The Milestone for Reflection was previously associated with a learning outcome and was principally developed by a national working group -- a team of faculty and staff from different law schools. These resources were developed by the working group and reviewed by the Holloran Center. A PDF of the Milestone can be found to the right, alongside a bibliography of sources that contains scholarship on Reflection and ideas for classroom implementation.
Reflection Milestone
The skill of reflection is an ongoing cycle of careful examination of specific thoughts and actions from a student’s own perspective and the perspective of others with a goal of informing and improving the student’s insight and practice in future experiences. This Milestone can be used to assess a student’s overall skill of reflection over time based on, for example, a portfolio of individual reflection writing assignments.
| Sub-Competencies | Novice Learner | Intermediate Learner | Competent learner | Exceptional Learner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In every reflection, the student identifies the specific thoughts and actions the student is examining relevant to the assignment. | Rarely identifies specific thoughts and actions the student is examining. | Sometimes identifies specific thoughts and actions the student is examining. | Often identifies specific thoughts and actions the student is examining. | Consistently identifies specific thoughts and actions the student is examining. |
| 2. The student carefully examines specific thoughts and actions from the student’s own perspective and the perspective of others. | Rarely carefully examines specific thoughts and actions from the student’s own perspective and the perspectives of others. | Sometimes carefully examines specific thoughts and actions from the student’s own perspective and the perspectives of others. | Often carefully examines specific thoughts and actions from the student’s own perspective and the perspectives of others. | Consistently carefully examines specific thoughts and actions from the student’s own perspective and the perspectives of others. |
| 3. Shows awareness of the student’s own conceptual framework(s) (e.g. the motivations, intentions, beliefs, premises, and values) that underlie the thoughts and actions. | Rarely shows awareness of the student’s own conceptual framework that underlies the thoughts and actions. | Sometimes shows awareness of the student’s own conceptual framework that underlies the thoughts and actions. | Often shows awareness of the student’s own conceptual framework that underlies the thoughts and actions. | Consistently shows awareness of the student’s own conceptual framework that underlies the thoughts and actions. |
| 4. Considers changes in terms of the student’s conceptual framework. | Rarely considers changes in terms of the student’s conceptual framework. | Sometimes considers changes in terms of the student’s conceptual framework. | Often considers changes in terms of the student’s conceptual framework. | Consistently considers changes in terms of the student’s conceptual framework. |
| 5. Engages in the above steps iteratively over time. | Rarely engages in the above steps iteratively over time. | Sometimes engages in the above steps iteratively over time. | Often engages in the above steps iteratively over time. | Consistently engages in the above steps iteratively over time. |