Using a structured approach to reflective journaling in engineering leadership development

Abstract

Reflection is an active learning technique that can be used to encourage greater understanding and act as a metacognitive strategy to develop lifelong learning skills. This Work-in-Progress-Assess paper presents a research study related to a weekly leadership reflection journal assignment that is carried out in graduate level Engineering Leadership courses at two Canadian Universities. The specific objectives of this study are to explore the impact of structured reflection on engineering leadership development by: 1) examining the effectiveness of structured reflection for developing engineering leadership skills, and 2) identifying how the insights gained through reflective practice will be applied in students' careers. As a foundation, we deliver a structured Describe-Analyze-Evaluate (DAE) reflection model based on Bloom's taxonomy. We then ask the students to complete a weekly reflection journal over the semester using this structured framework. Quantitative information is gathered to evaluate the research questions in the form of surveys and peer assessments. Surveys are also used to quantify student perception of the effectiveness of the reflection framework and the journaling assignment. The sources of influence for the leadership reflections (e.g., politics, family, course material, movies) and the reflection's relevancy to the student's personal leadership development (e.g., core values, team work, conflict management, listening skills) are identified and discussed in the context of how these aspects may evolve as a result of regular reflection. The results indicate that the weekly journaling exercises were valuable and allowed students greater insight into leadership development skills related to relationships and team building, as well as personal character development and conflict resolution. The data gathered during this first phase of the study will help structure the second phase, where a mixed methods approach will be employed. Qualitative data from the reflections will be examined with a focus on evaluating the effectiveness of structured reflection on leadership skills development, where the depth, quality and focus of the actual reflections will be analyzed to identify student perceptions of leadership.