Student Reflective Practice as Part of Engineering Programmes

Abstract

Reflective learning can be defined as “practice which involves the development of learning and understanding through self-review to help determine progress against goals and future learning needs”. In a CDIO context, the use of reflective learning has found its way into the most recent iteration of the syllabus while it can also be argued that self-review is, in particular, a part of Standard 8 - Active Learning. This work looks at a survey (n=38) carried out among academic staff involved in CDIO and in the wider engineering education community to establish the extent to which reflective learning is embedded in engineering degrees and how, at the highest level it is taught, implemented and assessed. The survey also looks at motivations, barriers and best practice in the field. Among the findings, respondents to the survey were enthusiastic about the topic as might be expected in a voluntary survey, however there was more skepticism as to whether students would see the value of the approach and so may not engage. Reflective journals and/or end of module reports and reviews were common tools used to embody reflective practice into activity, though these might be part of a more general activity or assessment and not be entirely focused around reflective practice. Key barriers to adoption of reflective practice included the pressure on an already overcrowded syllabus and students struggling to engage in the process, staff reporting that structure and frameworks need to be used to develop true reflections as opposed to simple records of events. The work concludes by highlighting some routes forward for the approach both in terms of implementation and possible development of the methodology.