Essay Sample on My Learning Experience: Analyzing Outcomes in and Out of the Classroom

Introduction

Learning is a process that entails a lot of processes to gain the expected learning outcomes. This experience entails the types of interaction, course, program, as well as other experiences in various learning set-ups including traditional academic setting and non- traditional setting including games and software applications. In this regard, my learning experience seeks to analyze the outcomes both in class work as well as outside the class-related activities. This implies that the term refers to the series of events that are inclusive of alternative terms as course regarding the convectional connotations. It is, therefore, important to analyze a learning experience to the larger pedagogical as well as technological shifts that impact on the process of learning. To analyze my personal experience in learning, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle can be used. This reflective model was established to encourage people to think systematically regarding the particular experiences of a specific situation or an event (Cartwright, 2011). This framework will assist analysis of the learning in more details making one understand the actions better which can aid a change of behavior. This learning reflection analyzes the experiences throughout the semester including the engagements involved in various tasks required.

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Description

This semester was quite engaging in various activities both in class and outside class. I started the semester through the development of posters. I would do the posters individually although I would engage some research to understand the requirements. The posters would be about similarities as well as the differences between three different companies in various areas of operations. Some of the aspects that would be looked into include social enterprise, corporate social responsibility, and sin vice. I also engaged in group presentations that analyzed the posters developed. However, this would be easier as it would enable us to share work with the different members. I also engaged in the corporate duties where I visited some firms to have an understanding of their operations which would give a clear background of the issue. Some of the issues I sought to understand from the companies included their source of funding, objective, market drive, as well as the potential financial gain. In this regard, I made a lot of consultations with the organizational employees, managers, and heads of every department to understand the underlying issues regarding the company management and achievements. To have a full understanding of the concepts, I also engaged personal library research which presented a lot of information about corporate operations while comparing with the data obtained from the companies.

Feelings

Learning and engaging various activities in the semester created a lot of mixed feelings especially as I engaged with various activities that I did not anticipate. In this regard, the experiences including a feeling of interest, confusion, surprise, and satisfaction with happiness. At the beginning of the engagements, I was very confused regarding the course requirements and whether I would understand the requirements. I was not acquitted with posters at the begging hence it gave me panic to start the development. I realized that, as noted by Rowe (2017) sometimes the feelings can be weird when one is determined to achieve a particular task but has no understanding of the same. Therefore, I experienced this confusion in my learning, especially with unfamiliar tasks. However, my engagements with the companies and the knowledge I gained in the library study was a surprise. Initially, I did not understand the requirements of a company and the engagements they go through to achieve their goals. However, this was an emotional momentary status that changed to curiosity and interest to know more. After learning how to interact with other professionals and engage in developments such as making professional posters for comparative analysis, I developed an emotion and feeling that necessitated me to explore more for even deeper learning.

Evaluation

The learning experience provided numerous opportunities to continue developing academic skills. However, the experience throughout the semester can have a lot of challenges at times (Wankel & Blessinger, 2013). For example, the learning experiences created an opportunity to interact with other students for the same tasks and even divide their responsibilities. This was an important aspect of learning since it reflects students- centered learning. However, engaging other people also provided various challenges including the difficulties in dealing with some group members. In this regard, I felt that I would have made some better decisions if I was working all alone. However, probably I would not have made some achievements without the input of some people. The feelings of curiosity, however, has been an important aspect moving forward as encouraged by Wankel and Blessinger (2012) as they aid the exploration of the learning issues deeper which can give me a better experience in the real corporate world. Therefore, I am likely to get more corporate engagements with other organizations to learn and understand different management approaches. Besides, the feelings of interacting with other people will influence my decision making regarding the team members I chose to complete a particular task.

Analysis

The activities engaged throughout the course were an important learning opportunity that provided a lot of important opportunities to learn the importance of different approaches in teaching. For example, being given an opportunity to develop posters and even engage in the companies to gather information reveals student-centered learning where the instructor gives opportunities to the students to take part in the study. In this regard, I have established that instead of just listening to the teacher exclusively, students and teachers should interact where students are given chances to show what they have learned. Through the process, I realize that learning is not just following instructions given by the instructor but also taking duties to investigate the concepts. Through this, the student can understand even the concepts that may have seemed difficult (Tanaka, 2019). Besides, the student can acquire some skills that may not have been anticipated at the beginning of the course. For example, the engagement enabled me to enhance my communication skills, exchange important ideas, and get experience regarding information exchange in both the academic and corporate world. Therefore, the process should be recommended in the study to get the overall benefits of students' engagements in the study.

Conclusion

Although the learning process and engagement in the semester was quite informative, I could have facilitated a better learning experience if I took more engagements and embraced collaborative learning. I realized that even though some experiences required engagements with students and work together to deliver as a team, I was not quite acquitted to working with a team as I preferred to working singly. However, embracing a more collaborative approach would have borne more results. In this regard, I would engage more people in the future to ensure that the experience is more positive to more people. I can influence more people when learning. Learning is a process that cannot be achieved fully individually as one requires guidance and ideas from others. However, the student-centered approach was important in facilitating achievements and satisfaction of the entire team. I was able to learn important communication skills through presentations as well as collaborative skills through working in teams. Therefore, I would encourage the engagements in the future as they help to develop more competence in students as opposed to just lectures. It is important for educators to make a choice regarding the approaches they should use to make sure that the students are well engaged in their learning activities.

Action Plan

Engaging in learning where tutors require students to take part in activities like making posters, presentations, and corporate investigations is not a simple task. However, its success is based on how the students bear with the requirements and are committed to ensuring that they do what they are supposed to do. In this regard, in my future courses, I would take a more collaborative approach which would enhance team building in practical learning. I have realized that collaborative learning is a powerful facilitator of engagement in learning activities. Through a proper engagement, I would be able to be amplified for the results through a sense of connection with others during the activities. Additionally, I would seek to engage my instructor more through a student-teacher relationship that aims in guiding every step taken. This would facilitate better guidance regarding the path I should take in every activity of learning.

References

Cartwright, L. (2011). Developing reflective practice: A guide for beginning teachers. Berkshire: Open University Press.

Rowe, N. (2017). Academic & scientific poster presentation: A modern comprehensive guide. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Spooner, E. (2015). Interactive student-centered learning: A cooperative approach to learning. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Tanaka, M. (2019). Student engagement and quality assurance in higher education: International collaborations for the enhancement of learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Wankel, C., & Blessinger, P. (2012). Increasing student engagement and retention using online learning activities: Wikis, blogs and webquests. Bingley, UK: Emerald.