Abstract
Reflective practices have become an integral tool in design education, bridging technical skill-building with emotional and cognitive improvement. This study investigates the use of reflective letter-writing as a pedagogical approach for a first-year design studio course, where sophomore students wrote letters to incoming freshmen. These letters provided an opportunity for students to share their experiences, insights, and advice, creating a reflective space that deepened their connection with their learning processes. The study draws on qualitative data from 25 design students collected over two years, employing thematic analysis to uncover themes in the letters. The findings revealed two main categories: themes related to memories and themes related to suggestions. Themes of memories, including encounters, gainings, vibes, and strategies, encapsulated the personal and academic challenges faced by students, such as adapting to new learning environments and reflecting on their emotional responses to course experiences. Themes of suggestions, such as engage, practice, manage, and enjoy, highlighted the advice students shared, emphasizing active participation, perseverance, and finding joy in the process. Reflective letter-writing emerged as a multidimensional learning tool with significant contributions. For students, it fostered self-awareness, encouraged empathy by imagining the perspectives of their freshmen audience, and prompted deeper engagement with their learning experiences. For educators, the letters offered unique insights into students’ perceptions, struggles, and milestones, providing an avenue for course improvement and a closer understanding of the transformative nature of design education. This paper argues that reflective letter-writing not only benefits individual learners but also enhances the broader educational experience by fostering empathy, communication, and self-reflection.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.067
Citation
Gelmez, K.(2025) “Dear my friend:” Reflective letter-writing to gain deeper insights from design students, in Clemente, V., Gomes, G., Reis, M., Félix, S., Ala, S., Jones, D. (eds.), Learn X Design 2025, 22-24 September 2025, Aveiro, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.067
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Full Paper
“Dear my friend:” Reflective letter-writing to gain deeper insights from design students
Reflective practices have become an integral tool in design education, bridging technical skill-building with emotional and cognitive improvement. This study investigates the use of reflective letter-writing as a pedagogical approach for a first-year design studio course, where sophomore students wrote letters to incoming freshmen. These letters provided an opportunity for students to share their experiences, insights, and advice, creating a reflective space that deepened their connection with their learning processes. The study draws on qualitative data from 25 design students collected over two years, employing thematic analysis to uncover themes in the letters. The findings revealed two main categories: themes related to memories and themes related to suggestions. Themes of memories, including encounters, gainings, vibes, and strategies, encapsulated the personal and academic challenges faced by students, such as adapting to new learning environments and reflecting on their emotional responses to course experiences. Themes of suggestions, such as engage, practice, manage, and enjoy, highlighted the advice students shared, emphasizing active participation, perseverance, and finding joy in the process. Reflective letter-writing emerged as a multidimensional learning tool with significant contributions. For students, it fostered self-awareness, encouraged empathy by imagining the perspectives of their freshmen audience, and prompted deeper engagement with their learning experiences. For educators, the letters offered unique insights into students’ perceptions, struggles, and milestones, providing an avenue for course improvement and a closer understanding of the transformative nature of design education. This paper argues that reflective letter-writing not only benefits individual learners but also enhances the broader educational experience by fostering empathy, communication, and self-reflection.