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Reflection Journal Companion

Purpose​

The Reflection Journal Companion is a scholarly scaffold that runs alongside RTS Movements, helping students document and analyze their evolving research process as preparation for compelling communication.

Rather than treating reflection as separate from academic work, the Reflection Journal Companion invites students to:

  • Document emerging patterns and insights in their inquiry
  • Identify productive tensions and gaps that drive deeper investigation
  • Articulate how their evolving understanding serves their communication goals

Three Core Questions​

Research Trajectory & Insights​

"What patterns, connections, or insights am I developing about my topic, and how are conversations, resources, or collaborations shaping my understanding?"

Purpose: Helps students recognize intellectual growth while normalizing the relational nature of inquiry. Subtly encourages acknowledgment of influences.

Examples:

  • "I'm starting to see how X connects to Y in ways that challenge common assumptions, especially after discussing this with..."
  • "The more I research Z, the more I realize the real story is about... This became clearer when I found/discussed/learned..."
  • "I'm noticing a pattern across my sources where... My librarian helped me see..."

Productive Tensions & Research Process​

"What contradictions, gaps, or challenges am I encountering in both my research and my organization/workflow, and how might these drive my communication forward?"

Purpose: Reframes uncertainty as scholarly opportunity while subtly prompting reflection on research processes, organization, and methodological choices.

Examples:

  • "My sources disagree about X, and I'm also realizing I need better systems for tracking these conflicting perspectives..."
  • "I keep finding information about A and B, but I'm struggling to organize/connect/access them effectively..."
  • "The official narrative says X, but I'm finding evidence that suggests... I'm learning I need to be more systematic about documenting where I find things..."

Communication Strategy & Collaborative Next Steps​

"How is my evolving understanding positioning me to create compelling audio communication, what do I need to pursue next, and who or what resources might help me get there?"

Purpose: Connects inquiry to storytelling while explicitly prompting students to think relationally about help-seeking and resource utilization.

Examples:

  • "This tension between X and Y could be the central narrative thread... I should talk to [specific person/resource] about..."
  • "I need to interview someone who can speak to... and I might find them through..."
  • "My audience needs to understand X before they can appreciate why Y matters... The Reeder Media Center could help me think about how to make this clear in audio format..."

Pedagogical Philosophy​

  • Scholarly Metacognition: The journal treats inquiry documentation as essential academic practice.
  • Communication-Centered: All reflection serves the goal of preparing compelling, research-based communication.
  • Intellectual Rigor: Questions focus on substantive research insights.
  • Productive Uncertainty: Frames gaps and tensions as scholarly opportunities, not just problems to solve or something to flatten.

Integration with Unique Institutional First-Year Learning Objectives​

  • Information Literacy: Students document how they're learning to locate, evaluate, and synthesize sources
  • Communication: Reflection explicitly connects research discoveries to storytelling preparation
  • Collaboration: Students can reference conversations, feedback, and resources that shaped their thinking
  • Revision: Journal entries create a record that supports iterative improvement

Ambient Integration Throughout RTS​

Beyond Movement Check-ins​

While the Reflection Journal serves as a structured check-in during/after Movement 1, it's designed as an ambient scholarly practice that students can return to throughout their research journey:

  • During research breakthroughs: When new insights emerge
  • When facing methodological challenges: Processing workflow or organizational struggles
  • Before major communication decisions: Preparing for interviews, production choices, or narrative structure decisions
  • After collaborative moments: Reflecting on conversations, feedback, or resource consultations

These journal entries also feed into the final Movement 1 Summary Page, where students could see:

  • Their AI-generated synthesis
  • Their selected follow-up reflections
  • Their journal mini-synthesis
  • Relevant podcast recommendations and research queries

The Reflection Journal provides context for AI to make helpful connections and generate meaningful next steps.

Subtle Integration of Scholarly Communication Practices​

The questions subtly normalize practices essential for ethical, sustainable research as well as prepare students for explicit schol comm documentaton practices of the Black Box Micro Engagement Assignments:

  • Relational Acknowledgment: Questions prompt students to name influences, collaborators, and resources without making it feel like an "ethics exercise"
  • Process Documentation: Encourages reflection on research methods, organization systems, and workflow decisions as part of intellectual development
  • Help-Seeking Normalization: Frames consultation and collaboration as essential scholarly practices, not signs of weakness
  • Resource Awareness: Regularly prompts students to identify and connect with University support systems

Longitudinal Learning​

As students accumulate journal entries over time, patterns emerge:

  • Growth in research sophistication: From basic source-gathering to complex synthesis
  • Evolution of communication strategy: From unclear goals to targeted audience awareness
  • Development of scholarly habits: From chaotic organization to systematic practices
  • Expanding networks: From isolated work to collaborative engagement

This creates a living record of scholarly development that supports both individual growth and institutional assessment of student learning.

Data & Technical Integration​

All Reflection Journal entries are saved with full metadata to the reflection_journal_entries table in Supabase, including:

  • session_id, user_id, and movement_number for contextual linkage
  • Full text of each journal field: noticing_text, unsettled_text, carry_forward_text
  • Gemini model metadata: model_used_for_mini_synthesis, token counts, thought_summary, mini_synthesis_text
  • Timestamps for created_at and updated_at

This allows for:

  • Longitudinal tracking of student development
  • Mini-syntheses that connect movements over time
  • Exporting reflection portfolios for students or instructors

Journal Field Overview​

Field NameDescription
noticing_textWhat patterns or insights am I developing?
unsettled_textWhat tensions or workflow challenges am I facing?
carry_forward_textWhat ideas, needs, or next steps am I pursuing?
mini_synthesis_textGemini-generated summary of the three reflections
thought_summaryAI’s interpretive trace of student’s growth

AI Synthesis Integration

The AI synthesis serves as a way to (ideally) orchestrate connections to the student's broader learning trajectory:

Contextual Analysis​

  • Connects to Movement 1 foundation: Links current insights to their initial inquiry work and growth patterns
  • Identifies disciplinary connections: Helps students see how their evolving understanding serves course "big ideas"
  • Recognizes collaborative development: Acknowledges and builds on the relationships, resources, and conversations they mention

Communication-Centered Feedback​

  • Storytelling preparation: Positions research discoveries as narrative opportunities for audio communication
  • Audience awareness: Helps students articulate why their insights matter to specific listeners
  • Production readiness: Connects intellectual growth to concrete next steps for podcast (or other multimodal) development

Resource Integration & Network Building​

  • University ecosystem connections: Could be used to strategically suggests campus resources based on their current needs
  • Collaboration opportunities: Identifies potential interview subjects, research partnerships, or expert consultations
  • Skill development: Recommends specific competencies (research methods, audio techniques, organization systems) aligned with their trajectory

Scholarly Habit Reinforcement​

  • Process documentation: Validates and builds on the organizational and methodological choices they're developing
  • Relational acknowledgment: Models and reinforces ethical practices of recognizing influences and collaborations
  • Iterative improvement: Uses their previous entries to show growth and suggest next-level challenges

Pedagogical Philosophy​

The AI operates as orchestration rather than answer-provision:

  • Uses student language: Builds on their own words and insights rather than imposing external frameworks
  • Validates productive uncertainty: Treats gaps and tensions as scholarly opportunities, not problems to solve
  • Maintains communication focus: Consistently connects research insights to storytelling preparation
  • Supports longitudinal growth: References previous entries to show patterns and development over time

This creates a feedback loop where AI synthesis helps students recognize their own scholarly development while preparing them for increasingly sophisticated research communication.