capstone reflection essay

Intervention Presentation and Capstone Reflection Essay

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Intervention Presentation and Capstone Video Reflection

Evidence and peer-reviewed literature to plan and implement, health care technology to improve outcomes and communication, health policy influences, project predictions and outcomes, personal and professional growth throughout the project.

The delivery of medical care in the twenty-first century has become significantly more complicated due to people’s increasingly variable lifestyles. Nurses who have completed a bachelor’s degree program are responsible for ensuring that patients receive quality healthcare by investing in research to find solutions to modern healthcare challenges. Interacting with patients and their families at the practicum site allows nurses to gain the necessary experience. Registered nurses are expected to work effectively in a competitive environment in the ever-changing healthcare field. Hypertension has emerged as a significant public health problem in the United States, necessitating extensive research to find a cure (Speed et al.,2018). It was possible to gain a better understanding of effective interventions that can be implemented to lower the mortality rate caused by hypertension by participating in a practicum with a patient who has hypertension, members of the patient’s family, and experts. Intervention feedback gave me an awareness of the importance of the topic under study and allowed me to identify areas that require special attention.

The practicum experience was enlightening, and it assisted me in gaining an understanding of the fundamental factors that contribute to the lowering of hypertension levels in the general population. The risk that hypertension poses to a person’s overall health is growing at an alarming rate, and it can also drive up the cost of medical care. The proposed intervention to educate the patient and families on effective lifestyle choices will substantially promote quality care by contributing to a reduction in blood sugar levels in the body. This will be the case because the intervention will help reduce blood sugar levels in the body. The action taken to educate the general population will also play a vital role in enhancing the overall quality of life. It is the responsibility of nurses to work toward improving the overall quality of life. It will help bring down healthcare costs connected with having to be hospitalized frequently.

In order to facilitate and support the capstone project, in-depth research on the subject matter and gain practical experience was conducted. Hypertension is a condition that, in the 21st century, has developed into a disease that poses a significant threat to the general population (Coyne & Hallowell, 2019). Thus, for the study of this disease, an examination of the current research was conducted no older than five years. Therefore, the relevance and relevance of the work are ensured. Government and medical websites and Google Scholar were used to obtain the necessary articles and scholarly research. The culmination of the course will consist of putting the intervention into practice through a project based on the community.

Technology has evolved to the point where it is now an indispensable component of the entire economy, including the medical industry. The use of technology in healthcare has contributed to both an increase in healthcare quality and a decrease in medication errors. Telemedicine can be particularly effective in improving outcomes and communication. It can provide an opportunity not only to monitor the patient’s condition but also allow a person’s close environment to have an idea about the disease and learn about ways they can help.

A health policy that aimed to improve the overall quality of healthcare while simultaneously lowering overall costs impacted the culminating project. My understanding has been expanded due to this project to the extent that baccalaureate-prepared nurses play an important part in contributing to the successful development and implementation of policies. Nurses who have completed a bachelor’s degree program ensure that effective research is conducted to promote effective healthcare.

The outcomes of the capstone project were, for the most part, in line with the initial predictions. Some of the hypotheses were validated by the culminating project, which concerned aspects such as the role of the family in facilitating efficient healthcare. The other aspect of the investigation in which the results coincided with the initial projections was the question regarding the effects of hypertension on the well-being of the general population (Pasha et al., 2021). Despite this, one area that was supposed to match the initial projection did not, and that area involves the function of technology in medical care. Because of this project, I now understand better how advances in medical technology can contribute to the promotion of culturally competent medical care. The amount of time spent at the practicum location is the second component that has room for development in the years to come. I was only at the practicum site for three hours, which was not enough time to become familiar with all of the various ideas about hypertension.

The capstone project was extremely educational and positively impacted my professional development. As a result of this project, my understanding of the significance of collaborative efforts between medical professionals and family members has improved. Family participation in healthcare helps to ensure quality care by promoting cultural competence. The project has also contributed to the realization that nurses are responsible for developing and implementing effective policies. Registered nurses are responsible for participating in extensive research that improves healthcare delivery (Lucas et al., 2021). Another important aspect of professional development is becoming acquainted with the role that advances in medical technology play in facilitating community care delivery. My understanding of the importance of cultural competence in promoting patient safety and ethical care has been the most priceless and valuable experience I have gained during the capstone project. Interactions between people from various parts of the world are a distinguishing feature of the world as it currently exists (Lucas et al., 2021). The promotion of efficient healthcare and the avoidance of unnecessary legal implications necessitate an understanding of cultural competence.

The culminating project assisted in gaining an understanding of the factors that can contribute to the enhancement of patient safety and the reduction of healthcare costs associated with hypertension. The project has contributed to a better understanding of how important technology can be in helping to both improve the quality of care and lower the costs associated with hypertension-related medical treatment. My participation in the practicum allowed me to understand better the underlying factors that contribute to hypertension and the effective treatments that can be administered. Understanding how technology can be utilized to promote efficient healthcare has been facilitated by the experience gained from working on the project. The culminating project will contribute to the promotion of the development and implementation of effective hypertension policies. The project was a success and helped contribute to the professional development of those involved. On the other hand, it is necessary to lengthen the amount of time spent at the practicum location.

Coyne, B., & Hallowell, S. C. (2019). Measurable outcomes for transition: The nurses’ role . Transition from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare Services for Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-Term Conditions , 111–126.

Lucas, B., Cooper, A., & Willson, A. (2021). The undervalued role of communication in healthcare improvement and its critical contribution to engaging staff and saving lives. Journal of Communication in Healthcare , 14 (1), 5–7.

Pasha, M., Brewer, L. P. C., Sennhauser, S., Alsawas, M., & Murad, M. H. (2021). Health Care Delivery Interventions for hypertension management in underserved populations in the United States: A systematic review . Hypertension , 78 (4), 955–965.

Speed, C. J., Lucarelli, G. A., & Macaulay, J. O. (2018). Student Produced Videos-An Innovative and Creative Approach to Assessment. International Journal of Higher Education , 7 (4), 99-109.

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IvyPanda. (2023, August 5). Intervention Presentation and Capstone Reflection. https://ivypanda.com/essays/intervention-presentation-and-capstone-reflection/

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Reflection Paper and Capstone Project Guidelines

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Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity > Education > BUILD Diversity Certificate > Reflection Paper and Capstone Project Guidelines

LEVEL I: GUIDELINES FOR FINAL REFLECTION

Reflection formats differ depending upon learning styles. However, for the most part, a reflection paper cites your reactions, feelings, and analysis of your BUILD experience. This reflection will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of your values, goals, and actions in light of this program.

Paper Requirements:

The final paper should be approximately 3-5 pages long. If you have gone to workshops that included readings, feel free to integrate the material into your reflection. In addition, we hope that you will relate the content of the workshops to your observations of your environment, work, family, society, and yourself. We hope this reflection will focus and challenge you to consider the next steps in your DEI journey.

LEVEL II: THE CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

The BUILD Diversity Certificate's capstone project is the culminating experience of the program. It is designed with the participant's specific goals to apply what they have learned in the workshops to their work and personal lives. The purpose of the capstone is to bring the participants' life experiences into the learning process.

This capstone project allows students the opportunity to explore a problem or issue of particular personal or professional interest and to address that problem. The project allows for the synthesis and application of knowledge and skills acquired through the BUILD workshops to real-life issues and problems.

This capstone project allows participants the opportunity to explore a problem or issue of particular personal or professional interest and to address that problem. The project is the synthesis and application of knowledge and skills acquired through the BUILD workshops to real-life issues and concerns.

• To provide participants with the opportunity to apply DEI knowledge and skills acquired through the program to a specific problem or issue.
• To allow participants to expand their learning into areas of personal interest, working with new ideas and issues, internal and/or external organizations, and individuals.
• To encourage participants to think critically and creatively about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and further develop their analytical and ethical leadership skills necessary to address and solve issues of interest to them.

Outcomes: DePaul's commitment to diversity is stated in the university's mission and history.  DEI continues to be an important goal of the last two strategic plans, and operationalizing this commitment is evident by, among many other things, the creation of the BUILD program. Consistent with this mission and goals, participants of the capstone will:

• Apply conceptual foundations of organizational DEI
•  and best practices to a problem/issue of their choosing
• Think critically
• Communicate effectively
• Display a commitment to social and ethical responsibilities
• Display a commitment to leadership and service

LEVEL II: PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILD CAPSTONE PROJECT

• Project Definition: Provide a one or two-sentence description that defines your project. Explain the big picture.
• Project Setting:  Provide the location and the “where" of your project. If it is appropriate, discuss any key agencies, departments, or parties involved. Is your project mainly analytical or investigative (e.g., analyzing an organization), or problem-solving (e.g., creating a diversity awareness project at your place of worship)?
• Project Rationale:  Why have you chosen this project? What is the problem or opportunity you see? What importance does this project have for you? How will it exemplify the BUILD goals?
• Project Objectives:  What are your goals and outcomes for this project? What are you going to acquire, accomplish, produce, and/or deliver? What are the specific and concrete, measurable objectives/accomplishments intended for your project?
• Project Methodology: How are you going to proceed? What research must you do to complete your goals for your project? Do you have a timeline? Who might be resources for you in this project? What do you need to learn before beginning? Project Examples:
• Setting up diversity training for your place of worship.
• Research the various diversity programs at the Department of Aging.
• Create a brown bag lunch symposium for your unit regarding a specific topic of diversity.
• Research current diversity “best practices" in nursing.
• Write a grant application for a DEI project.
• Analyze an existing DEI initiative.
• Write a program evaluation.​

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Ch. 8 “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney, Animation Industry Pioneer

As you are working to complete your capstone project, you’ll want to remember to use these project sections for your finalized format:

Section I          Introduction

The introduction should identify the focus of your project and explain the relevance to your major and connections with your applied field of studies that you have built upon in your B.S. Applied Studies Option in Management.  Are you submitting to a supervisor, a board?  Be sure to identify your intended audience.

Section II         Project Outcomes

List your project outcomes that you developed in the Project Analysis phase of your work.

Section III        Literature Review 

Present your literature review noting best practices in the field, as well as the conclusions you’ve drawn from the literature review.

 Section IV        Project Content

Describe your project and include all materials associated with it so that the reader develops a good sense of what the project entails.    Show your implementation and evaluation plans.

 Section V        Conclusions and Reflection

Appendix       This section will contain any supplementary information and/or supporting documentation.

At this point in your capstone project work as you are finalizing content, tweaking evaluation plans, and for some of you getting ready to roll out new business plans, it is important to also take time to reflect on all that you have accomplished through your research and your innovative approach to accomplishing your capstone project objectives. Reflection involves engaging with your work in a manner that incorporates your knowledge with your experience and articulating that in a meaningful way.

