CAS Reflection Guide
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1- What to include in your reflection?
By answering these questions below under the DIEP Framework, you can build a “good” reflection on
your experience.
• D – Describe what happened and how you felt
Choose a new insight. It might be:
• a moment of discovery is happening
• a skill is mastered
• a challenge is confronted
• emotions are provoked
• achievement deserves celebration
• something that you understand now (that you didn’t before).
Focus on how you felt about it and what you learned and give the details of what happened.
Answer the questions: ‘What happened? How did I feel? What did I learn?’
Some suggested starting phrases:
The most interesting (surprising/ important/ significant/ …) (insight/ theory/ thing …) I read (saw/ heard/
realized/ learned…) this week is that …
One thing I realize (understand …) now is that …
A significant issue I have not addressed/ visited previously is …
• I – Interpret the insight
Explain the meaning of the new insight, discovery, challenge, etc: your understanding/ hypotheses/
expectations/ personal connection/ connections with the SDGs/ possible complexities/ questions
unanswered/ etc.
Answer the questions: ‘What might it mean?’ ‘How might this affect other perceptions, the timeline of the
project, the completion of the project, etc.?’ ‘How do I relate to this issue/situation?’
Some suggested starting phrases:
This realization may have important relevance for three reasons. First, it implies …
A possible implication/meaning of this new idea/understanding is that …
This (new) understanding of … is likely to mean three things. It could be …
• E– Evaluate what you have learned
Make judgments about the value of what you have learned connected to observations you have made. Refer
to theory from your expectations, initial goal, show how your insight is connected to the community needs,
global issues, the SDGs and how your thinking has changed for the better.
Answer the question: ‘How is this useful for my CAS experiences? To my commitment to the community? How
does it deepen my understanding of the topic and the acquisition of new skills?’
Some suggested starting phrases:
This concept of … is valuable for …/ will change the way I approach …
This understanding/experience/ event is important in a number of ways. First it …
This insight is connected with (global issues/ ethical aspect/ theories/ concepts/
Having realized that …, I wonder if …/ I intend to develop …
• P– Plan how this learning will be applied in practice/in your life
Comment on relevance to your experience, skill acquisition, and future CAS projects, the impact on your
life...
Answer the question: ‘How might this learning apply in my future?’
A suggested starting phrase:
This (new insight) will be useful as a …, and in my life.
During this project, I acquired (understanding/Knowledge…) that could be used…
2- Reflection addressing the Learning Outcomes addressed for the CAS experience/project by
answering the questions below:
LO1: How did this experience assist you in identifying your strength and developing areas of growth?
LO2: What challenges did you have in this experience? Which skills did you develop?
LO3: What did you learn about initiating and planning a CAS experience that you can use again?
LO4: How did you show commitment and perseverance?
LO5: In what ways did you gain skills or see benefits to working collaboratively?
LO6: Which issues of global significance are you engaged with through making decisions and taking
actions?
LO7: How are you recognizing and considering the ethics of your choices and actions in this experience?
3- Final reflection questions to write on Managebac for your PROJECT:
-What challenges did we face during planning? Execution? How did we overcome them?
-How did each team member contribute to the project, and what strengths did they bring?
-What skills have we developed or improved through this experience (e.g., communication, design,
leadership)?
-How did this project impact our school community (school, neighborhood, city...)?
-How well did we manage our time and responsibilities? What could be done differently next time?
4- What kind of evidence can be included?
• a written paragraph,
• a dialogue,
• a poem,
• a comic strip,
• a dramatic performance,
• a letter,
• a photograph,
• a dance,
• a podcast,
• a video,
• a collage,
• a blog, or may use any other media
• or other forms of expression that students find most suitable for reflection
References:
Boud, Keogh & Walker, 1985, Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning
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