Resumen

Reflection and self-assessment are key aspects of learning that should be part of the homework process, especially for college students. This article examines student participation in a homework reflection process in community college algebra. Data from two semester-long studiesare compared in terms of how the format and content of reflection forms constrain and afford students’ reflection and self-assessment of graded mathematics assignments. The first study revealed that the format of the self-assessment section of the forms constrained student work, as students did not understand how to complete the form, but that additional questions on the form did support reflection especially on the need to use resources and develop understanding of course learning outcomes. This study also revealed that students who participated in the reflection process during the entire semester gave more in-depth reflections and self- critiques than their peers who only participated for part of the semester. The results of the first study were used to redesign reflection forms used in the second study. The redesigned form better supported self-assessment. However, the differences in how students used the form remained. Possibilities for further redesign of the reflection forms are discussed, as well as implications for teaching practice and research.