Running head: CURRICULUM IN HIGHER EDUCATION FINAL REFLECTION 1

ELPS 430 Curriculum in Higher Education Final Reflection

Grace Montero

Loyola University Chicago

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Abstract

This course let me face the mounting evidence that is used to critique higher education

for not preparing its students to use critical and analytical thinking skills. As a result, the students

were tasked to critique the commonalities and differences among varying case studies. Through

working collectively alongside peers, I increased my interest in assessing core content from

course readings and critically analyzed it to find the disconnect which often discourages

significant learning. Co-creating knowledge in the classroom regarding what the purpose and

benefits of experiential learning can be if facilitated well by faculty, made all the different in

predicting the outcome of a students experience. This reflection captures the core content that is

applicable to other areas of higher education that I will be able to influence, and it describes my

newfound approach of program development for student or faculty. Ultimately, the culmination

of this invaluable knowledge molded my personal philosophy in creating significant learning

experiences that move beyond transforming an individual student experience, but rather

promotes a lifelong love of learning to ultimately transform communities.

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Introduction

This ELPS 430 Curriculum in Higher Education course surpassed all the expectations I

had about what I would learn to help me further develop as a professional creating programs. In

addition to the multitude of readings that demonstrate the evolution of teaching techniques and

the research that supported the earlier models of experiential learning, it is clear to see that there

is plenty of interest in understanding the ways in which students learn best. There is a need to

understand how the earliest models of teaching and reflection can work cohesively together to

create significant learning that benefits all students in todays society. I needed to draw on my

own good and bad learning experiences, to make deeper meaning of what the early research-

based learning models indicate. It was fascinating to learn about service-learning as a form of

experiential learning. The need to encourage more intentional thought and planning into building

a curriculum that is student-centered and learning focused makes all the difference in creating

optimal learning opportunities.

Connections Between Readings & Other Courses

Without any prior knowledge of the intricate components that go into constructing a

course syllabus and program, I was eager to learn at least a couple tools and new transferable

skills that would apply to my future role in student affairs. However, I learned far more

transferable skills in this course than I could have possibly imagined. While keeping the

Taxonomy of Significant Learning in mind, I learned it is vital that a curriculum also incorporate

the new method of learning-centered paradigm in which significant learning can happen.

Therefore, implementing key components of the Fink (2013) Integrated Course Design (ICD)

will help ensure that advanced techniques are interdisciplinary in teaching students to become

deeply connected to the course content and incorporate critical reflection. By learning of all the
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compelling reasons in which higher education has a responsibility to do everything within its

reach to teach students in significant ways, I vowed to keep these tools in mind as I look to create

my own program curriculums as an emerging higher education professional. Finks ICD Model

encouraged a backwards design which initially felt counterintuitive when creating a course, but it

is indeed imperative to the success of the learning experience being crafted. In my own

experience implementing this method, it was critical that I carefully thinking through all the

Situational Factors, Learning Outcomes, Assessment, and then Learning Activities. Through

applying this knowledge, I expanded my capacity to create learning opportunities for meaningful

learning that had justifications rooted in research and cognitive student development theories.

Sentipensante

Rendn stated, Questions about how we interpret our workload are as much questions of

self-avoidance, fear, and resistance as they are about real commitment to engaging in standing up

to support our ethical and moral principles, a process that often evokes tension. In addressing

the reluctance to intentionally weave in more opportunities for reflexivity, she demonstrates how

higher education as a whole is doing a larger disservice to the student learning experience. I

interpreted this as saying it is not enough to point out how higher education was historically

created to serve a specific student, but rather as an emerging higher education professional I

stand to make a case for continuously looking for new ways to make significant learning

experiences inclusive and feasible for all students. As Rendn stated, In higher education a

monocultural framework is exhibited in curricula that exclude the contributions that women,

indigenous people, and the ethnic/racial minorities have made in history, art, math, science,

philosophy, and literature, among other fields. (Rendn, 2013, p. 43). For that reason, I have a

moral responsibility to promote a more equitable kind of education that incorporates a wide
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variety of voices different from my own, in order to reach meaningful learning. The course

content and curriculum structure allowed me to draw parallels to other courses as well.

