• If given the opportunity, one thing I would change about this assignment is …
• How does my work compare to what my classmates did on this assignment? 
• Does my work truly reflect my effort?
• Have I achieved the goal I set for myself with this assignment? 
• What would I do differently next time, if given the chance?
• Am I proud of my work? 

Do you want a short one-page printable of all of these questions to guide your instruction? 

Grab the printable version here.

What other questions would you add to this list? Come and share in our  WeAreTeachers Chat group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our big list of critical thinking questions and growth mindset posters.

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25 Alternative Assessment Ideas

Test outside the box. Continue Reading

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Word by Word

Assignment 1 Reflection

Through this assignment, I learned about citations. I did not know this until one of the lectures but it is part of MLA format to cite paraphrases, statements without quotation marks and information you gain from that particular source.  I also realized that I need to be more concise with my writing. I tend to be vague or unclear which makes the assignment seem weaker and not as impactful. This is very difficult for me to get out of because I tend to think that I put everything that is in my head on paper. I think that with a lot of writers, we tend to think essays or assignments are clear when we reread them because it is based on information that we know ourselves. In this way, I need to constantly ask myself questions on what my focus is for the assignment and making sure that each sentence is clear/ has substance to it.

On the plus side, I think that I was able to get my point across about media’s affect on society as well as practice arguing this issue before writing my final essay. I was able to get some clarity for what I wanted to write about and figure out the main points to my essay in advance. I realized that being biased could be very easy so I needed to be more careful of that as I wrote my last paper. Overall, I got a lot out of doing this critical response.

A publish.illinois.edu site

Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, final course reflection.

The Final Course Reflection assignment

• asks students to reflect about their coursework in Professional Writing from the perspective of research and theory.

The Final Course Reflection aims to help students

• demonstrate their understanding of 21st century literacies;
• demonstrate declarative knowledge about writing processes , workplace genres (memos, proposals, progress reports, and technical writing conventions (particularly information design and document-design principles).
• analyze their past writing, presentations, and collaborative work to demonstrate they are

The National Academies of Sciences defines 21st Century Literacies as an amalgam of three interdependent competencies: cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal:

• “Cognitive competencies involve thinking, reasoning, and related skills.
•  Intrapersonal competencies involve self-management and the ability to regulate one’s behavior and emotions to reach goals.
• Interpersonal competencies involve expressing information to others.” ( Education for Life and Work 2012)

Each year NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) surveys employees in the U.S. regarding job readiness in relation to 21st Century literacies. Invariably, written communication skills are identified by employers as critical to success in the workplace. Problem-solving, collaboration, leadership, work ethic, analytical/quantitative skills, initiative–these highly desired competencies have been identified by NACE as the most desired competencies sought by employers, as depicted below. All of these qualities are clustered around the larger competency of communication.

Metacognition , the ability to reflect on how you have mastered these 21st Century, empowers self-development and writing improvement.

Instructions

Write a two-page memo to your a prospective employer that provides evidence you have mastered 21st century literacies and are well positioned to be a productive member of the team. Here you can invent the nature of the job you are applying for.

Suggestions for Drafting this Assignment

Take a moment to conduct an inventory of the writing you completed for Workplace Writing :

• Rhetorical Analysis Memo
• Problem-Definition Heuristic
• Revise, Redesign, Edit: Tailoring Documents for Audiences
• Client Proposal
• Team Charter
• Project Management Portfolio + Bibliography Template
• Group Research Proposal
• Research Notes + Executive Summary
• Progress Report Assignment
• Recommendation Report Assignment
• Evaluation Memo
• Infographic
• Final Reflection

As a result of the writing you have completed for this course, can you identify evidence that demonstrates you have robust cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal competencies?

Recommended Schedule

Submission guidelines.

• Upload Final Course Reflection to the course management system.

Featured Articles

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Authority – How to Establish Credibility in Speech & Writing

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Reflective Writing Assignments

Please ensure you are signed into your @boisestate.edu account in order to access the links to letters below.

Co Curricular Reflection-Letter Menu

• “ Future-Planning & Reflection Letter ” (pdf)
• “Growth Mindset: How do people learn?” (via email)
• “Gardner’s Multiple Learning Preferences: How do you prefer to learn?” (via email)
• Personality Inventory: How do you work? How do you work with others?” (via email)
• Value Sort: What are your core values?” (via email)

If you are an academic integrity staffer from another institution and you would like to view our letters, please email us at [email protected]! We celebrate transparency and sharing effective practices between institutions, but we would love to also connect with you and your program to network. This is why we request an email. We look forward to meeting you!

Research & Presentation

These letters and their development process were featured at the International Conference on Academic Integrity (ICAI) during March 2022 in a workshop entitled “Revising Student Sanctioning Letters to Welcome Genuine Personal Insight.” They are co-written by professional staff at Boise State’s Office of the Dean of Students. This workshop was hosted by:

• Sarah Wilson, current Boise State Academic Integrity Program Director [AIPD], and
• Madison Hansen, previous AIPD, currently serving as Assistant Director, Student Conduct & Community Standards, Washington University in St. Louis

Office of the Dean of Students

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MLB Fans Call for Angel Hernandez’s Job After Another Truly Horrific Game

• Author: Tim Capurso

In this story:

MLB umpire Angel Hernandez, notorious for his wishy-washy strike zone, was in rare form during Friday night's game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, a 12-8 victory for the visiting Rangers.

Hernandez's performance definitely didn't pass the eye test, as he left the Rangers broadcasters practically gobsmacked after calling three consecutive strikes on pitches that appeared to be outside the zone.

The veteran umpire didn't fare much better on a deeper dive into the numbers behind his performance Friday, as Umpire Scorecards, an account on X (formerly Twitter) that grades the efforts of the game's officials, rated his performance quite harshly.

Umpire: Angel Hernandez Final: Rangers 12, Astros 8 #StraightUpTX // #Relentless #TEXvsHOU // #HOUvsTEX More stats for this game 👇 https://t.co/RJKSQogI6y pic.twitter.com/uRM1ykGr3R — Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) April 13, 2024

MLB fans proceeded to react to Hernandez's less-than-stellar performance, which included 12 called strikes that Umpire Scorecard regarded as true balls, exactly as one would expect.

WHY IS HE NOT FIRED ALREADY — . (@HalToHell) April 13, 2024

Yet another flawless performance by Angel Hernandez — Sill E. Gewce (@ParahoyitsAJ) April 13, 2024

I’m really not sure why or how he’s still allowed to umpire MLB games. — Texas Rangers Insider (@RangersInsiders) April 13, 2024

78% accuracy — Space City Sports (@LiveSCS) April 13, 2024

Hernandez has been an MLB umpire since 1991. It's safe to say that the majority of baseball fans are ready for his tenure to end.

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