Laboratory Reports, Reflective Essays, and the Contributing Student Approach

Requesting reflective essays instead of technical reports has led to students observing more, writing more, developing their own personal writing style, and becoming more self-aware and self-critical. The essays complement a course taught using Collis ’ Contributing Student Approach by providing a rich source of material for use in subsequent learning resources such as course notes and self-evaluation quizzes. They also provide timely feedback, both for the students and for the lecturer, and help foster a collaborative, supportive learning environment