Reflections

Contents of this page

Overview

Reflections are a crucial and mandatory part of the IB CAS Programme and failure to complete or demonstrate reflection can lead to a failure condition and being placed on concern. During and after each CAS experience, students are required to reflect on their work and their progress. Students are required to reflect at least once per week for 18 months straight (The period of their timeline from DP 1 to DP 2 until their CAS program is completed). Reflections help students and advisors see their progress and help students to improve and recognize what they could do better and apply to real-life situations in the future.

TIP: Reflection can also be done on unsuccessful projects/experiences. Even if your experience did not achieve its end goal, you can reflect on that!

How to Write a Reflection

The way you write your reflections is ultimately up to you. Your reflections should, however, show how you are achieving your CAS strands and outcomes and be of satisfactory or excellent quality. Failure to do this may lead to being placed on concern. They cannot be irrelevant or insignificant to the experience.

An extract from Managebac on a recommended structure to follow in your reflections:

Describe what happened: retell your memorable moments, identify what was important or influential, what went well or was difficult, obstacles and successes.
Express feelings: how do you feel about your experiences?
Generate ideas: Re-examine the choices you made and actions you took.
Ask questions: What questions do you have about people, processes, or issues as a result of your experiences?

You should also reflect on which of the Learning Outcomes you think you are achieving in each reflection, and why.

NOTE

While you are required to reflect on your progress weekly, the quality exceeds quantity in value! Countless short low-quality reflections are of less value than one high-quality and extensive reflection.

Figure 1: A screenshot from a managebac reflection on an unsuccessful CAS experience explaining the critisisms of the experience and evaluating the achievement of learning outcomes.

How to Demomstrate Your Work

Demonstration is also an important part of the CAS program, and it is different than reflection. Reflection is a commentary or description of what you did in the period prior to the reflection, whereas a demonstration is proof that you did what you say you did, and is mandatory in each of your experiences. You are able to use videos, images, audio recordings, or a combination, in your demonstration. Make sure that your evidence clearly shows you completing what you stated in your reflections.

More on Reflection

An extract from Managebac on reflection:

Reflection is the process by which you can metamorphosize an experience into learning;
Reflection helps you to see what you have achieved;
Reflection makes links between your experiences and the future;
Reflection gives you feedback and helps you to generate your own questions;
Reflection should help you to gain a better understanding of yourself, and of others;
It is a required part of the programme but it shouldn’t be too arduous! You can reflect in any way which suits you…