As you develop your conclusion, consider your process, the lessons you have learned, what went well and what you may have done differently given the opportunity to repeat the process. Consider your capstone project development as a professional development opportunity that you will bring with you into your organization, your career and your approach to personal growth and enrichment.

Reflect on your accomplishments in a manner that brings perspective around achievement, success and continuous improvement. Utilize your critical and strategic thinking skills to analyze how your project work synthesizes your academic journey with your professional goals. Reflection is a powerful tool that helps us to recognize how we’ll utilize what we’ve learned to support our present and future goals and challenge ourselves to be innovative.

In her article, Time to Reflect – Why Does it Matter in the Workplace , Karen Liebenguth educates us on the empowering ability of reflection to help us make better decisions, decide on a course of action and broaden our thinking.

Congratulations on your accomplishments, not only in your capstone work but in completing your journey toward degree completion. As the 50 well-known entrepreneurs share in their advice in the following video, finding work that you are passionate about, that brings you great personal reward and motivates you is priceless. My wish for each of you is that you dedicate yourself to lifelong learning and you recognize great personal and professional success in whatever form brings you the greatest joy!

MGMT 797 Capstone Guide Copyright © 2020 by Granite State College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Internship Semester Capstone Reflection Essay

Alan W. Grose

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

Tiffani Toston

Grose, A., Burke, A., & Toston, T. (2017). Internship semester capstone reflection essay. Washington, DC: The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

Description

This Capstone Reflection assignment prompts students to reflect on their learning over the course of a full academic semester in which they have completed a substantial professional internship, as well as engaged in academic coursework and professional development programming. It provides an important artifact for the portfolio of work students assemble over the course of the semester. As such, it presents direct evidence for assessing Integrative Learning as framed by the Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric.

Background and Context

This assignment invites students to tell the story of their own growth and development over the course of a semester in which they engaged in an internship.

Specifically, this assignment arises from The Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program, which we often describe as an academic semester built around an internship. The internship is full time, Monday through Thursday for 15 weeks in the fall and spring and nine weeks in the summer. In addition, students also enroll in one traditional academic course, which is usually an upper-level elective and may or may not be within the field of the student’s major. Finally, students all engage in the LEAD Colloquium—a series of professional development workshops, professional arena explorations, and civic engagement activities.

Student Profile . The Washington Center serves approximately 1,200 students annually in the Academic Internship Program in Washington, D.C. All of these students complete this capstone reflection. The following profile reflects our most recent demographics.

• Our students come from approximately 400 partner universities around the country and 20+ countries around the world.
• Approximately 47% of our students are seniors in college, 40% are juniors, and 7% are sophomores.
• Our students come from diverse academic majors; the largest representations are from political science (20%), International Affairs (10%), Business and Accounting (10%), Criminal Justice (8%), and Journalism or Communications (7%)
• Students intern in a wide variety of professional organizations around Washington, D.C., including Congressional and administrative offices, local government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private and for-profit organizations from law firms to media organizations.

Learning Outcomes . Internships are usually highly unscripted experiences in which the learning is often emergent. What is more, the range of learning outcomes students can achieve through internships is quite broad. Given its timing at the end of this kind of experience, the Capstone Reflection provides direct evidence of Integrative Learning.

It is useful also to think of internships as informing learning pathways that might cut across multiple domains of the DQP (Grose 2017). This Capstone Reflection Assignment might articulate learning in multiple domains.

Because internships are work-based experiences, the Capstone Reflection Assignment will likely often speak to students’ development of skills in the Applied and Collaborative Learning category.

• Applied and Collaborative Learning . This domain of the DQP focuses on “the interaction of academic and non-academic settings and the corresponding integration of theory and practice.”

Additionally, depending upon the nature of the internship, the Capstone Reflection will likely also speak to proficiency developed in other domains of the DQP.

• “Defines and explains the structure, styles and practices of the field of study using its tools, technologies, methods and specialized terms.”
• Intellectual Skills . Other internships explore professionalism in general apart from any vocational application of specialized knowledge. Learning to function in a professional workplace, then, explores the transfer of intellectual skills on campus to the workplace. The six intellectual skills in this domain of the DQP are described as “crosscutting” “proficiencies that transcend the boundaries of particular fields of study.” In the context of work, they inform all-purpose skills that are often described as the “soft skills” that are essential for functioning in today’s economy.
• “Collaborates with others in developing and implementing an approach to a civic issue, evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the process, and, where applicable, describes the result.”

As a reflection assignment, the Capstone Reflection will provide indirect evidence of these learning outcomes. Reflection, though, can often play an important role for students in clarifying and deepening the learning that might be more directly reflected in other artifacts in a portfolio or ePortfolio. Reflection is also an important skill for Integrative Learning.

Reflections

This assignment is one of the final assignments in a portfolio of assignments that students complete over the course of the semester. It usually holds the place of an introduction to the rest of the portfolio.

The portfolio also contains several kinds of artifacts that serve potentially to enrich and support the narrative developed in the capstone essay. First, it contains work samples from the internship, as well as academic coursework from the semester. Second, it contains other reflection artifacts that relate directly to the internship experience itself. For instance, at midterm, students complete a self-reflection on their progress to date, which they review with their internship supervisor during a site visit by a supervising member of The Washington Center’s staff. Finally, the portfolio also contains assignments that the students complete for The Washington Center that help to prepare them to reflect at the end of the semester. One such assignment is an informational interview that explores the career path of someone in a field the students might wish to explore themselves (Grose & Williams 2017).

Assessment . Our assessment of this assignment has two levels. First, for the purpose of grading, we evaluate each Capstone Reflection with the grading rubric included here in the assignment library, which was designed with the leadership of LEAD Instructors Christopher Mesaros and Danielle Samsingh. This rubric is aligned with the AAC&U VALUE Rubric for Integrative Learning. Part of the rubric speaks to assignment-level expectations such as formatting, etc. The remaining areas speak to skills of integrative learning. For the expectations of grading, we designed our rubric to align the descriptors for an A-level performance with Milestone 3 on the AAC&U rubric.

Second, for the purpose of program evaluation, we rate all of the portfolios completed in the Academic Internship Program with our adaptation of the AAC&U VALUE Rubric for Integrative Learning (also included in this assignment library). The most important adaptations we made to this rubric served to broaden the descriptors to include work done beyond campus.

Since this is a part of a larger set of assignments that constitute a portfolio from the entire Academic Internship Program semester in Washington, D.C., our main strategy to improve the quality of the capstone reflections has been to adjust the other assignments scaffolded throughout the semester that provide the artifacts that serve, in part, as the basis or prompts for the reflection in the Capstone Reflection Assignment. This is an ongoing process of alignment as our program changes and develops from semester to semester.

Our experience to date has been that this is a strong assignment. Students tend to enjoy writing this reflection, as it tells the story of their own experiences and learning over the course of the semester and beyond. Our hope is to keep the assignment relatively open-ended so as to prompt reflections that are authentic to each student’s own experiences.

Grose, A. W. (2017). Internships, Integrative Learning and the Degree Qualifications Profile. (Occasional Paper No. 30). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NIILOA).

Grose, A. W. & Williams, S. (2017). Informational Interview Assignment. Washington, DC: The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

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The assignment library and the assignments within are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . By clicking “Ok” you agree to cite each assignment (including modifications), with the provided citation on the assignments downloaded from this site.

• Integrative Learning Rubric
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Capstone Management Reflective Essay: A Self-Reflection On Learnings

Task: You are required to reflect on the learning’s gained from undertaking the capstone subject and assessments by writing a 2500 word capstone management reflective essay.

Introduction to Capstone Management Reflective Essay In today’s world, learning relies on persistent changes that have occurred as a result of various interactions and experiences (The National Press, 2018). Thus, based on the concept of learning, reflective learning refers to the process of stepping back from all the experiences that have been gathered so that a proper reflection can be done on the evolvement of mindset, skills, behaviours, and attitudes. The concept of reflective management consists of practices in which leaders and managers use their individual awareness, interactions, and behaviours as an integral learning source (Business Balls, 2019). It has enabled the facilitation of leaders and managers in terms of adapting to the demands of the present situation. Reflective learning plays a vital role in terms of clarifying the approaches towards the emerging challenges that can potentially be responsible for generating a better acquirement of skills and attributes.

The following is a reflective essay that is intended to reflect on the subject of capstone strategy by briefly discussing the value of reflective practices for leaders and managers. The concept of reflective practices holds tremendous value in terms of enabling individuals to generate a better understanding of the acquired attributes and skills. In addition to this reflective essay will reflect on the knowledge gained from the consultancy research process and capstone subject. There will also be an individual reflection on the skills that have been acquired during the MBA tenure. Lastly, there will be an individual reflection on how the developed or acquired skills during the MBA tenure can potentially assist in professional prospect of future endeavours.

Discussion on the value of reflective practice for leaders and managers It has been observed that most of the leaders and managers who excel at managing projects generally do not possess the title of project manager (Larson and Gray, 2020). The concept of reflective practices equips a leader or a manager with the skills that assist in managing personnel efficiently along with developing innovative solutions and informing the development of the organization (Wichert, 2018). In addition to that reflective practices effectively reduce gaps or conflict in terms of data or knowledge along with successfully steering away from the basis of a problematic blame culture. For example, the approach of learning is responsive in terms of project management and thus it informs the employees and customers of an organization about the direction of choices instead of the personal agenda. If the team management is ineffective then it results in lowering of team morale and performance along with promoting internal struggles within teams. It has been observed that a reflective leader or a manager outperforms non-reflective leaders or managers along with leading the way of being a role model as compared to micromanagement. Since the concept of reflective practices is based on the approach of several methods that are relatively simple to use, so the investment returns successfully outweigh the adoption and adjustments that are required for the new techniques. Several types of research in the past have demonstrated the fact that leaders who emphasize taking out time to reflect on past events tends to stand out in terms of the ability to test assumptions along with making connections between the events that seem unrelated (de Lacerda, 2015). Thus, reflective practices are crucial for success in the uncertain business world of today.

It has also been observed that reflective leaders tend to set up goals by providing feedback along with encouraging, inspiring, and promoting self-monitoring. Reflective managers or leaders successfully utilize their individual strengths along with indulging in various approaches for accomplishing their work and they also continuously extend or clarifies ideas that put the problems into several perspectives. The role of reflective practice is enormous because of its ability to increase self-awareness, which is a crucial component of emotional intelligence (Gill, 2014). Reflective practices also develop a better understanding of others and this allows the development of creative thinking skills that encourages active engagement in the process of workflow. Leaders or managers who indulge in reflective practices tend to successfully develop a capable and skilful team that can continuously be a better version of themselves. Overall, the concept of leadership practices provides several benefits such as faster learning in terms of adapting to new situations rapidly. In addition to that, it also ensures that the managers or leaders do not repeat the same mistakes along with being prepared for dealing with circumstances that are unfamiliar based on recognitions of the connections that seem unrelated to the situations (Alosaimi, 2018). Lastly, reflective practices also provide benefits to managers and leaders by continuously questioning their assumptions along with assisting in better decision-making. Therefore, all these factors indicate that reflective practice holds significant value managers and leaders.

