Program Reflective Engineer
We aim for meaningful reflection in education, where students and lecturers learn to relate their inner perspective to other perspectives, other people, the environment, external incentives and goals. Reflection is not just a thought experiment, it is applied in practice. It needs to be trained, by being confronted with (situated) examples and offering the space and support to be guided through them.
TU Delft Vision on Teaching & Learning 2024-2030
Transformative Reflection in Engineering Education
Reflection is a fundamental part of (any) work or learning process, an integrated, core skill, essential for learning, ethical awareness, empathy and collaboration. Reflection in engineering education, however, often comes as a separate, written task focused on evaluating outcomes and process at the very end of everything. Many find it not worthwhile.
When we integrate reflection within our (inter)disciplinary education in a meaningful way, it can stimulate a shift in a learners' perspectives, frame of reference, and habits of mind. Then, it supports engineering in global context in an authentic and professional way. This kind of transformative reflection typically involves the six elements outlined below. Check the project examples and the program setup to learn how we make that happen.
Applicable
These domains help professionals, instructorsand students find the application of reflection.
Society: grand themes and challenges.
Product: the ‘thing’ you are working on.
Process: use of methods, steps, ...
Interactions: involvement with others.
Learning: acquisition of knowledge, skill, …
Yourself: personal context, beliefs, identity.
Unboxing
Making connecting between yourself and the outside world might be a private experience that cannot be accessed directly. You need to ‘grow into it’, and it becomes more meaningful when you engage more. Scaffolding reflection in small steps, that take people along, helps to build the trust and the conditions to unbox this private experience and deeper reflection.
(Inter)Related
If you only look inside, it will lead to ruminating, but if you limit to looking outward, you will remain a distant observer. When both perspectives are combined and a connection is formed between them, meaningful reflection can emerge.
Experiential
Facilitating reflection is not a formula, but it requires strategically positioned breadcrumbs for someone to follow so they can explore a subject. Indirect inquiry, room for autonomy and emotions amongst other things are supportive for genuine exploration.
Perspective Dialogue
Interaction with another perspective — whether that is with a person (real or fictional), book, movie or any other artifact, whether in terms of time, place, or people — helps to discover your own perspective. This creates room for new paths and novel ways of doing to emerge and leads to better decisions for yourself and for the collective.
Contextual
There is no one-size-fits-all way to reflect. The steps that work in one context will not work in the next. Therefore, reflection needs to be designed with regard to the practical, cultural, personal and other context factors.“I have become more confident in asking for help, and learned to be less afraid of interacting with people in a higher position than me.”
Student, RISBO Survey Reflective Engineer 2024
Reflective Engineer Program
While engineers often focus on measurable outcomes, reflection involves abstract thinking and the exploration of multiple perspectives, revealing a range of truths rather than a single correct answer. Engineers typically limit reflection to the engineering process or outcome, however, in our complex socio-technological society, broader reflection is essential for becoming a responsible professional.
The Reflective Engineer program is dedicated to transformative reflection in engineering education and to initiate a fundamental change in how we design for it in (engineering) education. Instead of promoting one-size-fits-all practices, we support the development of meaningful reflection by creating awareness and offering information, structure, and vocabulary, thereby empowering instructors to implement reflection within their specific context.
Tools & Education
We contextualize reflection as a tool in engineering education and outline prerequisites for deep, transformative reflection. We (co-)create tools and education with education professionals, ranging from small interventions in existing courses to comprehensive curriculum revisions.
Systemic Change
There is no dedicated professor of reflection at TU Delft, nor a centralized hub for reflection, so it is essential for this program to prioritize embedding. Therefore, we focus on feasible and long-lasting innovations by actively involving the existing system and those who are directly engaged. We encourage broad participation through a grassroots approach and widespread involvement by contributing to and aligning with university’s educational vision on teaching and learning.
Training
Reflective skills often do not develop naturally. Teaching people how to reflect requires specific instructional design and structural attention. We teach and train (new) teachers, students, mentors, teacher trainers, and others to reflect and to design reflection. We also equip them to do this without our support.
Knowledge Dissemination
Both inside the TU and internationally, we present our papers, workshops,talks, practice based research.
Get in Touch
Looking to enhance your education through thoughtful reflection?
Or would you like to know more about journey or learn from our experiences?
“Reflection felt like something I had to add, but I now see how it can make students think differently and possibly more deeply about the content.”
Researcher-Lecturer, RISBO Survey Reflective Engineer 2024
