Using a Structured Approach to Reflective Journaling in Engineering Leadership Development

John Donald; Paul C. Hungler; Kaitlyn Brant; Stephanie Diane Shaw

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Designing and Implementing Leadership Development Experiences for Engineering Students
Tagged Division: Engineering Leadership Development
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35448
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35448
Download Count: 1345

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Paper Authors

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John Donald University of Guelph

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John Donald, Ph.D., P.Eng., is an Associate professor at the University of Guelph with over 25 years experience in leadership roles in engineering consulting and post-secondary education. A past President (2017-18) of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (www.ceea-aceg.ca), John is focused on excellence in engineering teaching practice, engineering leadership development and engineering design practice.

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Paul C. Hungler Queen's University

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Dr. Paul Hungler is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Ingenuity Labs at Queen’s University. Prior to starting his current position, Major (Retired) Hungler served in the Royal Canadian Airforce. His research is now focused on developing virtual and augmented reality for the next generation of simulation in education and training.

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Kaitlyn Brant Queen's University

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Kaitlyn Brant, BScE, MEng, is a recent graduate of Queen’s University. She has obtained degrees in both geological and mining engineering where she has most recently focused on the concepts of socially-conscious and socially-sustainable engineering. Kaitlyn believes that through education and leadership training, the next generation of engineers can fulfill their obligation to work sustainably and ethically within the diverse communities of Canada and the world.

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Stephanie Diane Shaw University of Guelph

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Stephanie is a Professional Engineer and Ph.D. Candidate in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph. Her research is focusing on product development of air quality purification technologies for urban environments. Her current degree is in Environmental Engineering, and she previous education includes an M.A.Sc. in Environmental Engineering (renewable energy), from the University of Guelph, and her B.Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering, from McMaster University. Stephanie has been involved with engineering leadership in both academic and corporate capacities for numerous years. After completing her M.A.Sc. she worked in industry for four years, during which time she took part in and helped host engineering leadership sessions within her company. She has also taken a graduate course in engineering leadership since returning to academia for her Ph.D.

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Abstract

Reflection is an active learning technique that can be used to encourage greater understanding and act as a metacognitive strategy to develop lifelong learning skills. This “Work-in-Progress” paper presents a research study related to a weekly “Leadership Reflection Journal” assignment that is carried out in graduate level Engineering Leadership courses at two Canadian Universities. The specific objectives of this study are to explore the impact of structured reflection on engineering leadership development by: 1) examining the effectiveness of structured reflection for developing engineering leadership skills, and 2) identifying how the insights gained through reflective practice will be applied at this point in students’ careers. As a foundation, we deliver a structured Describe-Analyze-Evaluate (DAE) reflection model inspired by Pappas, 2010 [1] and based on Bloom’s taxonomy. We then ask the students to complete a weekly reflection journal over the semester using this structured framework. We take a mixed methods approach to our analysis. Quantitative information is gathered to evaluate the research questions in the form of surveys and peer assessments. Qualitative data is in the form of the submitted leadership reflections and post course student focus groups. Surveys provide information on the basic demographics and experience level of the students. Surveys are also used to quantify student perception of the effectiveness of the reflection framework and the journaling assignment. The effectiveness of the reflections on leadership skill development are assessed through a graded assessment of the depth and quality of the journal entries and how they change over time, as well as through coding of leadership concepts (e.g., authentic leadership, coaching, mission-vision-values). The sources of influence for the leadership reflections (e.g., politics, family, course material, movies) and the reflection’s relevancy to the student’s personal leadership development (e.g., core values, team work, conflict management, listening skills) are identified and coded to assess how these aspects may evolve as a result of regular reflection The Leadership Reflection Journal will be delivered to approximately 40 students in Fall 2019 and to approximately 25 students in Winter 2020. We will elaborate on the approach with supporting literature and provide specific results in the final paper. [1] Peter Pappas. A Taxonomy of Reflection: Critical Thinking for Students, Teachers, and Principals (Part 1). https://peterpappas.com/2010/01/taxonomy-reflection-critical-thinking-students-teachers-principals.html, Accessed, September 2019.

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Donald, J., & Hungler, P. C., & Brant, K., & Shaw, S. D. (2020, June), Using a Structured Approach to Reflective Journaling in Engineering Leadership Development Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35448

TY - CPAPER
AB - Reflection is an active learning technique that can be used to encourage greater understanding and act as a metacognitive strategy to develop lifelong learning skills. This “Work-in-Progress” paper presents a research study related to a weekly “Leadership Reflection Journal” assignment that is carried out in graduate level Engineering Leadership courses at two Canadian Universities. The specific objectives of this study are to explore the impact of structured reflection on engineering leadership development by: 1) examining the effectiveness of structured reflection for developing engineering leadership skills, and 2) identifying how the insights gained through reflective practice will be applied at this point in students’ careers.
As a foundation, we deliver a structured Describe-Analyze-Evaluate (DAE) reflection model inspired by Pappas, 2010 [1] and based on Bloom’s taxonomy. We then ask the students to complete a weekly reflection journal over the semester using this structured framework. We take a mixed methods approach to our analysis. Quantitative information is gathered to evaluate the research questions in the form of surveys and peer assessments. Qualitative data is in the form of the submitted leadership reflections and post course student focus groups. Surveys provide information on the basic demographics and experience level of the students. Surveys are also used to quantify student perception of the effectiveness of the reflection framework and the journaling assignment. The effectiveness of the reflections on leadership skill development are assessed through a graded assessment of the depth and quality of the journal entries and how they change over time, as well as through coding of leadership concepts (e.g., authentic leadership, coaching, mission-vision-values). The sources of influence for the leadership reflections (e.g., politics, family, course material, movies) and the reflection’s relevancy to the student’s personal leadership development (e.g., core values, team work, conflict management, listening skills) are identified and coded to assess how these aspects may evolve as a result of regular reflection
The Leadership Reflection Journal will be delivered to approximately 40 students in Fall 2019 and to approximately 25 students in Winter 2020. We will elaborate on the approach with supporting literature and provide specific results in the final paper.
[1] Peter Pappas. A Taxonomy of Reflection: Critical Thinking for Students, Teachers, and Principals (Part 1). https://peterpappas.com/2010/01/taxonomy-reflection-critical-thinking-students-teachers-principals.html, Accessed, September 2019.
AU - John Donald
AU - Paul C. Hungler
AU - Kaitlyn Brant
AU - Stephanie Diane Shaw
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Using a Structured Approach to Reflective Journaling in Engineering Leadership Development
UR - https://peer.asee.org/35448
DO - 10.18260/1-2--35448
ER -