Why is my instructor asking me to write a reflection?

Reflection matters! In any discipline, discourse community, or profession, some aspect of reflection is necessary for understanding and development—individually and/or as a team.

Reflection asks you to look at what you have accomplished, consider what you learned, and deliberate on what you would do differently next time. When asked to submit a critical reflection for a class, you can use this as a guide.

An effective critical reflection will:

  • Detail the Decisions: Explain the how behind your project.
  • Show the Evidence: Point to specific examples in your artifact (the what) that demonstrate those decisions.
  • Explore Why: An effective reflection analyzes your choices through the lens of your rhetorical situation.

    Consider how you...

    • Shaped your content to your audience
    • Adopted or adapted the vocabulary of the course into your project
    • Relied on the mechanics of your genre to execute/accomplish your rhetorical goals
    • If applicable: incorporated different design and media elements like layout, visuals, sound, or video and how those things relate to your intended effect

3 Pillars

Use these three pillars to structure your analysis.

The Decision
What choice did you make in your project?
The Evidence
Where can I see this choice specifically in your artifact?
The Rhetorical Why
How does this choice serve your audience, goal, or context?
The Connection Rule: If you make a claim that fits within one of these boxes, you need to connect it back to the other two.