Contribution To Learning
Throughout this 5320 course, I have remained deeply committed to my learning and to contributing meaningfully within our learning community. I am selecting a score of 94 because I believe I consistently demonstrated strong engagement, applied feedback to strengthen my work, and actively supported my base group. However, I also recognize that there are areas where I can continue to grow as a self-directed learner and collaborator.
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What is working well
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One of my strengths this term was my ability to remain organized and active with each assignment. In the COVA Reflection & Application assignment, I dedicated time to deeply reflect on how Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authenticity have shaped my learning. I shared insights about my struggles with shifting from compliance-based work to owning my learning, and I connected these reflections to real applications in my professional practice. Sharing this post with my group sparked a conversation about how we each implement COVA differently, which broadened my perspective.
For the Innovation Project Update, I stayed on track by setting early deadlines for myself to draft, review, and revise my update before submission. This allowed me to share my progress with my collaborative group ahead of time, and in turn, they provided thoughtful feedback that improved the clarity of my goals and next steps. My innovation project to bring automation to Banner for financial aid staff is complex, and explaining it clearly to others has strengthened my communication skills and refined my vision for implementation.
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Finally, in the Applied Digital Learning Journey Synthesis, I was intentional about creating a narrative that felt authentic, honest, and dynamic. I didn’t just summarize what I learned, but I connected my experiences to how I will continue to innovate and lead in my professional role. Posting this early in the week allowed my group members to view it as a model while they finalized their own synthesis.
Contributions to the learning community
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I consistently engaged with my collaborative group (Julia, Lydia, Shaqueta, and Jana) by providing timely feedback, asking clarifying questions, and offering words of encouragement. For example, when Shaqueta felt stuck structuring her COVA Reflection, I shared my outline approach, which she said helped her organize her ideas. When Julia asked for feedback on her Applied Digital Learning Journey, I provided detailed suggestions to strengthen her transitions and closing statements. During group discussions, I asked questions to deepen our conversations rather than simply agreeing with others’ points.
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I also contributed to the broader course community by sharing additional resources and perspectives in discussion forums. I made an effort to respond to posts that had no comments yet, ensuring my peers felt seen and supported. This is an area I believe builds psychological safety in online learning spaces, which is important to me as an instructional leader.
Areas for growth
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While I am proud of my contributions, there are areas I want to improve. At times, I focused so heavily on completing my own work early that I rushed my feedback to group members. Moving forward, I plan to schedule focused feedback sessions so that I can provide more thoughtful, actionable responses rather than quick surface-level comments. Additionally, although I engaged actively in group discussions, I want to challenge myself to combine group ideas more frequently and share collective insights back to the group as a form of leadership.​ I also want to continue fixing my self-assessment skills by not only evaluating what I did but also identifying specific learning strategies that helped me succeed.
Links to my work
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Overall, I am proud of the growth I demonstrated in this course. I maintained a high level of commitment to my learning, supported the learning of my peers, and applied our course concepts authentically to my innovation work. I look forward to carrying these practices forward into the future as I continue to build my capacity as a reflective, self-directed learner and instructional leader.