Reflection prompts
Reflection prompts encourage deep thinking, consider practical applications, and develop a personal connection with the course material. They encourage students to recall what they've learned and analyze how they learned it.
These prompts are designed to be adaptable across different subjects while promoting metacognition and meaningful learning. Feel free to use or adapt any in your course.
1. "Thinking back on today's lesson, what concept or idea challenged your previous understanding? How has your perspective shifted?"
2. "Describe a moment during this module when something 'clicked' for you. What specifically led to that breakthrough in understanding?"
3. "How do you see yourself applying what you learned today in your day-to-day work? Share a specific example."
4. "What questions are you still wrestling with after completing this lesson? What aspects would you like to explore further?"
5. "Connect something you learned in this lesson to something you already knew. How does this new information enhance or change your existing knowledge?"
6. "What was the most surprising thing you learned in this module? Why did it surprise you?"
7. "If you had to explain the most important concept from today's lesson to a friend, what would you say? What analogy or example would you use?"
8. "Consider your learning process during this lesson. Which learning strategies worked well for you? Which ones were less effective?"
9. "What aspects of this lesson made you curious to learn more? Where might you look to find additional information about these topics?"
10. "Looking at your progress in this course so far, what growth do you see in yourself as a learner? What has contributed to this growth?"
How and where to add reflection prompts
These prompts are meant to be used during both live sessions and within your asynchronous materials in the Student Home.
Here are some ideas for using reflection prompts:
During Live Online Sessions:
Use breakout rooms for pairs or small groups to discuss reflection prompts for 5-7 minutes, then return to share key insights with the larger group.
Utilize the chat feature for quick temperature checks - ask students to respond to a prompt with a brief thought while you're transitioning between topics.
Create collaborative digital whiteboards (ie Miro of FigJam) where students can post sticky notes with their reflections in real-time.
End each live session with a "reflection round" where volunteers share their most significant takeaway.
Use polling features in Zoom to gauge understanding, then ask students to elaborate on their choices verbally.
In your Student Home:
Chat channel ideas:
Use the "#general" channel post one prompt each day. Encourage students to use thread replies to build on each other's insights.
Consider using themes like "Wisdom Wednesday" or "Friday Findings" where students share their weekly lightbulb moments.
Share particularly insightful reflections in live sessions to highlight exemplary responses.
Reflections as projects:
Write a project in Maven as a reflection prompt rather than as a set of tasks to complete.
To encourage further discussion, ask students to comment on reflections posted publicly to a specific project channel (check out how project channels work in Maven).
Reflections as lessons:
End each module with a lesson that has a reflection prompt. Students won't submit anything, but the prompt will guide their thinking.
Share your own reflections to model the depth of thinking you're looking for.
Additional Tips:
Respond to student reflections with follow-up questions to deepen their thinking.
Use emojis or reactions to quickly acknowledge and celebrate shared reflections.
Create reflection rituals (like "Monday Musings" or "End-of-Week Insights") to build a routine.
Share diverse perspectives by highlighting students' reflections, either in the live session or in your course community within the Student Home.