The Reflective Software Engineer: Reflective Practice

Abstract

The capacity to reflect on past practice is important for continuous learning in software development. Reflection often takes place in cycles of experience followed by conscious application of learning from that experience, during which a software developer might explore comparisons, ponder alternatives, take diverse perspectives, and draw inferences, especially in new and/or complex situations. Such reflective practice has been shown in different disciplines to be an effective developmental practice for organizations, for teams, and for individuals. The guest editors of this special issue on reflection describe the concept in general and the selected articles in particular.