Modelling Reflection in Descriptions of Design Practice Using Linguistic Inquiry

Reflection plays a vital role in the development of designers, enabling them to evaluate their experiences, enhance their learning, and foster professional growth. This research analyzed reflections of 56 design students, as part of graded coursework, using content and dictionary-based approaches (LIWC). Building on an existing model of reflection with eight components (experience, belief, difficulty, perspective, feeling, learning, intention, and descriptive) we identify, using descriptive statistics, the linguistic features associated with each component and correlate these to grades achieved. We distinguish two types of reflections associated with higher grades: those emphasizing personal experiences that we term holistic narrators, and those that focus on critical self-evaluation that we term in-depth explorers. Our results provide insights for design educators, guiding interventions to enhance critical thinking and self-reflection among design students. They also inform the development of automated tools to assess and enhance reflective practice in educational and design settings.