Reflective assignments are a powerful tool in undergraduate STEM courses to promote student metacognition and give instructors and researchers a view of that process. We were interested in understanding student challenges in our developmental biology course, so we used reflective assignments to uncover these challenges and also add to our…

In this paper, we develop an open-ended approach to evaluating students' citizenship competences. We aim to give students the opportunity to describe what citizenship means for them in personally relevant contexts. We developed three rubrics relevant to students' citizenship in daily life. Students in grade 10 and 11(M[subscript age] = 16)…

In this article, the authors contribute to the conversation on High Impact Practice (HIPs) focusing on the connection between sense of accomplishment and what is high impact by discussing data from their study of signature assignments. Signature assignments are assignments within a single course or unit that give students choice, require synthesis…

There is increasing evidence that literacy coaching is an effective method for supporting teachers' professional development. At the same time, teacher evaluation systems have intensified in response to reform initiatives, raising questions about what happens at the intersection of teacher evaluation and coaching. Despite the potential of coaching…

This article reflects on an instructor's experience of incorporating an optional assignment in a theology class wherein students are invited to learn a new athletic skill, journal while doing so, and then theologically reflect on their experience. It begins with the instructor making a case for the need to bring the body back into the classroom.…

This paper discusses the creation and implementation of an experiential learning assignment focused on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Using a grounded theory approach that combines analyzing 90 senior-level marketing students' reflective essays…

This article discusses the value of an ethnographic interview assignment in an introductory-level anthropology course for stimulating intercultural engagement among college students. While colleges often seem to offer an ideal social environment for intercultural engagement, intergroup avoidance is a widespread problem. The assignment that I…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of using structured reflection via the critical incident analysis method to develop multicultural awareness and intercultural empathy in undergraduate-level pre-service teachers. This research is important, given the striking demographic mismatch between students and teachers in US…

This pilot study explored undergraduate students' experiences with goal setting and time management. We embedded a series of mandatory planning and reflection assignments into two undergraduate courses. Assignments were unique to each course, but emphasized goal setting, planning and time management, and reflection. Qualitative analyses revealed…

In recent years, research in multimodality has established the benefits of using multiple semiotic modes like image, sound, and text in digital second language (L2) communication. However, researchers have yet to investigate how L2 learners make meaning through embodied modes--or gestures and facial expressions. Grounded in the social semiotic…

This study examines students' reflections on how concepts covered in a marketing course are applied to the broader liberal arts curriculum. The objective was to demonstrate when given a chance with an Interdisciplinary Reflection Assignment, students can articulate interdisciplinary relevance. The study collected sample data from six classes over…

Higher education institutions are expected to produce career-ready graduates who are equipped for the challenges of the 21st century. Employability experts argue that this can be achieved by integrating career development learning (CDL) into the curriculum. The informational interview helps students learn more about a career by interviewing a…

Finding effective ways to reach today's college audience is challenging and social media is one way to attempt to meet students in their environment. This application brief discusses a course activity and assignment that combines the scholarship of leadership education with reflection about personal leadership behaviors through social media. This…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of educational leadership graduate students who participated in a short-term study abroad program in Peru. We analyzed assignments submitted for course credit, including a total of 144 photos and 107 corresponding reflections submitted as part of the photovoice…

Aim/Purpose: This paper presents a study about changes in computer science and software engineering students' perceptions of their soft skills during their progress through the Computer Science Soft Skills course. Background: Soft skills are often associated with a person's social, emotional and cognitive capabilities. Soft skills are increasingly…