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College of Notre Dame (Baltimore,
MD)
The
Critical Question Reflection Method
Summary
The College of Notre Dame uses the Critical Question Reflection Method
as a reflective practice for its community-based internship program. The
Critical Question Reflection Method provides a template for guided reflection
of experiential learning activities across disciplines and activities.
The paradigm affords flexibility in targeting and assessing student learning
outcomes and may be readily adapted to any experiential learning modality
with differing goals or objectives in diverse academic disciplines.
The Practice
The College of Notre Dame has a longstanding commitment to experiential
learning. Since 1993, the seminar component of the Psychology/Sociology
internship/field practicum has included a specific journaling method,
the Critical Question Reflection Method, designed to capture, assess and
integrate a student’s enhanced self-awareness that occurs as a function
of applied learning. Through discipline-related field placements, students
assess their learning by applying the model to their personal learning
goals and objectives. The paradigm affords an avenue for the validation
of student reflections through feedback directed by a faculty facilitator.
Success with the CQRM in Psychology/Sociology practica led to its integration
into the college’s Career Center Internship Program; an academically-based
course offering two, three, or four credits. In 1999, CQRM was incorporated
into the junior/senior-level internship seminar whose constituents included
students from diverse disciplines within the College.
The CQRM is an application and extension of a pedagogy earlier known
as The Critical Incident Technique, which was designed as a “journal-keeping”
technique for fieldwork (Stanton & Ali, 1982). Students are required
to identify five incidents that contribute to the achievement of goals
and process them through a specific journal format identifying the “who,
what, where, when, and why” elements of the incident. The current
critical incident variant used by the College of Notre Dame retains many
of the original model’s core elements but places greater emphasis
on the process of self-discovery and development of insight into values,
personality characteristics, and social competence. Moreover, the development
of an “intentional learning style” is promoted by encouraging
the student’s application of the model beyond the college experience.
Other points of difference include the use of guided reflection prompts,
instructor feedback on the application of the technique, a shaping method
for encouraging self-exploration, the use of peers to facilitate personal
growth, and the inclusion of a scoring rubric for measuring mastery in
application of this method. This reflection method is facilitated within
a group seminar format on a weekly or biweekly basis.
Students use personal learning objectives or course/activity goals as
“perceptual filters for growth," and they select incidents
for exploration that have resulted in some change of self, either a personal
change or change in perspective. In addition to a written analysis of
the incident, students are encouraged to share their experiences and insights
within the seminar. This group process encourages deeper exploration of
personal attributes by the student writer through shared observations
by the group.
Effectiveness
Qualitative and quantitative data are available to support the use of
the CQRM. This reflection practice is assessed through multiple outcome
measures: student self-evaluation, course evaluations, qualitative content
of journal submissions, final integration papers and presentations, and
community site supervisor evaluations. Data derived from10 years of site
supervisor’s ratings indicate that 82 percent of all practicum students
were evaluated as “excellent” overall in their field performances.
While not a causal link to the method, it is important to note that these
ratings included performance dimensions related to personality attributes
of the student and interpersonal skills. Of further significance is the
fact that students applied their learning/skills in a diversity of settings.
Student feedback also lends validity for effectiveness of the paradigm.
Student evaluations of CQRM have been consistently positive. Integrative
papers consistently refer to the transformations and growth students experience
in terms of heightened insights, awareness of strengths, ability to evaluate
and assess performance, and self-understanding.
Resources
Additional information on implementation of the Critical Question Reflection
Method may be obtained by contacting Dr. Christina Harnett (charnett@ndm.edu).
Information on the original pedagogy may be found in A. Kamil and
T. Stanton (1982) The Experienced Hand: A Student Manual for
Making the Most of an Internship (published by the National Society
of Experiential Education). For information regarding application of the
model to The College of Notre Dame’s Internship Programs, contact
Lucy Wase (lucywase@aol.com).
Contact Information
Christina Harnett, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology/Sociology
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
4701 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
Phone: (410) 532-5701
charnett@ndm.edu
Lucy Wase, M.S., CPC, NCCC
Director, Career Center (Retired)
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Phone: (410) 323-7703
lucywase@aol.com
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