Santa Clara University

Student Reflection Leaders

The Reflection Methodology

The model begins with a common experience - an encounter that may have made a person feel uncomfortable with previously held ideas or values. This sense of disequilibrium - which may be expressed as wonder, guilt, anger, etc. - is the focus of the reflection process. You as the leader facilitates discussions where students participate in a reflective discussion in order to more clearly articulate this disequilibrium and to better understand the importance of this experience. As a result of taking time to think deeply about all the different ethical, spiritual, and social aspects of the experience, learning through reflection takes place, which may lead to further disequilibrium or a desire to continue learning through different experiences.

The Reflection Model was created by a committee of faculty, staff, and students involved in the initial development of the model. It may lead to various outcomes: personal change and action; commitment and service to the larger community; or perhaps, indifference. The model visually depicts these options, but it considers what participants do after the reflection to be beyond the scope of its endeavors.