Assessing Reflection Assignments for Public Affairs Courses: Implications for Educating Reflective Practitioners

Instructors of public affairs courses often ask students to reflect on their experiences in written assignments. The objective is to have students use this reflection to help inform their understanding of course content. In this article, the author reviews his experiences using an assessment tool to evaluate reflection assignments in the context of teaching public affairs courses, draws references to experiential learning theories, and explores implications for educating reflective practitioners.