Personal reflection the learning gained from the consultancy research process and capstone subject The subject of capstone has emphasized the development of the learning and capabilities from the framework of objectives that consists of reflective skills, theoretical skills, practical skills, and applied skills. All the acquired skills from the capstone subject have been extremely effective in terms of creating a strategic mindset along with being able to better understand the bigger picture of organizational goals. After analyzing the learning gained from the subject, I have developed the distinct skills of enhancing competitive growth in my professional career. I have also understood that based on the capability of my reflection regarding the learning outcomes on a relevant platform, I can successfully analyze my potential of improving my decision-making and problem-solving skills as a response to complex problems. I have learned that the proper accomplishment of any work requires a systematic approach so that the objectives of the firm are achieved. The capstone subject has enabled me to enhance my skills and knowledge that are required to be continuously evolved based on the modern-day prospects of the professional environment that demands extensive management capability of professional life. It has been further understood that coping up with complex situations and ensuring timely delivery of tasks needs efficient utilization of the skills that adhere to flexibility in terms of professional work. The knowledge gained from the capstone subject is enhanced by the ability to obtain knowledge from diverse phenomenon in regard to professional work. I have been able to systematically complete my tasks with emphasis on good feedback and this approach has been extremely effective in terms of completing my assessments that have also helped in achieving my degree. In the professional life where I will require practical knowledge, the capstone subject has evolved my creative thinking based on several innovative ideas that also provide recognition to the tasks being completed. Overall, in terms of the capstone subject, I have learned that strategic approaches follow adherence to reliable theories that successfully provide complimentary statements regarding professional recognition.

The process of consultancy research on the other hand has made the concepts of quantitative and qualitative research align with my intellectual growth in regards to various topics that are relevant for optimizing professional life (Austin and Sutton, 2014). I have also learned that the application of proper resources can help me in ensuring value to the quality researches based on a chosen topic of interest. I addition to that, I have also learned that the main factor behind gaining knowledge is research as it helps individual perspectives to gain recognition. The consultancy research process that comprises the qualitative research helped in learning the benefits that can be achieved in terms of working in a team environment that also reduces the complexity of the research process. Therefore, the consultancy research process has shaped my overall learning experiences in the professional field, which is majorly based on my perseverance and hard work related to quality practice.

Personal reflection on skills that have been developed over the MBA The degree of MBA is extremely valuable for professional growth as this completely adheres to the business perspectives. In addition to that, by pursuing the MBA course I have been able to enhance various skills along with improvising on my potential in terms of managing business processes even in complex situations. The first skill that I have developed during the tenure of the MBA course is leadership skills that have allowed me to efficiently organize and manage people based on the acquired knowledge. The leadership skill has enabled me to understand the importance of meeting the requirements of every individual that are associated with the accomplishment of specific tasks. The outcome of the developed leadership skill has significantly helped me in managing my professional career that is related to resource management within the business operation. The next skill that I have developed by pursuing the MBA course is team working skills as the modern-day professional environment comprises people from various backgrounds. I have learned the significance of team working that helps in understanding the contribution of every team member, which also plays a vital role in terms of accomplishing the specified tasks. The team working skill has proven to be extremely beneficial for me in terms of adapting to different ideas that help in analyzing the best potential path required for accomplishing specific tasks. The next skill that has been developed by me during my time of pursuing the MBA course is analytical skills and based on this skill I have been able to gain decision-making and problem-solving skills. This skill has developed an analytical road map for the purpose of solving the most complex problems. The main benefit of the developed analytical skill is that it has assisted me in developing the capability of statistical data representation regarding specific tasks.

The next skill being developed by me is financial skills and this has taught me advanced financial tactics and calculations required for analyzing the business' growth. The financial skill developed by me has also helped in estimating the business performance along with guiding the ways to improve financial status. The next skill that has been developed over the MBA course is orientation skills and this has provided me with a platform required for improving the creative knowledge that helps in contributing to the achievement of different people's demands associated with a specific task (Reilly, 2016). Furthermore, demonstration of the innovative design based on the oriental skills' adaptation has been learned by me. The developed orientation skills have been extremely beneficial for me as it enhanced by presentation techniques required for a specific task along with gaining recognition for its successful completion. There are few more skills that I have developed over the MBA skills and they are communication skills, punctuality skills, entrepreneurial skills, and advanced business skills, where all of these skills hold tremendous significance in terms of shaping my professional life.

Personal reflection on how the developed skills over the MBA course will assist in future career endeavours John Dewey’s theory of personal reflection states that it is possible for an individual to learn more with experimental observations through the application of the acquired or developed skills (Dimova and Kamarska, 2015). This theory resembles the fact that my acquired skills during the MBA course can prove to be extremely beneficial based on the proper compliance required for accomplishing the career goals effectively. In addition to that, I can also assume that all of my educational skills can tremendously add to the accomplishment of my career aims in the near and distant future. I will be able to utilize the skills of leadership in terms of mentoring my human resources that can also effectively guide my human resources in terms of improving the business performance based on the gains and aspects being improved the recognition of the specific organization. I will be further able to exploit the analytical skills that help in data accumulation along with designing strategic responses required for managing different problems properly in business processes. After the application of my entrepreneurial and financial skills, I can efficiently manage the economic status of my organizational process along with improving my efficiency to attract new customers more towards the company with superior services and goods. The skill based on punctuality will help me to guide the management of clients along with accomplishing superior projects within the estimated time frame required for achieving growth in my profession.

The advanced business skill will be useful in terms of applying my career choice as an entrepreneur in the business process, which will also work as an effective guide in terms of business operations in sustainable growth by successfully mitigating the relevant issues respectively (Reynolds, 2019). The advanced business skill will set the platform of advanced business skills and knowledge that can help in anticipation of the increased capability of working for a reputed company. I will also be able to live a successful professional life by practicing fundamental business operations. My future career endeavours will get tremendously benefitted by the advanced business skills, which also provide exclusive knowledge that can help me mentor my juniors along with my team members for living a successful life by practicing certain fundamental operations of a business. The communication skill will be extremely useful in terms of shaping my career success in business operation as this will be extremely useful for establishing good communication with the clients. The overall communication skills developed will help me in interpreting my creative thoughts to various members of the working team in regard to the accomplishment of specific tasks. The communication skill will also benefit my future by developing the ability to demonstrate my ideas effectively in terms of reducing disputes over professional aspects. Overall, I will be able to handle my professional career significantly well based on the skills of decision-making and problem-solving that can also help in interpreting innovative tactics required for mitigating complex problems that occur within an organizational business process.

Conclusion In the end, it can be concluded that this reflective essay has generated vital information regarding my perspectives in terms of the acquired capstone skills. I have also analyzed the fact that capstone skills provide a structural path that is required for improving my potential knowledge along with contributing effectively regarding the engulfed vital information over the process of learning. I have used the learning from the capstone subject for providing me with a strategic path that expresses the outcomes of the learning required for understanding my perception of the capstone subject skills. In addition to that, I have also provided a reflection of my enhanced knowledge and skills in terms of pursuing the MBA course. I have experienced that the MBA course has equipped with adequate knowledge in terms of utilizing it over the professional fields. Overall, this reflective essay has contributed to the management of individual knowledge acquired from the learning outcomes and this has also helped in organizing my overall learning phenomenon. Therefore, this study has focused on my overall learning outcomes from the understanding of the capstone subject, which has played a vital role in the immense growth of skills and knowledge. The reflective capability that has been analysed in this essay is based on my various learning phenomenon that comprises of the capstone skills. Hence, this reflective essay has further evaluated my reflection on the consultancy research process and capstone subject.

References Alosaimi, M. (2018). The role of knowledge management approaches for enhancing and supporting education. [online] https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/. Available at: https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01816021/document [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Austin, Z. and Sutton, J. (2014). Qualitative research: getting started. The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy, [online] 67(6), pp.436–40. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4275140/ [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Business Balls (2019). Reflective Management - BusinessBalls.com. [online] Businessballs.com. Available at: https://www.businessballs.com/team-management/reflective-management/ [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

de Lacerda, T.C. (2015). (PDF) Understanding leadership effectiveness in organizational settings: An integrative approach. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279931559_Understanding_leadership_effectiveness_in_ organizational_settings_An_integrative_approach [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Dimova, Y. and Kamarska, K. (2015). REDISCOVERING JOHN DEWEY’S MODEL OF LEARNING THROUGH REFLECTIVE INQUIRY. problems of education in the 21stcentury, [online] 63(29). Available at: http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/pec/files/pdf/vol63/29-39.Dimova_Vol.63.pdf [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Gill, G.S. (2014). The Nature of Reflective Practice and Emotional Intelligence in Tutorial Settings. Journal of Education and Learning, [online] 3(1). Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1076851.pdf [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Larson, E. and Gray, C.F. (2020). Project Management: the Managerial Process. [online] login.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/reader.action?docID=6148222 [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Reilly, A.J. (2016). ?THREE APPROACHES TO ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING. [online] home.snu, Available at: http://home.snu.edu/~jsmith/library/body/v16.pdf [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Reynolds, M. (2019). The Importance of Business Skills | HBS Online. [online] Business Insights - Blog. Available at: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/importance-of-business-skills [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

The National Press (2018). Read “How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures” at NAP.edu. [online] www.nap.edu. Science Engineering Medicine. Available at: https://www.nap.edu/read/24783/chapter/5 [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

Wichert, I. (2018). HR Magazine - The role of reflection in leadership success. [online] HR Magazine. Available at: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/the-role-of-reflection-in-leadership-success [Accessed 11 Jun. 2021].

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Q. Where can I find examples of APUS student thesis or capstone papers?

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Answered By: APUS Librarians Last Updated: Oct 14, 2022     Views: 17370

Noteworthy AMU/APU graduate capstone theses, creative/applied projects, practicum/critical reflection papers, or portfolio/critical reflection papers are posted on the APUS Trefry Archives website ( click here to learn more about the criteria and procedures ).

To locate capstone projects of different types, visit the  APUS Trefry Archives website  page. Select the program from the left column. (If a program is not listed it means there are no capstone papers currently available for that program.)

To identify the capstone type, look at the “ Program”  field for each thesis posted.  The capstone type will be listed here.  NOTE: Not all programs allow all capstone types.

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Center for Engaged Learning

Capstone experiences.

