Contribution to Your Learning and the Learning Community
Contribution to My Learning and the Learning Community
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Self-Assessment Score: 92
Core Collaboration Group: Thomas Robinson and Guadalupe Marin
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I want to begin this reflection by acknowledging something important about myself as a learner: collaboration is not my natural learning preference. I tend to learn best through independent reflection and self-paced work, so group tasks often stretch me in ways that are uncomfortable at first. That said, Fink (2013) emphasizes that becoming a self-directed learner also requires understanding how to navigate learning environments we might not instinctively gravitate toward. This course pushed me to practice that skill.
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Even though collaboration is not my preferred mode, I still made consistent, meaningful contributions to both my own learning and our small learning community. For those reasons, I believe a 92 is an accurate reflection of my efforts and outcomes.​​
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What Worked — Even When It Wasn’t My Favorite
I engaged in all required collaboration to support both my learning and this assignment.
Although group work does not come naturally to me, I still participated regularly in Zoom calls with Thomas Robinson and Guadalupe Marín. The screenshots included in this post document these sessions. I joined each meeting prepared, focused, and ready to contribute, even when the meetings required more structured effort from me than independent work typically does. The reality is that I would not have chosen group collaboration on my own, but I recognized its importance to the course expectations and followed through.
I provided peer feedback because I took the requirements seriously.
Filling out our peer-evaluation rubrics for Thomas and Guadalupe was something I approached responsibly. I offered thoughtful praise and constructive feedback and tried to support my group members as we moved through the semester.
For instance, I suggested improvements to Thomas’s call-to-action slide for readability. (See feedback document linked here).Thomas Robinson by JH.docx).
For Guadalupe, I recommended adding visuals to reduce text density. (See feedback document linked here) Guadalupe’s Alternate PL Presentation-JH.docx).
These reviews helped them refine their work and showed that I took the assignment seriously, even if peer feedback is not my favorite form of engagement.
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I completed all readings and course expectations independently and consistently.
One area where I feel the strongest is my personal academic discipline. I completed all readings, videos, and resources because I rely heavily on having a full understanding of the content before I build anything. Fink’s frameworks, particularly the 3-Column Table, directly shaped my Alternative PL Plan (Fink, 2013). My independent work is where I felt most confident and most engaged.​
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I posted on time and honored deadlines.
Even during a challenging season personally and professionally, I submitted all assignments on time and completed my discussion posts early enough for others to respond. I understood that my timely participation mattered for the group components, and I followed through accordingly.
My Contributions to the Discussion Boards
Another area where I consistently contributed was in the course discussion forums. While online discussions are not my preferred learning format, I still approached them with intentionality, clarity, and depth. I made sure my posts were submitted early enough to support meaningful interaction, and I grounded each response in research and course readings so they would be genuinely useful to others. I also engaged with my classmates’ posts in ways that encouraged reflection, clarification, and dialogue. Even when discussion-board formats feel repetitive, I treat them as an opportunity to practice academic writing, connect ideas across assignments, and help strengthen the learning community.
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What I Can Improve
While I showed up fully for every requirement, I also recognize that I often approach collaboration from a place of responsibility rather than natural motivation. This is an area I’m continuing to work on: reframing collaboration not as something that slows me down, but as something that can add different perspectives, even if the process is not my favorite.
I also recognize that my natural tendency is to take on more than my share of the work to ensure quality. In future classes, I want to find a healthier balance between autonomy and shared responsibility.
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The Impact of Collaboration: Honesty Combined With Learning to See the Value
Although collaboration did not dramatically transform my learning, it did support it in practical ways. Seeing Thomas’s and Guadalupe’s work, both from different subject areas, helped me check my own understanding of assignment expectations. Their examples pushed me to tighten my structure, clarify my explanations, and ensure I wasn’t missing any required components.
In short: the collaboration was helpful primarily for accountability, structure, and clarity. While it didn’t dramatically reshape my thinking, it supported my understanding in meaningful, practical ways. It contributed to my ability to complete the course successfully.
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Conclusion
A 92 reflects that I met all key contributions and most supporting contributions, even in a format that does not align with my natural preferences. I engaged in collaboration because it was required and because I wanted to hold myself to a high standard. I supported my group members through feedback, attended meetings, completed all course materials, and contributed thoughtfully, even when the collaborative element felt more structured than naturally energizing. In many ways, this reflection itself is an example of assessment as learning. Taking time to honestly evaluate my contributions, identify areas for growth, and connect my habits to my results is helping me become a more self-directed, lifelong learner, not just a compliant student (Fink, 2013).
I am proud of the work I produced, the consistency I maintained, and the professionalism with which I approached the group components of this course.
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References
Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.