Running head: FINAL REFLECTION

Final Reflection
Patrick McHale
Loyola University Chicago

FINAL REFLECTION
2
Final Reflection
Throughout the past fifteen weeks, I have been challenged more than ever to
consider what learning means to me. At the beginning of the course, it seemed like such a
simple concept to me. As a recent undergrad, I remember learning in multiple ways, and
the result of that learning took place in tests, written assignments, and other forms of
assessment. A disheartening aspect of my undergraduate experience is I never took a truly
meaningful amount of time self-assessing my learning style. Now as a graduate student
and a future professional in higher education, I am faced with the challenge of improving
the assessment of learning for others and myself. I must continue to absorb the
knowledge of developing environments for significant learning, as Fink (2003) advocates
for in his curriculum design model. In my reflection of this course, I will describe my
current philosophy of curriculum development as well as a self-assessment of my
learning. These components of my reflection will be supported through course readings,
assignments, and themes I consider to be relevant to my experience.
Philosophy of Curriculum Development
The growing concerns of higher education from faculty, student, and public
perspectives were trends that immediately stood out to me in my learning process this
semester. Faculty members across the country are noting concerns of low attendance, low
energy level, and grades being prioritized over learning (Fink, 2003, p.5). Students have
commonly demonstrated a continuing lack of interest in certain academic subjects,
complaints regarding course material cost, and a dissatisfaction of the overall education
experience (p. 5). These concerns of dissatisfaction have led to society often marking a
poor quality of education as a fault in the integral structure of the United States, leading

FINAL REFLECTION
3
the continued support for accountability programs and even performance-based
appropriations (p. 6). As someone who envisions himself being a meaningful contributor
to higher education in the United States, I cannot ignore these alarming trends. However,
where can I start? What needs to be improved? My answers to these questions are
ongoing as I continue my graduate education, but I have certainly developed a base
philosophy in my first year in the higher education field.
In reflection of my learning this semester, my philosophy is centered on the
multivariable relationships the student experiences with the educator, the environment,
and the subject. Every one of these variables has an impact on the learner, and the first
document I read that took this into account was Learning Reconsidered 2 (Keeling,
2006). I deeply appreciated the addition of learning being able to take place outside of the
classroom (p. 4). It is obvious the lack of mentioning of learning taking place outside of
the classroom involves not having a way to assess it. At the time of graduation, the only
aspect of learning an institution can assess is in the form of letter grades indicating
academic performance. The construction of meaning can take form in and outside of the
classroom, and in our current era of postmodern, deconstructivist challenges to classic
beliefs, we can assume no broad consensus about the meaning of things or the creation of
personal identity (Anderson, 1997; Foucalt, 1970; Foucalt, 1980). In order to expand
more on this idea, we must bring forth environments and opportunities to stimulate a
unique personal identity development and construction of meaning. As professionals this
means assessing the current environments and making the necessary changes as well as
being bold enough to create new ones after identifying and responding to needs of the
stakeholders in the institution.

FINAL REFLECTION
4
That being said, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on the work of Fink
(2003) and his Taxonomy of Significant Learning. The interactions between the six major
categories were first visualized for me during our task of creating a draft for our own
syllabus. I created a life skills course required for student-athletes and I was able to take
control of creating environments for significant learning. Through the development of
learning outcomes, assignments, and activities, I intended to create learning experience
flexible with the individuals career and life goals as well as their past experiences. As an
instructor of the course, my relationship with each student in the class is to facilitate and
guide their learning experience, not dominate it. For example, one of the assignments
involves students connecting with an alumni mentor, ideally from the athletics program
and/or from their academic field. I believe this form of learning dares to go outside of the
norm in higher education in the form of transformative. Kegan (2000) describes this
diversion from conventionality when he stated: informative learning changes what we
know; transformative learning changes how we know (p. 50). In my future work in
relation to curriculum design, I hope to have an active role in assessing the learning
environment at the institution I am a part of.
Self-Assessment
After reflecting on my own learning in the class, I concluded with several
strengths and areas of needed improvement within myself. I will be focusing specifically
on one of each. First, my understanding of significant learning through the application of
experiential learning in curriculum was greatly expanded in this course. I attribute this
greatly to my previous learning in ELPS 425: Student Affairs Profession in Higher
Education whereas our work in that class is centered on developing the whole person.

FINAL REFLECTION
5
A great example of experiential learning I connected with is the practice of servicelearning. Jacoby (1996) states, service-learning is based on the pedagogical principle
that learning and development do not necessarily occur as a result of experience itself but
as a result of a reflective component explicitly designed to foster learning and
development (p. 6). This prioritization of reflection especially helped me develop more
creative and meaningful assessment activities in our group curriculum project.
On the other hand, I continue to find the concept of learning outcomes difficult to
understand. In my syllabus draft and parts of the group curriculum project, I spent the
most amount of time with developing learning outcomes. While I found Finks (2003) list
of questions to ask when formulating significant learning goals (pp. 83-84), examples of
learning goals for classes in three different academic areas (pp. 85-88), and even useful
verbs (p. 89) all helpful, I continue to struggle in my own applications. Looking back at
my work through these assignments, I believe I was too focused on getting my activities
formulated first. It allowed me to construct engaging activities for students, but I found it
harder to articulate what I wanted students to gain from them. This was partially evident
in our first feedback from the professionals at Marquette, which I was able to address in
our final draft of our curriculum project. In the future, I plan to continue to challenge
myself to consider learning outcomes in the primary stage of curriculum development
after carefully identifying situational factors (Fink, 2013).
Conclusion
As a future educator, I challenge myself to continually reflect on my work in this
class far into the future. While I might not have a direct impact on designing curriculum
in my specific professions currently or in the future, I can still be a resource for my

FINAL REFLECTION
6
institutions learning environment. For example, I am considering entering the
professional field of alumni relations after graduation. The process of developing learning
experiences connecting willing alumni with students is an area I could realistically be a
part of or even initiate at my institution.
One final thought that will continue to resonate with me is the concept of staying
humble and respectful in the profession of education. The relationship between students
can have significant impacts, and we must continue to build avenues of engagement for
these types of relationships just much as ones between the student and the teacher. Fink
(2003) notes that this constant effort enables us to accept our own limits and recognize
that some of the learning needed will have to come from inside the students and from
interactions among students, not just from their interactions with the teacher- and to trust
that process (p. 290). I will continue to reflect and learn about how to create these types
of experiences in curriculum design, because he power of relationships in the process of
learning is limitless.

FINAL REFLECTION
7
References
Anderson, W. (1997). The future of the self: Inventing the post-modern person. New
York, NY: Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam Books.
Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach
to developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Foucalt, M. (1970). The order of things. New York, NY: Random House.
Foucalt, M. (1980). Power/knowledge. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
Jacoby, B. & Associates. (1996). Service-learning in higher education: Concepts and
Practices. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Keeling, R.P. (Ed.). (2006). Learning reconsidered 2: Implementing a campus-wide
focus on the student experience. ACPA, ACUHO-I, ACUI, NACA, NACADA,
NASPA, & NIRSA: Washington, DC.
Kegan, R. (2000). What form transforms. In: J. Mezirow (Ed), Learning as
transformation. San Franscisco: Jossey Bass, pp. 35-70.