Capstone experiences aim to facilitate students’ sense-making of their growth and development across their major or general educational studies and have been a hallmark of undergraduate education in one form or another for at least as long as higher education has existed in the United States (Levine 1998). Historically, capstone experiences took the form of a culminating examination, testing a student’s accumulated knowledge. In the 1800s, a seminar model emerged, often taught by the college president (Levine 1998). Beginning in the early 1900s, course-based capstone experiences became a final opportunity to instill university values and reinforce learning (Kinzie 2013). They continue to be integrative and transformative learning experiences that mark the transitional nature of the final year (Kinzie 2013; Levine 1998).  

Capstone experiences can take the form of: 

• A problem-based learning experience in which students work to apply their knowledge in a discipline to a problem (e.g., Brooks, Benton-Kupper, and Slayton 2004; Butler et al. 2017; Dunlap 2005). 
• An undergraduate research experience sometimes but not always structured as the writing of a thesis (e.g., Julien et al. 2012; Nelson-Hurwitz and Tagorda 2015; Upson-Saia 2013). 
• A service-learning or community-based learning approach in which students work with community members to put into action the skills and knowledge they acquired over their college career (e.g., Collier 2000; Nelson-Hurwitz and Tagorda 2015).  
• A collaborative learning approach in which students tackle problems and apply their learning in groups, simultaneously navigating interpersonal challenges and learning from one another (e.g., Brooks et al. 2004; Collier 2000; Julien et al. 2012; Upson-Saia 2013). 

Capstone experiences may even be developed as some combination of the above practices.  

Even within a single university, the range of practice in capstones can be significant, and for good reason. Capstone experiences may occur as the culmination of a disciplinary major or mark the integration of interdisciplinary learning across a core curriculum. In either case, there is no universal way students might synthesize and apply their learning. In a study across capstone experiences at University of La Verne, Peggy Redman (2013) shares some examples: 

The marketing student may identify growth through the complexities of developing a marketing plan in partnership with a local business or nonprofit organization. The education student sees learning in the development of a unit including lessons that cut across many disciplines, preparing him or her for the multiple-subject classroom.

A student in psychology completes a senior project that takes the student and faculty member to a conference where they are major presenters. All of these pathways can be part of the capstone, a critical force in integrating classroom learning and practical application. (Heading 6, par. 1) 

Back to Top

What makes it a high-impact practice?

Capstone experiences are designed to “provide students a host of opportunities to be engaged in educationally purposeful practice” (Kinzie 2013).   Much of that design incorporates the qualities Kuh, O’Donnell, and Schneider (2017) specify as essential elements of High Impact Practices (HIPs). The following section reviews these elements in the specific context of capstone experiences. 

Performance expectations set at appropriately high levels . Strong capstone experiences recognize the deep learning students have done over time and continue to challenge students in their application of those skills and sets of knowledge. One example of this is Julien et al.’s (2012) assessment of capstone courses in which students participated in “authentic research experiences” in advanced physiology so as to be prepared for future study or work in health sciences. 

Significant investment of concentrated effort by students over an extended period of time.  The semester-long class can harness this element of HIPs by structuring students’ development of a common goal or focus over the entire course. Projects in which students develop and conduct their own research are good examples of this. But extended capstone structures that carry over multiple semesters or even years (Nelson-Hurwitz and Tagorda 2015; Rash and Weld 2013; Redman 2013) could potentially be even more impactful for students. 

Interactions with faculty and peers about substantive matters.  Many of the examples of capstones involve collaborative learning among students (e.g., Brooks et al. 2004; Julien et al. 2012). It is worth noting the significance of student-faculty interactions within capstones as well. The most successful capstones embrace this key opportunity for students and faculty to reshape their relationship by “reframing the faculty–student relationship such that faculty become mentors, and students are both comfortable with coaching and highly motivated as they take on primary responsibility for their work” (Paris and Ferren 2013, Heading 2, par. 1; see also Rash and Weld 2013). Research suggests the relationships developed in college, especially with faculty, are one of the most significant and potentially transformative elements of higher education (Felten et al. 2016). 

Experiences with diversity; wherein students are exposed to and must contend with people and circumstances that differ from those with which the students are familiar.  Many capstones involve some kind of service-learning, community-based learning, or internship experience (Butler et al. 2017; Collier 2000; Nelson-Hurwitz and Tagorda 2015). These are not only grounded opportunities to apply learning, but they are also often good opportunities for students to interact in meaningful ways across difference. Even capstones with collaborative learning without this experiential component show evidence of improving students’ interpersonal skills (Brooks et al. 2004), which may be connected with students working in diverse groups. 

Opportunities to discover relevance of learning to real-world applications.  This feature is most apparent in capstone experiences that involve service-learning, community-based learning, or internship experiences (Butler et al. 2017; Collier 2000; Nelson-Hurwitz and Tagorda 2015). The relevance of learning to real-world applications can also come in carefully structured undergraduate research experiences. Brooks et al. (2004) in particular found that capstones structured as student-led multi-disciplinary team projects were especially well equipped to help students bridge their personal, professional, and public worlds. 

Public demonstration of competence.  Several capstone experience examples include oral presentation components (e.g., Brooks et al. 2004), and Redman gives one example of a student who shares research with her professor as a major conference (2013). Half of the thesis examples in Upson-Saia’s (2013) study require some kind of public presentation or defense. However, an in-class presentation is very different from contributing to a disciplinary conference. It is unclear from this research how significant a public demonstration needs to be to have a positive impact on a student. It would also be worth exploring the impact of this practice in capstones that offer more creative or flexible forms of public demonstration of confidence, such as curating a gallery, leading a teach-in, or performing creatively.

Periodic, structured opportunities to reflect and integrate learning . There are multiple examples that explicitly highlight reflection and reflective activities or projects as a key element of the capstone experience (e.g., Brooks et al. 2004; Butler et al. 2017; and Redman 2013). Reflection provides an opportunity to synthesize and, as in one example, ask the key questions: “Who am I?, How can I know?, and What should I do?” (Brooks et al. 2004, 283). However, reflection must be intentionally facilitated, rather than assumed as a natural element of capstones. The examples that best showed students making gains in their reflective learning were those like Brooks et al. (2004) that included reflection as a driving goal of the capstone course. 

Research-Informed Practices

Upson-Saia (2013, 12-15) offers three overarching suggestions for the development of capstones:  

• Think locally
• Think holistically
• Reassess periodically  

While her recommendations were written following study of discipline-specific capstone experiences (in her case, in religious studies), they are broad enough to be both relevant and highly applicable to interdisciplinary capstones as well.  

Think Locally:  Upson-Saia (2013) describes the first recommendation as a reminder that capstones should be context specific. In the case of disciplinary capstones, this means the capstone should be tightly woven with departmental missions. Even for interdisciplinary capstones, focusing on just one culminating goal will give the capstone direction and focus (2013). A backwards approach to design, keeping one top priority in mind for what students will accomplish or take away from the experience, will help the experience be most impactful for students. Lee and Loton’s (2017) study of capstone purposes across disciplines may help those designing capstones prioritize goals. This focused and context-specific approach to design can help reign in the overwhelming possibilities as well as reinforce courses and projects that feature a significant investment of effort by students over an extended period of time (Kuh et al. 2017).  

Think holistically:  This recommendation addresses the institutional factors that will make or break capstones. With the number of features HIPs need to include, and the goals some researchers have suggested of shifting the role of teaching to mentoring (Paris and Ferren 2013; Rash and Weld 2013), instructors have a difficult job facilitating successful capstone courses. Several researchers emphasize that the time and resources required are substantial, and they suggest administrators acknowledge and support faculty in this work (Lee and Loton 2017; Upson-Saia 2013). In addition, Lee and Loton (2017) describe capstones as “high risk activities” due to the high expectations both students and faculty place on these experiences. These expectations make administrative support imperative, but it also means that if an instructor wishes to deviate their capstone structure from the institutional norm, they will need to offer substantial justification due to the existing pressure on these courses and projects. 

Reassess periodically:  Upson-Saia reminds us that because there is such a wide variety of possibilities, the form of capstone an instructor settles on may not remain appropriate as departmental cultures, curricular structures, and students all change and evolve over time. She describes the special topics seminar form of some capstones in her study as minimally different from other upper-level courses in the department and a holdover from the senior seminars of the 1800s (Upson-Saia 2013) and questions whether that model is still the most appropriate way to culminate a student’s experience. It is worth checking in and evaluating the efficacy of a program or project no matter what. Brooks et al. (2004) offer a helpful example of how to assess a capstone experience; they found that while their capstone did not meet some goals they assumed it would, it was successful in a number of other areas and did broader curricular work for the department that was otherwise missing. Without pausing to assess their program, they would not have understood whether its form was successful for their departmental goals.

Embedded and Emerging Questions for Research, Practice, and Theory

Several characteristics of high impact practices need to be researched more deeply in the context of capstone experiences, including in particular: interaction with faculty and peers about substantive matters, public demonstration of competence, and frequent and timely feedback. Recent research has revealed the mentored relationship to be one of the most impactful of a student’s undergraduate experience (Lambert, Husser, and Felten 2018). Writings on capstones recommend spending time developing these mentored relationships in the capstone, but few explore the particular impact of relationship and mentorship in capstone experiences. Future research on this topic could contribute enormously to scholarly conversations about course-embedded mentorship and relationship building. Current research doesn’t specify how public demonstration of competence need be to make a capstone high impact. It would be worth exploring, for example, the impact of the demonstration of competence in capstones which have more creative forms such as curating a gallery, leading a teach-in, or performing creatively. Finally, frequent, timely, and constructive feedback—a key element of high impact practices—remains unexplored in the context of capstones and could make a valuable new direction for research. 

Like the qualities of high impact practices, writing about the benefits of capstones often doesn’t do enough to highlight the unique impacts of the qualities of capstones. Research on capstones highlighting their benefits often center on elements of capstones that are other HIPs—such as collaborative learning, problem-based learning, service- or community-based learning, or undergraduate research. This practice makes distinguishing the benefits of capstones from the known benefits associated with these other HIPs nearly impossible. And this challenge raises an important question: would a capstone without these elements be equally successful in promoting deep and engaged learning? 

While capstones share admirable goals and purposes, it has been more difficult to tell how much they are actually meeting those goals. Some interesting analysis of capstones has emerged of late that found that capstones were a significant positive predictor for only one element of liberal learning (“need for cognition”—or one’s propensity to engage in lifelong learning) and in fact was a significant negative predictor for critical thinking (Kilgo et al. 2015). The authors of this study specify that more research on capstones is needed, but a previous 2004 case study found similar results (Brooks et al. 2004).  In Brooks, Benton-Kupper, and Slayton’s (2004) assessment of a university (interdisciplinary) capstone, they were surprised to find that though they expected the university capstone to significantly support students’ critical thinking development, “the students did not identify the course as meeting those common threads of the University’s goals to a great or moderate degree” (Brooks et al. 2004, 281). Instead, students who took a discipline-specific capstone reported higher levels of critical thinking development. Both of these studies noted a number of other strong benefits to capstones—so it may be that in conjunction with the other coursework students engage in, they do not need to have a strong critical thinking focus. It is also possible that capstones that look different from these—perhaps those with more of an undergraduate research focus—may do a better job developing this skill. More research is needed in this area to make sense of these findings. 

