Evidence for a reflection is any real record that shows what you decided, did or changed. This lesson shows how to choose the items that can support a statement and leave the rest. It uses an invented team and a practice project, not an assessed task.
How do you choose what to keep?
For each item, ask three questions: is it real and dated, does it show a specific decision, contribution or change, and could someone else follow it without extra explanation?
Then match each item to a point you might want to make later. If an item matches no point, keep it filed but do not rely on it.
Worked example
Aina, from the invented team, wants to reflect on how her plan changed. She has these items.
| Item | Keep as evidence? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Log entry: stop weighing at 1 pm on Friday | Yes | Dated, shows a change and its reason |
| Spreadsheet of daily weights | Yes | Shows her actual contribution |
| Photo of a full bin | Maybe | Illustrates, but shows nothing about her decisions |
| Group chat saying “good job all” | No | Too general to support any point |
She writes the point “my plan changed to fit the canteen’s hours”, and attaches the first item. Every claim has a record behind it.
A plausible mistake
A student keeps only the final slides and says they show “how the team collaborated”. The slides show a product, not the process: who decided what, when, and how plans changed.
The correction is to select items from the process, such as dated log entries and the task table, and use the slides only to show the outcome.
Self-check
1. Name one item that could support the statement “I adjusted my task after a problem”.
Show answer
A dated log entry recording the problem and the change, ideally with a file or note showing the adjusted work.2. Why is a general comment such as “we worked well” weak evidence?
Show answer
It is not tied to a specific decision or action, so a reader cannot check or learn anything from it.3. You have a useful note, but it is undated. What can you do?
Show answer
Use it carefully, and say honestly that it is undated. Where possible, link it to a dated log entry from the same period.Where does this lead next?
Choosing evidence prepares you for the reflective explanation covered in reasoned explanation. To review the whole topic, return to collaboration and project planning and try the practice set.
A teacher can help you test whether each item really supports your point, without selecting it or writing the reflection for you. That is part of our online one-to-one Global Perspectives tuition.