Leadership

My leadership course with John Dugan may have initially focused on the social construct

of Leadership within a U.S. context, however, there was plenty of overlap in deconstructing how

our understanding of leaders and leadership influence the work done in classrooms to cultivate

the future generation of leaders. I recognize the ways in which older educational structures that

promote the development of leaders, can also be limiting and counterproductive if not

encouraging students to learn about self-identity awareness in order to become civically engaged

with a social responsibility and inherent duty they to leave their community better than they had

first inherited it. In dialogues and experiential service-learning opportunities centered on social

justice, it is important to note that well intentioned service-learning experiences can have

negative learning outcomes if not conducted appropriately. Through reflection on previous

readings by Dugan (2013), Socio-cultural conversations with peers are the single strongest

predictor of socially responsible leadership capacity for students across demographic groups

(Dugan et al., 2013). This understanding of there being value in immersing students in

experiences that challenges them to learn of unfamiliar identities and cultures, also contributes to

creating a positive learning experience if faculty can assist in guiding these conversations.

Through learning about the three models of the experiential learning process, I gained

newfound respect and value for the ways in which people have pour tremendous effort and

energy into understanding what ways are best practices for student learning. By closely

examining the ways in which Lewinian Model of Action Research and Laboratory Training,

Deweys Model of Learning, and Piagets Model of Learning and Cognitive Development, the
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desire to critically evaluate how learning is happening and how student cognitive development is

an influential factor for the overall learning process also demonstrated an emerging issue that

needed to be addressed and better understood. Kolb (1984) highlighted the large amount of

similarities between the models, as a way to promote learning with an emphasis on dialectic

process integrating experience and concepts, observations, and action (p. 22). Kolbs thorough

examination of these models demonstrated an importance in helping students achieve double

consciousness in which students realize there is a way in which they view and interact with

society, and that there is also a certain way the society perceives that individual student. Students

should also grow comfortable holding two seemingly opposing concepts constant. This

acknowledgement helps better inform the work I hope to challenge students with, as they think

critically and practice reflexivity to think outside of themselves and see the larger picture.

Through course reading from Nilsons first three chapters of Teaching at its best: A

research based resource for instructors (2010), I learned of the importance in getting students to

learn how to use metacognition to their advantage in understanding what learning activities best

suit their own individual style of learning. In Nilsons first chapter, she quoted John D. Bransford

et al. (1999) in stating, people learn when they actively monitor their learning and reflect on

their performance a mental operation called metacognition or self-regulated learning

(Bransford et al., 1999, p. 97). This complimented the information Bransford (1999) mentioned

pertaining to the need to fuse information gathered from the research community (such as

knowledge of cognitive development), and expertise from those who have been facing

challenges from within classroom settings. This point emphasized the need for collaborative

approaches to improve the teaching methods currently in place.

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Nilson (2010) stated We can foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills only by

setting outcomes above the knowledge/remembering and comprehension/understanding levels

(Nilson, p. 21). These readings constantly caused self-reflection on class activities that I deemed

memorable and successful in helping me deepen my understanding of a core concept. The

practical examples provided were easily applicable and connected in-between other readings.

Student Development Theory constantly came to mind when reading work by Nilson (2010) as

well as Bransford et al. (1999) because of the careful explanation of cognitive development that

would also be an important factor in the capacity for student learning. Both of these readings

caused self-reflection on Baxter Magoldas theory of Self-Authorship which seems most

applicable as a guiding reference to understanding the psychosocial developmental perspective

of students (Evans et al., 2010). Learning how to combine expertise with new teaching

techniques are part of what Bransford mentions is an example of how learning can be improved

for student. Bransford et al. (1999) stated, There are still relatively few arenas in which

researchers work as partners with teachers, administrators, and communications developers...But

to be effective, systematic efforts to reform education will require that more of these partnerships

be forged (1999, p. 283). The theme of cross collaboration is now foundational to my process in

making significant improvements that foster lifelong learning among all students.