Key Scholarship

Butler, Des, Sandra Coe, Rachael Field, Judith McNamara, Sally Kift, and Catherine Brown. 2017. “Embodying Life-Long Learning: Transition and Capstone Experiences.” Oxford Review of Education 43 (2): 194-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2016.1270199 .

About this Journal Article:

This case study describes the first of six  principles ,  which informed the development of a capstone design for Australian legal education, and according to the authors, should inform the development of  any  capstone. The authors focus on Transition–the first of their selected principles–as a theoretical framework for the pedagogical design they develop. They extend  Kift’s  Transition Pedagogy, an adaptation of Schlossberg  that  focuses on first year students, to inform final year practices—viewing final year students as students in transition, too. The authors identify three areas in which the incorporation of transition pedagogy can enhance a capstone experience and help students manage uncertainty, complexity, and change; develop a professional identity; and career plan. While the case study doesn’t cover the implementation of  the  capstone design, the study can offer a useful model for capstone development. Additionally, the transition framework does a helpful job of linking student development theory (and Schlossberg’s theory of  t ransition) with pedagogy and ends with qualitative data from students  as  evidence  of  the necessity of the framework.

Collier, Peter J. 2000. “The Effects of Completing a Capstone Course on Student Identity.” Sociology of Education 73 (4): 285-299. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673235 .

Collier’s article studies the effect of participation in a capstone experience on undergraduate students’ identification as a college student. He proposes that the increased identification with this role by capstone students over time indicate capstones’ effectiveness in socialization. Using  different identity theories around  role identities  and role-identity acquisition as theoretical frameworks, Collier developed a longitudinal study of 26 senior capstone students (multidisciplinary and across the university) of one year’s capstone at a university, with a nonequivalent control group (n=26). Using pre- and post-measurements, Collier found that the nature of the capstone as a grounded and experiential course contributed to its transformative impact on students. Students connecting with the community in a capstone context were pushed to work more collaboratively, and this social aspect of their learning and work helped them to associate more strongly with the role of  a  college student. The development of identity as a student is a potential strength of capstones. However, Collier fails to discuss why developing a student identity–especially in the senior year–is a worthwhile or positive practice, nor does he discuss how that student identity intersects with other social identities a student may hold. Collier does offer several practical implications for curriculum and specifically capstone development.

Dunlap, Joanna C. 2005. “Problem-Based Learning and Self-Efficacy: How a Capstone Course Prepares Students for a Profession.” Educational Technology Research and Development 53 (1): 65-83. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02504858 .

Dunlap employed a mixed methods approach to study the self-efficacy of 31 students in a required undergraduate capstone course. She analyzed guided journal submissions and triangulated those responses with student responses to a survey tool called the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, a 10-item scale that “assesses optimistic self-beliefs to cope with a variety of difficult demands in life” (73). Her findings — that students’ participation in a  p roblem- b ased  l earning environment impacts students’ sense of capability, especially looking forward to career prospects and their sense of professional identity — offer data to support why capstones serve as a powerful facilitator of transition for students. While her findings are most specific to problem-based learning, a related high   impact practice, their basis in a capstone context may help support the development of positively impactful capstone experiences.  

Julien, Brianna L, Louise Lexis, Johannes Schuijers, Tom Samiric, and Stuart McDonald. 2012. “Using Capstones to Develop Research Skills and Graduate Capabilities: A Case Study from Physiology.” Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 9 (3): 58-73. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.9.3.6 .

This case study describes two physiology capstones that culminate the Bachelor of Health Science at La Trobe University. The authors describe the student assessments involved in the capstones and evaluate the program itself based on student performance, student feedback, and faculty perceptions of the course. The authors found that final grades for students were significantly higher in 2011 ,  following the implementation of the  capstone  course than final grades in the previous two years. Students reported positive skill development and satisfaction, and instructors noticed a higher degree of student-centered learning along with a “vastly increased workload” and “greater need for infrastructure services” (11). The value of this case study is not only the model it provides for capstone development, but also the consideration of staffing and resource needs to support strong capstone experiences. Other institutions looking to launch or revise capstone experiences would do well to recognize this resource challenge.

Ketcham , Caroline J, Anthony G Weaver, and Jessie L Moore. 2023. Cultivating Capstones: Designing High-Quality Culminating Experiences for Student Learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

About this Book:

Cultivating Capstones  introduces higher education faculty and administrators to the landscape of capstone experiences, offers research-informed models that institutions could adapt for their own contextual goals, and suggests faculty development strategies to support implementation of high-quality student learning experiences. The edited collection draws primarily from multi-year, multi-institutional, and mixed-methods studies conducted by participants in the 2018-2020 Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Capstone Experiences; this work is complemented by chapters by additional scholars focused on culminating experiences.

The collection is divided into three sections. Part one offers typographies of capstones, illustrating the diversity of experiences included in this high-impact practice while also identifying essential characteristics that contribute to high-quality culminating experiences for students. Part two shares specific culminating experiences (e.g., seminar courses in general education curricula, capstone experiences in the major, capstone research projects in a multi-campus early college program, capstone ePortfolios, etc.), with examples from multiple institutions and strategies for adapting them for readers’ own campus contexts. Part three offers research-informed strategies for professional development to support implementation of high-quality student learning experiences across a variety of campus contexts.

Learn more at Cultivating Capstones – Center for Engaged Learning

Kilgo, Cindy A, Jessica K Ezell Sheets, and Ernest T Pascarella. 2014. “The Link between High-Impact Practices and Student Learning: Some Longitudinal Evidence.” Higher Education 69 (4): 509-525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9788-z .

This study used pre- and post-tests to estimate the efficacy of the 10 high impact practices supported by AAC&U and found that overall, the high   impact practices do, in fact, support student learning. They found that active ,  collaborative learning and undergraduate research were especially effective in promoting critical thinking, cognition, and intercultural effectiveness, while capstones (among other HIP s ) had more mixed effects. For capstones in particular, the authors found a negative link to critical thinking, “but positive net association with four-year gains in need for cognition” (519). The authors highlight several other specific positive gains in student learning  as a result of  capstones, and this data can be especially helpful in advocating not only for the value of capstones themselves, but in the value of intentionally designed capstones. The multi-institutional results help generalize the benefits, and even more importantly point to areas where negative links occurred, suggesting that administration and facilitation are key in capstones  actually having  high (positive) impact.  

Lee, Nicolette, and Daniel Loton. 2017. “Capstone Purposes across Disciplines.” Studies in Higher Education 44 (1): 134-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1347155 .

This literature review analyzes the purposes of capstones as presented by faculty involved in capstone design and instruction. This review is valuable in offering a broad overview of capstone literature and present understandings— for example,  capstones are frequently linked to development of employability skills and personal student attributes. In addition to a review of the literature, Lee and  Loton  conducted an online survey of 216 capstone educators internationally (with just over three – quarters originating from Australia, the authors’ base). Here, they found the 20 most highly rated purposes for capstones were similarly rated across disciplinary groups — implying they serve a common purpose regardless of discipline. The survey responses echoed what has been focused on broadly in the literature and adds some nuance  that  will be useful to readers seeking to understand capstones at an introductory level. Finally, the purposes raised may help designers of capstones identify shared purposes from which to backward design the capstone experience.  

Paris, David, and Ann Ferren. 2013. “How Students, Faculty, and Institutions Can Fulfill the Promise of Capstones.” Peer Review 15 (4). https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/how-students-faculty-and-institutions-can-fulfill-promise .

This article offers a useful analysis of the capstone experience broadly, offering some recent historical context for capstones as well as recommendations for where they are headed today based on practice examples found across the United States. For American readers in particular, this  analysis  will offer some helpful comparisons to programs in a more familiar context. Unlike some of the heavier and formal research-centered pieces, another benefit of this  article  is its accessibility, due in large part because it serves to introduce a whole issue of  Peer Review  focused on capstone experiences. Paris and  Ferren’s  focus on the faculty-student relationship within capstones may be especially useful to readers, as it’s a lens of capstones not frequently seen in other literature and may be a key element in what makes capstones a high   impact practice.  

Rash, Agnes, and Kathryn Weld. 2013. “The Capstone Course: Origins, Goals, Methods, and Issues.” PRIMUS 23 (4): 291-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2013.775203 .

This is an introduction to a special issue on capstone courses, which describes a range of models, common goals across capstones, popular teaching methods used in capstones, the value of capstones  as a way to  assess a curricular program, and issues related to faculty development. The curricular focus, mathematics, is somewhat unique and so may be especially useful for instructors who come with a strong disciplinary connection and are unsure of how capstones may fit into or enhance the content they hope to impart on students. An interesting  and also  unique aspect of this piece is the acknowledgement of capstones’ value in program assessment. For  administrators in particular, this  may be a helpful argument for an added benefit of capstones beyond student learning directly associated with the course. This  article , as  with  several others, is explicit in framing the teaching of capstones as more of a mentorship relationship–an idea that would be worth following up on in future research.  

Redman, Peggy. 2013. “Going beyond the Requirement: The Capstone Experience.” Peer Review 15 (4). https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/going-beyond-requirement-capstone-experience .

This case study describes capstones across the curriculum and educational levels (bachelors, master’s, and doctoral) at the University of La Verne in southern California. By looking at the 127 capstone projects that students produced (41 undergraduate), Redman analyzed student writing and learning. As a result of the findings associated with this analysis, the university adapted a more integrated and reflective process across all four years to prepare students for their final capstone. This piece serves as a valuable model for thoughtfully embedding and scaffolding the capstone experience not only in the final year, but from a student’s first experience on campus. Additionally, the piece offers innovative ideas for linking capstones to other high impact practices such as community partnerships (service-learning) and  ePortfolios .  

Upson-Saia, Kristi. 2013. “The Capstone Experience for the Religious Studies Major.” Teaching Theology & Religion 16 (1): 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/teth.12001 .

This study examines capstone experiences for religious studies majors at 29 different U.S. institutions. Upson-Saia not only explores the strengths across these experiences, and the  factors  that  set apart  especially successful programs, but also takes an explicit focus on “the most frustrating aspects of the capstone” and “how some departments avoid such frustrations” (4). Unlike Lee and  Loton  (2017), who found strong consensus among the top purposes of capstones, Upson-Saia found little consensus among religious studies capstones beyond “culmination” in their educational objectives. This may be a difference in scale–on a smaller scale, more variation is visible–or in context .   P erhaps authors have similar ideas about what should be talked about in published articles, but in practice ,  there may be more variation in purpose. Interestingly, Upson-Saia  discusses  one of the themes Lee and  Loton  raised about the pressures put on the capstone: suggesting that frustrations about the capstone as not going well ,  or doing as much as it could ,  stem from those pressures for capstone to be doing everything. She takes a historical lens in her response to this, exploring the evolution of capstones and their purposes through history to think through how capstones may be positioned  today. Her resulting list of best practices for religious studies capstones may be adapted across disciplinary contexts and offer a useful starting point for people designing and developing capstones.  

