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Identify causes, reasons, or factors that influenced the outcome: positive and negative
Identify causes, reasons, or factors that influenced the outcome: positive and negative
The goals of the project reflection are to identify how well a project accomplished its purpose and why things worked out the way they did. The project purpose(s) should be evident from the learning outcomes the project was supposed to address. (Hint: Consult the syllabus, the assignment prompt, and the rubric to identify the learning outcomes.) As you prepare the final version of your written reflection, start with the takeaways (or reasons), which are the "news" to the reader, and use your analysis to support the takeaways. To help you develop the content, consider using the S.T.A.R.T. approach described below.
See also Writing About Class Assignments and Projects for more guidelines on reflecting about class projects.
S = Situation
T = Tasks
A = Action
R = Results
T = Takeaways
Positive Outcome
Situation: Describe the context.
For whom was the project completed?
What was the purpose of the project? What problem did it solve? What issue did it address?
Who completed the work?
What was the timeline?
Tasks: Describe the work required.
What did this project require contributors to do, learn, acquire?
Who would do what?
Action: Analyze contributions.
What was your contribution? What steps did you take?
What was your role and responsibility?
How did you fulfill it?
Results: Analyze outcomes.
What happened as a result of the project? As the result of your contribution?
How was the project and your contribution assessed?
What problems were encountered? How were they resolved? By whom?
Takeaways: Evaluate outcomes.
What made the project successful? What "worked"? Why? What reasons or factors explain the outcomes?
How do you know? What did you observe or discover that prompted you to draw these conclusions?
What next? How will these takeaways or lessons learned apply to new situations?
Negative Outcome
Situation: Describe the context.
For whom was the project completed?
What was the purpose of the project? What problem did it solve? What issue did it address?
Who completed the work?
What was the timeline?
Tasks: Describe the work required.
What did this project require contributors to do, learn, acquire?
Who would do what?
Action: Analyze contributions.
What was your contribution? What steps did you take?
What was your role and responsibility?
How did you fulfill it?
Results: Analyze outcomes.
What happened as a result of the project? As the result of your contribution?
How was the project and your contribution assessed?
What problems were encountered? How were they resolved? By whom?
Takeaways: Evaluate outcomes.
What made the project (un)successful? What went wrong? Why? What reasons or factors explain the outcomes?
How do you know? What did you observe or discover that prompted you to draw these conclusions?
What next? How will these takeaways or lessons learned apply to new situations?
Sample scenario
Sample scenario
Rear Admiral Scott Moore, the SEAL Commander behind Captain Richard Phillips’ rescue off the coast of Somalia in April of 2009, emphasized in a recent interview that effective teamwork requires members to know how to "self correct." Identify a situation that required you to "self correct." What did you do? What effect did the adjustment have on the final outcome or the performance of your team?
Critical Thinking Prompt
"A smart person learns from his mistakes. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others."--Ken Schramm
Critical Thinking Prompt
"A smart person learns from his mistakes. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others."--Ken Schramm
What can you learn by carefully examining someone else's (or your own) response to a mistake or a negative experience? How did they respond? What were the consequences of their response? What might you take away from your analysis of your own responses and those of others as you navigate difficult circumstances?
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