Understanding the importance of critical reflection was another invaluable lesson learned

which connected all the links between creating a curriculum that reflection strong content, but

also allows opportunities for students to make meaning of their experiences in a holistic way and

be able to articulate it for themselves. One vivid illustration of the meaning and purpose of

critical reflection was states as, critical reflection means that any experience no matter how

small, or frustrating, or seemingly unrelated to service-learningcan turn out to be an important

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grain of sand around which a pearl of a learning can be grown (Ash & Clayton, 2009, p. 5).

This statement simultaneously reflects passion from educators that I hope to continue to rely on

within higher education.

My Philosophy on Curriculum Development

My personal philosophy on curriculum development encompasses the need for a holistic

approach to supporting student growth, a thirst to continuously learn best practices for maximum

student learning, and a desire to think collaboratively in my pursuit of creating future programs

and educational opportunities that improve the growing community. In critiquing my own views

on what a transformative education can and should be, I have make a commitment to myself to

continue to reflect on my practice as a student affairs professional, and to welcome the challenge

of an ever-evolving society. I hope to remain open minded to new research that can further

inform my techniques in promoting dialectic thinking among students. My personal emerging

themes in my philosophy include maintain a student-centered learning focused approach, that

will still allow room for students to adopt critical perspective to their society and the way they

carry themselves. I hope to empower all student to see themselves as leaders, and I hope to

continuously support and challenge their perceptions and interaction with others. My pedagogy

would be to cultivate civic leaders who recognize that they have a social responsibility to use the

tools they have gained as they work with communities to improve and uplift communities. I aim

to make students self-aware and understanding of the unavoidable role they will inherently

within society, and to see themselves as taking ownership of how and what they learn.

My Self-Assessment

I recognize the ways in which I have been presented an opportunity to fuse numerous

resources to further advance the important work within developing student to tackle the
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structural problems within our current society. I have expanded my understanding of curriculum

and pedagogy by also critically thinking about the ways in which higher education values may

contradict with the overall purpose of teaching. I attempt to model this behavior for my student

supervises and have been able to better explain the reasons why we need learning outcomes and

assessment associated with every program. In preparing for my own job search, I have been able

to apply Finks Integrated Course Design, the DEAL model, with a student development theory,

to inform a leadership training program I needed to develop and present during an on campus

interview. This process necessitated reflection on the course readings and a method to

strategically weave in this knowledge. This was additional practice in integrating the 6 major

components of significant learning and apply a backwards approach to developing a program.

Through a gradual development of my personal and professional growth, I challenged myself to

be as creative as possible in creating a syllabus, and closely analyzing the syllabi of other

institutions and the many different forms of experiential learning that is attempted within higher

education. This course further allowed a demonstration of the value in collaboration when

working as the point person for my teams Marquette University four modules. This required

clear communication with my team and being available to check-in and make sure we were

consistent in streamlining our approach. I learned a lot through fusing our four parts together

with a detailed table of contents, and then breaking up our work to smaller folder components.

As a result, I feel prepared to continue finding way to apply my acquired knowledge and believe

I have earned the highest possible grade for the integrating this with other knowledge, and

contributing to the larger community.

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References

Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Learning through critical reflection: A tutorial for service-

learning students (Instructor version). Raleigh, NC: Authors.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R., (Eds.) (1999). How People Learn: brain,

mind, experience, school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Dugan, J. P., Kodama, C., Correia, B., & Associates. (2013). Multi-Institutional Study of

Leadership 2012. MSL Insight Report:Leadership Program Delivery. College Park, MD:

National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs.

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F.M., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (2010). Development of self-

authorship. In Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.).

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 176-193.

Fink, L. D. (2013) Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to

developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Nilson, L. B. (2010). Understanding your students and how they learn. In Teaching at its best: A

research-based resource for college instructors. (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-

Bass. 3-15.

Nilson, L. B. (2010). Outcomes-centered course design. In Teaching at its best: A research-

based resource for college instructors. (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 17-31.

Rendn, L.I. (2008) Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness,

Social Justice, and Liberation. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.