Young, Dallin George, Jasmin K Chung, Dory E Hoffman, and Ryan Bronkema. 2017. 2016 National Survey of Senior Capstone Experiences: Expanding our Understanding of Culminating Experiences. Columbia, SC: National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

This publication reports on the 2016 National Survey of Senior Capstone Experiences conducted by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. The survey previously was administered in 1999 and 2011. It reports on capstones in curricular and co-curricular higher education programs, including objectives for the capstone experiences, types of capstone by field of study, and percentage of seniors participating in capstones.

See all Capstone Experiences entries

Model Programs

The University of Oregon  has several strong capstone examples based around community engaged learning. Their Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) serves as the capstone experience for environmental studies majors and other interested students, and involves matching student “teams with non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and businesses to address local environmental needs” ( Lynch and Boulay 2011 ). Similarly, the University of Oregon’s Master of Public Administration program matches students to local clients to “solve real-world policy and management problems” ( IPRE Blog 2020 ). In 2020, students in this program focused on supporting vulnerable populations, developing resilience, and supporting sustainability. The real-world and problem-based nature of these capstone experiences allow students to apply their learning to projects that matter.  

The University of Leeds  has a culminating research experience as the capstone for its honors bioscience students. The department specifies that “all honors degree students are expected to have some personal experience of the approach to practice and evaluation of scientific research,” and that “it is expected to include an element of novelty satisfied by work that is hypothesis-driven or which leads to formation of an hypothesis” ( University of Leeds and D.I. Lewis 2019 ). 

The College of Wooster  in Ohio has a robust final year research project as its culminating experience. Wooster works to set the foundation for this work early, through opportunities like the  Sophomore Research Program , which funds students as paid research assistants to Wooster faculty and encourages students to connect with faculty on independent research projects in other spaces as well. The final capstone experience is called the  Independent Study , and pairs every student with a professor for a one-on-one mentored experience. This deep, synthesizing, sustained, and highly mentored experience checks off each of the key qualities of high impact practices.  

Additional programs are featured in  Cultivating Capstones  (forthcoming from Stylus Publishing). 

Related Blog Posts

Designing an interdisciplinary capstone, part 2: student perspectives.

Limed: Teaching with a TwistSeason 2, Episode 8 In this episode, we finish our conversation about designing a capstone course for a new Global Film and Cultures minor at Elon University. Student panelists from Elon University, Gianna Smurro and Mia…

Designing an Interdisciplinary Capstone, Part 1: Faculty Perspectives

Limed: Teaching with a TwistSeason 2, Episode 7 Designing an interdisciplinary capstone course is a challenging task that presents an opportunity to innovate. Lina Kuhn and Kai Swanson from Elon University join the show to get some advice on how…

ePortfolios as Capstone Experience

Making College “Worth It” – Season 1, Episode 7 In this episode, we visit with Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, associate vice provost for curriculum, assessment, and teaching transformation at the University at Buffalo, about UB’s ePortfolio capstone requirement for general education….

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Featured Resources

Elon statement on capstone experiences.

From 2018 to 2020, twenty-two scholars participated in the Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Capstone Experiences, co-led by Caroline Ketcham (Elon University), Jillian Kinzie (Indiana University), and Tony Weaver (Elon University). The seminar fostered international, multi-institutional research on capstone…

“2020 Capstone and Oregon Policy Lab Project Launch.” Web log.  IPRE Blog (blog). University of Oregon, February 20, 2020. https://blogs.uoregon.edu/cscenter/2020/01/28/2020-capstone-and-oregon-policy-lab-project-launch/.  

Brooks, Randy, Jodi Benton-Kupper, and Deborah Slayton. “Curricular Aims: Assessment of a University Capstone Course.”  The Journal of General Education  53, no. 3/4 (2004): 275–87. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27797996. 

Covington, Owen, Leo M Lambert, Jason Husser, and Peter Felton. “The Conversation:  Mentors Play Critical Role in Quality of College Experience.” Today at Elon. The Conversation, August 22, 2018. https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2018/08/22/the-conversation-mentors-play-critical-role-in-quality-of-college-experience/.  

Felten, Peter, John N Gardner, Charles C Schroeder, Leo M Lambert, and Betsy O Barefoot.  The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most . Wiley, 2016.  

Kinzie, J. “Taking Stock of Capstones and Integrative Learning.” 2013.  Peer Review; Washington  15, no. 4: 27–30.  

Kuh, George, Ken O’Donnell, and Carol Geary Schneider. “Hips at Ten.” 2017.  Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 49, no. 5: 8–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2017.1366805.  

Lynch, Kathryn A., and Margaret C. Boulay. 2011. “Promoting Civic Engagement: The Environmental Leadership Program at the University of Oregon.”  Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 1, no. 3: 189–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-011-0028-x.  

Levine, Arthur. 1998. “A President’s Personal and Historical Perspective.” In  The Senior Year Experience: Facilitating Reflection, Integration, Closure and Transition,  ed. John N. Gardner, Gretchen Van der Veer, and Associates. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

“Microbiology Society.” Homepage | Microbiology Society. PIXL 8 Group, 2021. https://microbiologysociety.org/.  

Nelson-Hurwitz, Denise C., and Michelle Tagorda. 2015. “Developing an Undergraduate Applied Learning Experience.”  Frontiers in Public Health  3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00002.  

The Center thanks Sophia Abbot, our 2018-2020 graduate apprentice, for contributing the initial content for this resource.

Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

• How did the article affect you?
• How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
• Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
• Has the article left you with any questions?
• Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
• Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
• Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

• How my views on rap music have changed over time
• My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
• How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

• State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
• Briefly summarize the work.
• Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

• Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
• Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

• Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
• Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
• Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
• Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

• Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
• Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
• Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
• Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
• Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

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Reflective writing is a process of identifying, questioning, and critically evaluating course-based learning opportunities, integrated with your own observations, experiences, impressions, beliefs, assumptions, or biases, and which describes how this process stimulated new or creative understanding about the content of the course.

A reflective paper describes and explains in an introspective, first person narrative, your reactions and feelings about either a specific element of the class [e.g., a required reading; a film shown in class] or more generally how you experienced learning throughout the course. Reflective writing assignments can be in the form of a single paper, essays, portfolios, journals, diaries, or blogs. In some cases, your professor may include a reflective writing assignment as a way to obtain student feedback that helps improve the course, either in the moment or for when the class is taught again.

How to Write a Reflection Paper . Academic Skills, Trent University; Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; Tsingos-Lucas et al. "Using Reflective Writing as a Predictor of Academic Success in Different Assessment Formats." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 81 (2017): Article 8.

Benefits of Reflective Writing Assignments

As the term implies, a reflective paper involves looking inward at oneself in contemplating and bringing meaning to the relationship between course content and the acquisition of new knowledge . Educational research [Bolton, 2010; Ryan, 2011; Tsingos-Lucas et al., 2017] demonstrates that assigning reflective writing tasks enhances learning because it challenges students to confront their own assumptions, biases, and belief systems around what is being taught in class and, in so doing, stimulate student’s decisions, actions, attitudes, and understanding about themselves as learners and in relation to having mastery over their learning. Reflection assignments are also an opportunity to write in a first person narrative about elements of the course, such as the required readings, separate from the exegetic and analytical prose of academic research papers.

Reflection writing often serves multiple purposes simultaneously. In no particular order, here are some of reasons why professors assign reflection papers:

• Enhances learning from previous knowledge and experience in order to improve future decision-making and reasoning in practice . Reflective writing in the applied social sciences enhances decision-making skills and academic performance in ways that can inform professional practice. The act of reflective writing creates self-awareness and understanding of others. This is particularly important in clinical and service-oriented professional settings.
• Allows students to make sense of classroom content and overall learning experiences in relation to oneself, others, and the conditions that shaped the content and classroom experiences . Reflective writing places you within the course content in ways that can deepen your understanding of the material. Because reflective thinking can help reveal hidden biases, it can help you critically interrogate moments when you do not like or agree with discussions, readings, or other aspects of the course.
• Increases awareness of one’s cognitive abilities and the evidence for these attributes . Reflective writing can break down personal doubts about yourself as a learner and highlight specific abilities that may have been hidden or suppressed due to prior assumptions about the strength of your academic abilities [e.g., reading comprehension; problem-solving skills]. Reflective writing, therefore, can have a positive affective [i.e., emotional] impact on your sense of self-worth.
• Applying theoretical knowledge and frameworks to real experiences . Reflective writing can help build a bridge of relevancy between theoretical knowledge and the real world. In so doing, this form of writing can lead to a better understanding of underlying theories and their analytical properties applied to professional practice.
• Reveals shortcomings that the reader will identify . Evidence suggests that reflective writing can uncover your own shortcomings as a learner, thereby, creating opportunities to anticipate the responses of your professor may have about the quality of your coursework. This can be particularly productive if the reflective paper is written before final submission of an assignment.
• Helps students identify their tacit [a.k.a., implicit] knowledge and possible gaps in that knowledge . Tacit knowledge refers to ways of knowing rooted in lived experience, insight, and intuition rather than formal, codified, categorical, or explicit knowledge. In so doing, reflective writing can stimulate students to question their beliefs about a research problem or an element of the course content beyond positivist modes of understanding and representation.
• Encourages students to actively monitor their learning processes over a period of time . On-going reflective writing in journals or blogs, for example, can help you maintain or adapt learning strategies in other contexts. The regular, purposeful act of reflection can facilitate continuous deep thinking about the course content as it evolves and changes throughout the term. This, in turn, can increase your overall confidence as a learner.
• Relates a student’s personal experience to a wider perspective . Reflection papers can help you see the big picture associated with the content of a course by forcing you to think about the connections between scholarly content and your lived experiences outside of school. It can provide a macro-level understanding of one’s own experiences in relation to the specifics of what is being taught.
• If reflective writing is shared, students can exchange stories about their learning experiences, thereby, creating an opportunity to reevaluate their original assumptions or perspectives . In most cases, reflective writing is only viewed by your professor in order to ensure candid feedback from students. However, occasionally, reflective writing is shared and openly discussed in class. During these discussions, new or different perspectives and alternative approaches to solving problems can be generated that would otherwise be hidden. Sharing student's reflections can also reveal collective patterns of thought and emotions about a particular element of the course.

