Rubrics

Traditional assessments use objective criteria and standards to measure students’ mastery of objective criteria and standards. Like those traditional assessments, reflective writing can provide evidence of a student’s ability to remember, understand, and apply course content. But reflection also allows teachers to assess a student’s ability to

use the skill of reflection
draw conclusions from reflective writing.

Because these aspects of reflection resist objective standards, teachers should provide explicit criteria that will guide students in showing evidence of disciplined reflective process. The rubrics below are examples of how teachers might assess student reflections that follow the What? So What? Now What? model. Following this model, students’ reflections can provide evidence of their cognitive and metacognitive abilities to:

recall what they have learned or experienced
make meaning from that new knowledge
imagine how that new knowledge has transformed or will transform their ability to perform in and learn from future experiences.

RUBRIC 1

Reflection is a significant piece of legal education. The American Bar Association accreditation standard 303(b) says law schools must “recognize that developing a professional identity requires reflection and growth over time and should provide frequent opportunities for reflection.” This rubric is adapted from Barbara Glesner Fines, a professor of law, to match the What? So what? Now what? reflection model.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS	RATING UNDERDEVELOPED	RATING DEVELOPING	RATING SOLID
*What?* Describe your learning experience, activity, reading, course concept, etc.	Unclear and vague.	Clear but general.	Clear and focused on the specific knowledge that challenged the student.
*So what?* Make sense of your learning or experience and what it means for you: evaluate, interpret, connect to something else, make abstract. (Depending on the prompt, this may include describing, intellectual and emotional responses; questioning prior knowledge, attitudes or beliefs; making connections to coursework, independent research, or advance reflection; or creating conversation with instructors, mentors, and classmates.)	Student includes no personal reflection or reflection is limited to description of general knowledge, opinions, and behaviors without reflecting on the underlying assumptions, habits, or values that shape their understanding of what they learned and experienced. Student makes no connections to outside experiences, prior knowledge, reading, research, or other people.	Student makes connections between their personal assumptions habits, or values and the knowledge or experience upon which they are reflecting. Their reflection refers to prior knowledge and past readings or research in a descriptive or citation fashion with little indication of motivation to use prior learning, reading, or research to inform reflection.	Student critically evaluates (questions, examines more closely) their personal assumptions, habits, or values and connects to the knowledge or experiences upon which the student is reflecting. Connects reflection to prior knowledge and past readings or research describes specific insights or extensions of reflection from that connection.
Now what? Explain what you might do differently in the future or how your learning has transformed you. (Depending on the prompt, this could include describing questions and problems you might be able to answer or solve, action you might take, or dispositions you have developed or might develop.)	Reflection is primarily backward looking, with no indication of how the student will use the insights and skills gained.	Students makes generalized statements regarding how the reflection will direct future actions or beliefs.	Student provides concrete plans for further action or reflection for a specific purpose such as developing skills, improving self-understanding, developing dispositions, solving problems, or answering questions.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

RATING UNDERDEVELOPED

RATING DEVELOPING

RATING SOLID

What?

Describe your learning experience, activity, reading, course concept, etc.

Unclear and vague.

Clear but general.

Clear and focused on the specific knowledge that challenged the student.

So what?

Make sense of your learning or experience and what it means for you: evaluate, interpret, connect to something else, make abstract.

(Depending on the prompt, this may include describing, intellectual and emotional responses; questioning prior knowledge, attitudes or beliefs; making connections to coursework, independent research, or advance reflection; or creating conversation with instructors, mentors, and classmates.)

Student includes no personal reflection or reflection is limited to description of general knowledge, opinions, and behaviors without reflecting on the underlying assumptions, habits, or values that shape their understanding of what they learned and experienced.

Student makes no connections to outside experiences, prior knowledge, reading, research, or other people.

Student makes connections between their personal assumptions habits, or values and the knowledge or experience upon which they are reflecting.

Their reflection refers to prior knowledge and past readings or research in a descriptive or citation fashion with little indication of motivation to use prior learning, reading, or research to inform reflection.

Student critically evaluates (questions, examines more closely) their personal assumptions, habits, or values and connects to the knowledge or experiences upon which the student is reflecting.

Connects reflection to prior knowledge and past readings or research describes specific insights or extensions of reflection from that connection.

Now what?

Explain what you might do differently in the future or how your learning has transformed you.

(Depending on the prompt, this could include describing questions and problems you might be able to answer or solve, action you might take, or dispositions you have developed or might develop.)

Reflection is primarily backward looking, with no indication of how the student will use the insights and skills gained.

Students makes generalized statements regarding how the reflection will direct future actions or beliefs.

Student provides concrete plans for further action or reflection for a specific purpose such as developing skills, improving self-understanding, developing dispositions, solving problems, or answering questions.

RUBRIC 2

Reflective practice is considered a valuable tool for physicians in training. The accrediting body for graduate medical education, ACGME, lists reflective practice as part of the required core competency for “practice-based learning and improvement.” This rubric comes from a study aimed at improving interrater reliability for medical students’ reflections. We’ve adpated it for the What? So what? Now what? reflection model.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS	ASSESSMENT DOMAIN	RATING N/A, PARTIAL, FULL
*What?* State the main features of the event (people involved, timing, place, setting, events) or learning (facts, concepts, ideas, theories).	Cognitive aspect of reflection: the careful recall of events and learning.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
*So what?* State clearly your reasons for choosing this event in particular (why does this matter to you?)	Metacognitive/introspective aspect of personal reflection: The careful exploration and appraisal of experience, as a prerequisite for framing or reframing one’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, norms, or methods.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
*So what?* Describe your personal thoughts and feelings while the event was happening or about the knowledge gained.	Metacognitive/introspective aspect of personal reflection: The careful exploration and appraisal of experience, as a prerequisite for framing or reframing one’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, norms, or methods.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
*So what?* Express what was good or bad about the event or learning (evaluate), explain what it means (interprets), make a connection to something else, derive a theory from the concrete particulars.	Metacognitive/introspective aspect of personal reflection: The careful exploration and appraisal of experience, as a prerequisite for framing or reframing one’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, norms, or methods.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
So what? Compare situations, experiences, knowledge, and interactions with other people.	Metacognitive/introspective aspect of personal reflection: The careful exploration and appraisal of experience, as a prerequisite for framing or reframing one’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, norms, or methods.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
*Now what?* What changed in your thoughts, feelings, or actions because of this event or knowledge?	Action aspect of reflection: The expression of transformation and/or the social and intersubjective extension of self-reflection.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.
Now what? How did your experience change your ability, perspective, or dispositon for the better?	Action aspect of reflection: The expression of transformation and/or the social and intersubjective extension of self-reflection.	Not attempted—No attempt to address these questions. Partial—Cursory, vague, or incomplete response to question(s). Full—Answer addresses question(s) with specificity and depth.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT DOMAIN

RATING N/A, PARTIAL, FULL

What?

State the main features of the event (people involved, timing, place, setting, events) or learning (facts, concepts, ideas, theories).

Cognitive aspect of reflection: the careful recall of events and learning.