Dimensions in Designing Reflection Activities

In order to support student reflection, educators use a multitude of reflection activities. Few frameworks exist to characterize choices educators have in designing reflection activities. This research explores the question: What dimensions of variation are present in reflection activities used by engineering educators? To identify dimensions of variation, we leveraged a constant comparison approach applied to documentation of reflection activities. In an exploratory phase, we identified candidate dimensions. We then chose promising dimensions and iteratively compared the activities in terms of each dimension in order to better understand the variations in the dimension. We identified four dimensions of variation: explicitness, customization, guidance, and accountability. Each dimension can range from low to high, creating a large design space. These dimensions of variation may be useful in designing reflection activities: to foreground decisions to be made, to draw attention to possible dilemmas, and to index into theory that provides deeper insight. The dimensions of variation may also be used to organize a collection of reflection activities and to inform research studies on reflection activities.