Bolton, Gillie. Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development . London: Sage, 2010; Chang, Bo. "Reflection in Learning." Online Learning 23 (2019), 95-110; Cavilla, Derek. "The Effects of Student Reflection on Academic Performance and Motivation." Sage Open 7 (July-September 2017): 1–13; Culbert, Patrick. “Better Teaching? You Can Write On It “ Liberal Education (February 2022); McCabe, Gavin and Tobias Thejll-Madsen. The Reflection Toolkit . University of Edinburgh; The Purpose of Reflection . Introductory Composition at Purdue University; Practice-based and Reflective Learning . Study Advice Study Guides, University of Reading; Ryan, Mary. "Improving Reflective Writing in Higher Education: A Social Semiotic Perspective." Teaching in Higher Education 16 (2011): 99-111; Tsingos-Lucas et al. "Using Reflective Writing as a Predictor of Academic Success in Different Assessment Formats." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 81 (2017): Article 8; What Benefits Might Reflective Writing Have for My Students? Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse; Rykkje, Linda. "The Tacit Care Knowledge in Reflective Writing: A Practical Wisdom." International Practice Development Journal 7 (September 2017): Article 5; Using Reflective Writing to Deepen Student Learning . Center for Writing, University of Minnesota.

How to Approach Writing a Reflection Paper

Thinking About Reflective Thinking

Educational theorists have developed numerous models of reflective thinking that your professor may use to frame a reflective writing assignment. These models can help you systematically interpret your learning experiences, thereby ensuring that you ask the right questions and have a clear understanding of what should be covered. A model can also represent the overall structure of a reflective paper. Each model establishes a different approach to reflection and will require you to think about your writing differently. If you are unclear how to fit your writing within a particular reflective model, seek clarification from your professor. There are generally two types of reflective writing assignments, each approached in slightly different ways.

1.  Reflective Thinking about Course Readings

This type of reflective writing focuses on thoughtfully thinking about the course readings that underpin how most students acquire new knowledge and understanding about the subject of a course. Reflecting on course readings is often assigned in freshmen-level, interdisciplinary courses where the required readings examine topics viewed from multiple perspectives and, as such, provide different ways of analyzing a topic, issue, event, or phenomenon. The purpose of reflective thinking about course readings in the social and behavioral sciences is to elicit your opinions, beliefs, and feelings about the research and its significance. This type of writing can provide an opportunity to break down key assumptions you may have and, in so doing, reveal potential biases in how you interpret the scholarship.

If you are assigned to reflect on course readings, consider the following methods of analysis as prompts that can help you get started :

• Examine carefully the main introductory elements of the reading, including the purpose of the study, the theoretical framework being used to test assumptions, and the research questions being addressed. Think about what ideas stood out to you. Why did they? Were these ideas new to you or familiar in some way based on your own lived experiences or prior knowledge?
• Develop your ideas around the readings by asking yourself, what do I know about this topic? Where does my existing knowledge about this topic come from? What are the observations or experiences in my life that influence my understanding of the topic? Do I agree or disagree with the main arguments, recommended course of actions, or conclusions made by the author(s)? Why do I feel this way and what is the basis of these feelings?
• Make connections between the text and your own beliefs, opinions, or feelings by considering questions like, how do the readings reinforce my existing ideas or assumptions? How the readings challenge these ideas or assumptions? How does this text help me to better understand this topic or research in ways that motivate me to learn more about this area of study?

2.  Reflective Thinking about Course Experiences

This type of reflective writing asks you to critically reflect on locating yourself at the conceptual intersection of theory and practice. The purpose of experiential reflection is to evaluate theories or disciplinary-based analytical models based on your introspective assessment of the relationship between hypothetical thinking and practical reality; it offers a way to consider how your own knowledge and skills fit within professional practice. This type of writing also provides an opportunity to evaluate your decisions and actions, as well as how you managed your subsequent successes and failures, within a specific theoretical framework. As a result, abstract concepts can crystallize and become more relevant to you when considered within your own experiences. This can help you formulate plans for self-improvement as you learn.

If you are assigned to reflect on your experiences, consider the following questions as prompts to help you get started :

• Contextualize your reflection in relation to the overarching purpose of the course by asking yourself, what did you hope to learn from this course? What were the learning objectives for the course and how did I fit within each of them? How did these goals relate to the main themes or concepts of the course?
• Analyze how you experienced the course by asking yourself, what did I learn from this experience? What did I learn about myself? About working in this area of research and study? About how the course relates to my place in society? What assumptions about the course were supported or refuted?
• Think introspectively about the ways you experienced learning during the course by asking yourself, did your learning experiences align with the goals or concepts of the course? Why or why do you not feel this way? What was successful and why do you believe this? What would you do differently and why is this important? How will you prepare for a future experience in this area of study?

NOTE: If you are assigned to write a journal or other type of on-going reflection exercise, a helpful approach is to reflect on your reflections by re-reading what you have already written. In other words, review your previous entries as a way to contextualize your feelings, opinions, or beliefs regarding your overall learning experiences. Over time, this can also help reveal hidden patterns or themes related to how you processed your learning experiences. Consider concluding your reflective journal with a summary of how you felt about your learning experiences at critical junctures throughout the course, then use these to write about how you grew as a student learner and how the act of reflecting helped you gain new understanding about the subject of the course and its content.

ANOTHER NOTE: Regardless of whether you write a reflection paper or a journal, do not focus your writing on the past. The act of reflection is intended to think introspectively about previous learning experiences. However, reflective thinking should document the ways in which you progressed in obtaining new insights and understandings about your growth as a learner that can be carried forward in subsequent coursework or in future professional practice. Your writing should reflect a furtherance of increasing personal autonomy and confidence gained from understanding more about yourself as a learner.

Structure and Writing Style

There are no strict academic rules for writing a reflective paper. Reflective writing may be assigned in any class taught in the social and behavioral sciences and, therefore, requirements for the assignment can vary depending on disciplinary-based models of inquiry and learning. The organization of content can also depend on what your professor wants you to write about or based on the type of reflective model used to frame the writing assignment. Despite these possible variations, below is a basic approach to organizing and writing a good reflective paper, followed by a list of problems to avoid.

Pre-flection

In most cases, it's helpful to begin by thinking about your learning experiences and outline what you want to focus on before you begin to write the paper. This can help you organize your thoughts around what was most important to you and what experiences [good or bad] had the most impact on your learning. As described by the University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre, preparing to write a reflective paper involves a process of self-analysis that can help organize your thoughts around significant moments of in-class knowledge discovery.

• Using a thesis statement as a guide, note what experiences or course content stood out to you , then place these within the context of your observations, reactions, feelings, and opinions. This will help you develop a rough outline of key moments during the course that reflect your growth as a learner. To identify these moments, pose these questions to yourself: What happened? What was my reaction? What were my expectations and how were they different from what transpired? What did I learn?
• Critically think about your learning experiences and the course content . This will help you develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding about why these moments were significant or relevant to you. Use the ideas you formulated during the first stage of reflecting to help you think through these moments from both an academic and personal perspective. From an academic perspective, contemplate how the experience enhanced your understanding of a concept, theory, or skill. Ask yourself, did the experience confirm my previous understanding or challenge it in some way. As a result, did this highlight strengths or gaps in your current knowledge? From a personal perspective, think introspectively about why these experiences mattered, if previous expectations or assumptions were confirmed or refuted, and if this surprised, confused, or unnerved you in some way.
• Analyze how these experiences and your reactions to them will shape your future thinking and behavior . Reflection implies looking back, but the most important act of reflective writing is considering how beliefs, assumptions, opinions, and feelings were transformed in ways that better prepare you as a learner in the future. Note how this reflective analysis can lead to actions you will take as a result of your experiences, what you will do differently, and how you will apply what you learned in other courses or in professional practice.

Basic Structure and Writing Style

Reflective Background and Context

The first part of your reflection paper should briefly provide background and context in relation to the content or experiences that stood out to you. Highlight the settings, summarize the key readings, or narrate the experiences in relation to the course objectives. Provide background that sets the stage for your reflection. You do not need to go into great detail, but you should provide enough information for the reader to understand what sources of learning you are writing about [e.g., course readings, field experience, guest lecture, class discussions] and why they were important. This section should end with an explanatory thesis statement that expresses the central ideas of your paper and what you want the readers to know, believe, or understand after they finish reading your paper.

Reflective Interpretation

Drawing from your reflective analysis, this is where you can be personal, critical, and creative in expressing how you felt about the course content and learning experiences and how they influenced or altered your feelings, beliefs, assumptions, or biases about the subject of the course. This section is also where you explore the meaning of these experiences in the context of the course and how you gained an awareness of the connections between these moments and your own prior knowledge.

Guided by your thesis statement, a helpful approach is to interpret your learning throughout the course with a series of specific examples drawn from the course content and your learning experiences. These examples should be arranged in sequential order that illustrate your growth as a learner. Reflecting on each example can be done by: 1)  introducing a theme or moment that was meaningful to you, 2) describing your previous position about the learning moment and what you thought about it, 3) explaining how your perspective was challenged and/or changed and why, and 4) introspectively stating your current or new feelings, opinions, or beliefs about that experience in class.

It is important to include specific examples drawn from the course and placed within the context of your assumptions, thoughts, opinions, and feelings. A reflective narrative without specific examples does not provide an effective way for the reader to understand the relationship between the course content and how you grew as a learner.

Reflective Conclusions

The conclusion of your reflective paper should provide a summary of your thoughts, feelings, or opinions regarding what you learned about yourself as a result of taking the course. Here are several ways you can frame your conclusions based on the examples you interpreted and reflected on what they meant to you. Each example would need to be tied to the basic theme [thesis statement] of your reflective background section.

• Your reflective conclusions can be described in relation to any expectations you had before taking the class [e.g., “I expected the readings to not be relevant to my own experiences growing up in a rural community, but the research actually helped me see that the challenges of developing my identity as a child of immigrants was not that unusual...”].
• Your reflective conclusions can explain how what you learned about yourself will change your actions in the future [e.g., “During a discussion in class about the challenges of helping homeless people, I realized that many of these people hate living on the street but lack the ability to see a way out. This made me realize that I wanted to take more classes in psychology...”].
• Your reflective conclusions can describe major insights you experienced a critical junctures during the course and how these moments enhanced how you see yourself as a student learner [e.g., "The guest speaker from the Head Start program made me realize why I wanted to pursue a career in elementary education..."].
• Your reflective conclusions can reconfigure or reframe how you will approach professional practice and your understanding of your future career aspirations [e.g.,, "The course changed my perceptions about seeking a career in business finance because it made me realize I want to be more engaged in customer service..."]
• Your reflective conclusions can explore any learning you derived from the act of reflecting itself [e.g., “Reflecting on the course readings that described how minority students perceive campus activities helped me identify my own biases about the benefits of those activities in acclimating to campus life...”].

NOTE: The length of a reflective paper in the social sciences is usually less than a traditional research paper. However, don’t assume that writing a reflective paper is easier than writing a research paper. A well-conceived critical reflection paper often requires as much time and effort as a research paper because you must purposeful engage in thinking about your learning in ways that you may not be comfortable with or used to. This is particular true while preparing to write because reflective papers are not as structured as a traditional research paper and, therefore, you have to think deliberately about how you want to organize the paper and what elements of the course you want to reflect upon.

