Reflection strategies. This is a guide to reflection and contains different ideas to lead reflection and ways to encourage students to think beyond the daily activities they complete during the course of the service learning project. These are not the only methods that exist to lead reflection but are some ideas that can be used.
Reflection is key to guiding students through service learning and connecting the service projects to the course. Reflection does not have to be “touchy feeling” or focus solely on how students “feel” about their service work. It can include these topics but it should also focus on learning outcomes and the work students are doing. It is also an opportunity for students to discuss the service work they are doing and the impacts it has.
It may take a couple weeks for students to make connections between the service work and the course but some students may notice connections right away. Reflection allows students to think beyond the daily activities they complete at their service site. If students are completing an offsite project for an organization reflection can help them understand why the organization needs the project completed or why this project is a service to the organization.
Items to include in reflection:
- What are students doing? Can include accomplishments, tangible or intangible outcomes, activities, events, etc
- What are students learning?
- Are students able to make connections between the course and the service project
Methods:
- Guided Journal entries: provide students with questions to think about their service work; such as: what populations are you serving? Why is there a need to service this population? What are you learning from those you serve? How is this experience different than what you expected to encounter?
- Guided in class discussions: can offer an opportunity for students to answer the same questions a journal entry would ask. It can also offer students the outlet to express accomplishments, frustrations and excitement or nerves.
- Presentations: allows students to promote what they did to other classmates as well as take pride in the project.
- Small group discussion: depending on your students this could produce a deeper reflection. Students may open up more in a smaller group than they would with the whole class. This may also allow for more students to share with each other producing some meaningful discussions
- Journal writing: allows students to write about their experiences in a free writing setting. Some students may naturally focus on daily activities but encourage students to move beyond that. Can allow students to use their creative writing to express what they are learning through service work and how it’s impacting him/her.
Key elements of Reflection:
- Students need to think beyond daily activities and events that occur during service
- Students need to have safe space to express themselves