Reflection

Reflection is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS. Students will complete CAS reflections on ManageBac.

Elements of Reflection

Reflection is a dynamic means for self‐knowing, learning and decision‐making. Four elements assist in the CAS reflective process. The first two elements form the foundation of reflection.

Describing what happened: Students retell their memorable moments, identifying what was important or influential, what went well or was difficult, obstacles and successes.
Expressing feelings: Students articulate emotional responses to their experiences.

The following two elements add greater depth and expand perspectives.

Generating ideas: Rethinking or re‐examining choices and actions increases awareness about self and situations.
Asking questions: Questions about people, processes or issues prompt further thinking and ongoing inquiry.

Time for Reflection

Purposeful reflection is about quality rather than quantity. The appropriate occasion, amount and method is the student’s decision. Students are not expected to reflect on every CAS experience; they should identify moments worthy of reflection.

The preferred emphasis is for the student to determine key moments during CAS experiences that inspire reflection. The following approaches may be helpful.

Students choose significant moments as the basis for reflection, for example when:
- a moment of discovery is happening
- a skill is mastered
- a challenge is confronted
- emotions are provoked
- achievement deserves celebration.
Students reflect during or at the end of a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences, to identify important moments, discuss a possible learning outcome, recognize personal growth and achievements, and plan for their next CAS experience.
Students engage in group reflection with their peers to discover shared insights.
Students reflect at the beginning, during, and at the end of a series of CAS experiences. This enables students to deliberate on such elements as planning, opportunities, expectations, challenges, progress, and personal growth.

Reflection offers students opportunities to understand the concept, process and value of CAS experiences. With experiences that add meaning and self‐knowledge, students can adapt, adopt and integrate reflection into a lifelong practice.

Forms of Reflection

Reflection can appear in countless forms. CAS students should be able to identify forms of expression that have personal meaning and best enable them to explore their experiences. For example:

A student might take photographs while hiking and use these to reflect in writing.
Two students could compose a song describing how they helped children.
A student might dramatize a poem to capture a feeling of creative endeavour.
A student could produce a short video summarizing a CAS experience.
A group of students create a poster highlighting aspects of a shared experience.

Reflection and the CAS Learning Outcomes

Reflection is the primary evidence used by CAS coordinators to determine whether students have successfully attained the seven CAS learning outcomes. However, it is important to note that not all reflections should or must discuss learning outcomes.