ANOTHER NOTE: Do not limit yourself to using only text in reflecting on your learning. If you believe it would be helpful, consider using creative modes of thought or expression such as, illustrations, photographs, or material objects that reflects an experience related to the subject of the course that was important to you [e.g., like a ticket stub to a renowned speaker on campus]. Whatever non-textual element you include, be sure to describe the object's relevance to your personal relationship to the course content.

Problems to Avoid

A reflective paper is not a “mind dump” . Reflective papers document your personal and emotional experiences and, therefore, they do not conform to rigid structures, or schema, to organize information. However, the paper should not be a disjointed, stream-of-consciousness narrative. Reflective papers are still academic pieces of writing that require organized thought, that use academic language and tone , and that apply intellectually-driven critical thinking to the course content and your learning experiences and their significance.

A reflective paper is not a research paper . If you are asked to reflect on a course reading, the reflection will obviously include some description of the research. However, the goal of reflective writing is not to present extraneous ideas to the reader or to "educate" them about the course. The goal is to share a story about your relationship with the learning objectives of the course. Therefore, unlike research papers, you are expected to write from a first person point of view which includes an introspective examination of your own opinions, feelings, and personal assumptions.

A reflection paper is not a book review . Descriptions of the course readings using your own words is not a reflective paper. Reflective writing should focus on how you understood the implications of and were challenged by the course in relation to your own lived experiences or personal assumptions, combined with explanations of how you grew as a student learner based on this internal dialogue. Remember that you are the central object of the paper, not the research materials.

A reflective paper is not an all-inclusive meditation. Do not try to cover everything. The scope of your paper should be well-defined and limited to your specific opinions, feelings, and beliefs about what you determine to be the most significant content of the course and in relation to the learning that took place. Reflections should be detailed enough to covey what you think is important, but your thoughts should be expressed concisely and coherently [as is true for any academic writing assignment].

Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; Critical Reflection: Journals, Opinions, & Reactions . University Writing Center, Texas A&M University; Connor-Greene, Patricia A. “Making Connections: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Journal Writing in Enhancing Student Learning.” Teaching of Psychology 27 (2000): 44-46; Good vs. Bad Reflection Papers , Franklin University; Dyment, Janet E. and Timothy S. O’Connell. "The Quality of Reflection in Student Journals: A Review of Limiting and Enabling Factors." Innovative Higher Education 35 (2010): 233-244: How to Write a Reflection Paper . Academic Skills, Trent University; Amelia TaraJane House. Reflection Paper . Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence, University of Arkansas; Ramlal, Alana, and Désirée S. Augustin. “Engaging Students in Reflective Writing: An Action Research Project.” Educational Action Research 28 (2020): 518-533; Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; McGuire, Lisa, Kathy Lay, and Jon Peters. “Pedagogy of Reflective Writing in Professional Education.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2009): 93-107; Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; How Do I Write Reflectively? Academic Skills Toolkit, University of New South Wales Sydney; Reflective Writing . Skills@Library. University of Leeds; Walling, Anne, Johanna Shapiro, and Terry Ast. “What Makes a Good Reflective Paper?” Family Medicine 45 (2013): 7-12; Williams, Kate, Mary Woolliams, and Jane Spiro. Reflective Writing . 2nd edition. London: Red Globe Press, 2020; Yeh, Hui-Chin, Shih-hsien Yang, Jo Shan Fu, and Yen-Chen Shih. “Developing College Students’ Critical Thinking through Reflective Writing.” Higher Education Research and Development (2022): 1-16.

Writing Tip

Focus on Reflecting, Not on Describing

Minimal time and effort should be spent describing the course content you are asked to reflect upon. The purpose of a reflection assignment is to introspectively contemplate your reactions to and feeling about an element of the course. D eflecting the focus away from your own feelings by concentrating on describing the course content can happen particularly if "talking about yourself" [i.e., reflecting] makes you uncomfortable or it is intimidating. However, the intent of reflective writing is to overcome these inhibitions so as to maximize the benefits of introspectively assessing your learning experiences. Keep in mind that, if it is relevant, your feelings of discomfort could be a part of how you critically reflect on any challenges you had during the course [e.g., you realize this discomfort inhibited your willingness to ask questions during class, it fed into your propensity to procrastinate, or it made it difficult participating in groups].

Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; Reflection Paper . Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence, University of Arkansas.

Another Writing Tip

Helpful Videos about Reflective Writing

These two short videos succinctly describe how to approach a reflective writing assignment. They are produced by the Academic Skills department at the University of Melbourne and the Skills Team of the University of Hull, respectively.

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Distance Learning

Reflections on my capstone project.

by Guest Author

 Guest Blog by Britain Willcock

The Capstone experience in my final quarter of the Master’s in Information Design and Strategy program was the perfect culmination of the skills and ideas learned throughout my time at Northwestern. We were challenged to reflect on the various classes and projects completed in the program and develop a Capstone that aligned with our passions while showcasing the various lessons we had learned.

Finding the Focus

In brainstorming for my project, I realized that there was a consistent theme I had grasped onto throughout the program: the power of information was only as potent as our ability to communicate it . Having spent the first part of my professional career in theatre, I have grown to understand that no matter how well crafted a story may be, if it doesn’t connect with the audience then the work is incomplete . Using this idea as a filter, I examined the theories and concepts presented in the program and noticed there was a gap between how virtual communication is often utilized and how our brains are wired to receive and comprehend information. In everything from standard daily emails, to the presentations presented in the boardroom, we are stuck in older models of communication that weren’t created with virtual mediums in mind, and thus keeping us from using them to their fullest potential to improve comprehension. While I had numerous ideas around the matter, combined with powerful research to support them, I was struggling to find the “center” of my project. Something that could ground the ideas around a solid foundation of clarity. In a one-on-one video call with Dr. Noffs, my Capstone instructor, we discussed various ways this could be approached. At one point the idea of a conceptual model was presented and it served as a moment of clarity that became the bedrock of my Capstone. 

Developing the Model

From there everything fell into place. Through my research, I realized that communication had become almost a product, due to the necessary translation into a digital form and ultimate “deliverable”. While most products are carefully designed, digital communications are often created haphazardly with little to no thought to structure and aesthetics. This is where I developed the Intentional Design Model of Digital Communication . With the idea that communications should be created with the audience at the center, focusing on empathy, and intentional choices should be made around three component phases: the message , the medium , and the design , before reaching the decision point .

Figure 1. The Intentional Design Model of Digital Communication

Since every communication revolves around the sharing of ideas, it is important that the message be constructed in a way that aligns with the audience and helps clarify an idea. This requires intentional choices around the structure of the story, words used, and the overall tone. This focus can help direct whether the information is best shared through prose, a bulleted list, an infographic, etc. Considering the medium allows us to choose which method is best for the delivery of the message. It also helps us break away from the stagnant conceptual models created around the written word and allows us to consider the various tools that each medium provides. For example, email platforms now often include more dynamic text options (bold, italics, bullet points, text colors, highlighting, etc.) that could be used to help draw the reader’s eye and connect thematic elements. These possibilities lead us to the third component… the design . Continuing with the email example, most are sent with no intentional design and thus arrive as a large block of text with similar weight and visual appeal. This creates a monotone message that doesn’t help the reader to understand the message. Instead, various elements of the email could be designed to improve comprehension such as chunking sentences together, titles, various font weights, and colors, etc (based on Gestalt Principles of visual perception). These simple changes, which require little time, can drastically change the overall feel and efficacy of the digital message. Finally, we reach the decision point , where the communication is reviewed and an intentional choice is made to either deliver the message to our audience or address the design components once more in an iterative process. 

The Capstone Process

The power of the Capstone Process for me was that chance to synthesize the information from the program with my own perspective through the creation of the project. It provided me the opportunity to take an important observation and expand it into a fully realized conceptual model through a structured process that kept me both accountable and motivated. The invaluable guidance from my instructor, combined with the support and input from my peers, allowed me to create a final project that demonstrates the power of the IDS program and can serve as a portfolio piece that I am proud to share with future employers.

About the Author

Britain Willcock is a professional storyteller and communication specialist. After earning his M.F.A. in Acting he has spent the past 12 years working in professional theatre as an actor, director, and fight choreographer. Looking to apply his skills in other areas of communication he recently earned his M.S. in Information Design and Strategy in Communication with Data, from Northwestern University. His passion lies in taking ideas and insights gained through data and breaking them down into accessible information. At the heart of this approach is an intentional design method that shapes information to align with how we think and learn, improving comprehension and building a connection between communicators. He is currently shifting his career towards an information design role. 

Media and Politics Minor | Capstone

Activity essay.

During my recent participation in the Pacific Sociological Association Conference in San Diego, California, I had the opportunity to present my own research under the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) while also witnessing the diversity of research projects from scholars around the world.

Among the many research projects, one particularly resonant study conducted by a fellow graduate student from the University of San Diego stood out. His exploration into the lived experiences of undocumented Mexican migrant workers in the United States shed light on their complex migration patterns, driven by the quest for a better standard of living. By employing extensive fieldwork and interviews, conducted through living among the Mexican migrants near the Mexico-California border, the research unveiled a compelling narrative that sought to redefine Mexican males beyond the narrow stereotypes of “illegal immigrants.”

This study underscored the inherently political nature of migration, intertwined with economic desperation and the instability of political economies. The findings highlighted how U.S state and national policies exacerbate the challenges faced by undocumented individuals, who constitute a significant portion of the blue-collar workforce, including in service, construction, and labor sectors—indispensable yet often invisible segments of society.

The research not only emphasized the need for further investigation in this area but also illustrated the researcher’s commitment to leveraging his findings. By initiating fundraising campaigns and social media advocacy at the University of San Diego, he aimed to raise awareness about the community’s plight. To a large extent, his efforts were able to bring more awareness to these communities and raise sufficient funds to aid the undocumented citizens within the United States, bettering their living conditions and trajectory to work towards working and staying legally. His efforts highlighted the potential for research to inform policy, advocating for the rights and improved living conditions of undocumented workers, thus calling on policymakers to enact meaningful change.

Reflecting on this project through the lens of my Media and Politics minor, it became evident how media serves as a powerful tool for amplifying marginalized voices, with the capacity to influence policy and instigate societal change. This research exemplifies the critical role of disseminating personal narratives and data online to make the struggles of these communities visible and heard.

This experience reaffirmed that as students and academics, it is absolutely necessary that I engage with and advance the narratives of those misrepresented or overlooked by mainstream discourse. It underscores the importance of our involvement in scholarly activities that not only foster academic growth but also contribute to societal progress by informing and influencing political actors at both national and local levels, thereby facilitating tangible changes.

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