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Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/abc.280 © 2009 Wiley Pe ri od i cals, Inc.

Keep tHe CHanGe: UsInG reFLeCtIOn tO Frame

tHe transFOrmatIVe QUaLItIes OF LearnInG

a Week of reflection brings learning outcomes to the center stage of teaching and learning at saint Louis University.

By adam peck

C onfucius wrote, “Knowledge without thought is labor lost.” By this standard, it is often disheartening how much effort is wasted

on college campuses each year. there are a myriad of depressing statistics about how little students retain of what they hear, read, or do. many bemoan the con-sumerist notions of education that seem so pervasive and conspire to relegate student learning to mere voca-tional training in which the diploma is the ultimate goal. the result is that students less often expect to be transformed by their college experiences. the value of education, like that of a car, appears to plummet the moment it leaves the proverbial showroom floor.

Our educational instincts guide us to look for solu-tions to these complex issues. at saint Louis University (sLU), a set of coincidences inspired a new and unique way to encourage students to think about what they had learned, consider how it had changed them, and under-stand the interconnected way in which they had learned from many different sources (including each other).

sLU has learning outcomes that encompass learn-ing in all areas of the university. these outcomes conscientiously distill the broad context of the learn-ing environment into “Five Dimensions of the sLU experience.” the dimensions are scholarship and knowledge; intellectual inquiry and communication; community building; leadership and service; and spiri-tuality and values. the five dimensions clearly articulate

the distinct mission of a Jesuit, Catholic university and are central to that mission. In addition, they support the value of learning in both academic and cocurricu-lar programs and demonstrate that learning ought to interconnect in meaningful ways, ways that contribute to an overall educational experience and leave students fundamentally changed.

However, the existence of such worthy outcomes was not effective in and of itself, so I was approached by the Office of planning and Decision resources to discuss ways to make the Five Dimensions of the sLU experience better known and used by students, faculty, and staff. the prevailing thought was that perhaps the names of the dimensions were too stuffy or academic and didn’t resonate with students. my instincts told me that it was more likely an issue of relevance. Learning outcomes don’t feel salient to students; to them, they are the kind of thing that educators use to occupy their days but don’t affect students at all. In an atmosphere in which students are bombarded by opportunities of all kinds—from attending a concert to joining a club—it is hard to penetrate through all of the static and articu-late a message of any complexity whatsoever. How, then, could we communicate about something as com-plex as what students are learning and how it might fundamentally change who they become? How could we engage in a dynamic conversation with them? no forum seemed to exist.

IN PRACTICE

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With a loose format in place, we began to consider the implications of a Week of reflection. What would such a week look like? How could we get students to know about it and buy in? How would it become relevant? We wanted to encourage participation even (or perhaps especially) from those who would other-wise not be inclined to engage in reflection. Likewise, we wanted to provide those who were prone to con-templation a chance to really dig deep. so we decided that the campaign would include self-guided reflection

cards for passive learners and noontime reflection events with esteemed fac-ulty and staff at which stu-dents could interact and reflect with their peers.

the self-guided reflec-tion questions were printed on glossy cards (five in all, one for each day). each had a distinct color and logo. We determined that each day would have one sim-ple overarching question to guide students’ reflec-tions on the dimension for that day. We wanted the questions to build on each other as the week continued. the question of the day was printed on

the reflection cards, and they were distributed in high-traffic areas of campus.

the first day, we asked students to consider the practice of scholarship and how this had influenced what they learned; because learning is broad and inter-connected, we chose a question that was equally far-reaching: “What have you learned this year?” On the second day, reflecting on intellectual inquiry and com-munication, we asked students, “How are you apply-ing what you’ve learned this year?” On day three, we considered the place of learning in a social context and how students grow from their diverse interactions with

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, the following day, I attended a service Learning advisory Board

meeting that focused on the importance of reflective components in framing service-learning experiences in order to encourage students to think beyond the temporary impact of the service. I was immediately struck by the usefulness of the five dimensions in articulating the kind of big-picture learning we sought for this reflection. students would need to reflect on the five dimensions in order for the outcomes to become personally mean-ingful and relevant. the two concepts converged to create a unique idea: a time for students to think about the five dimensions and consider how they had changed with regard to these learning outcomes.

somewhat in haste, I convened a group of fac-ulty and students to refine the idea. those who were selected fell into at least one of three categories: (1) people who had an impor-tant stake in the kinds of programs the group might produce, (2) creative peo-ple who are not too bound by convention, and (3) people who were available at 3 p.m. on thursdays. We spoke broadly about learning in a number of situations and the viewpoints were as diverse as the participants, yet each of us envisioned the benefits of encouraging students’ broad-based reflections about their learning experiences. With members from all corners of the university, each perspective was a microcosm of the complexity of pinning learning down in any context.

even so, we did not yet know what form the program might take. some suggested a purely passive approach with public service announcements, post-ers, bookmarks, and various other campaigns. some suggested a host of events, symposia, and other more active approaches. When one participant mentioned the connection between the five dimensions and the five days in the school week, it wasn’t long before “a Week of reflection” was born. to my surprise, this group of careful, prudent academicians had adopted my impatience and agreed that the Week of reflection should take place within the present semester, provid-ing little more than a month and a half to bring to frui-tion whatever program we were going to create.

Adam Peck is dean of student affairs at stephen F. austin state University in nacogdoches, texas. He previously served as director of student life at saint Louis University. He earned a doctorate in higher education administration at the University of texas at austin.

We love feedback. send letters to executive editor Jean m. Henscheid (aboutcampus@uidaho.edu), and please copy her on notes to authors.

tHe WeeK OF reFLeCtIOn

CampaIGn WOULD InCLUDe

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23 aBOUt CampUs / marCH–aprIL 2009

each other, asking, “What have you learned about yourself and others this year?” On the fourth day, stu-dents reflected on what they had learned from leader-ship and service, considering the question “How have you used what you have learned to make a difference?” the week concluded with a reflection on spirituality and values, asking, “How has what you’ve learned in this year changed you?”

On each card, the day’s question was accompa-nied by probing questions that helped students to con-sider the dimension more deeply. For instance, on the day when the theme was reflecting on scholarship and knowledge, the cards asked, “What have you learned this year that explained or clarified something you didn’t previously understand?” and “Can you think of a time when your work in an activity or organization related to something you learned in class?”

D a i l y r e f l e c t i o n events were held at the clock tower. each speaker addressed the day’s question and the probing questions provided on the reflection cards as a basis for their speech. additional reflec-tion cards were distributed at these events to allow stu-dents a further opportunity to examine the topic on their own, to think about how their learning along the five dimensions had changed them, and to consider the dynamic nature of learning within a community of practice.

the insights that students expressed were exciting, and the conversations following the daily reflection events were inspiring. students engaged each other in conversations about the impact of their peers, their cocurricular involvements, their professors, their grand-mothers, and a host of other factors on their learning. It was not uncommon for students to continue to talk long after the daily reflection events had ended, and I witnessed more than a few ad hoc conversations inspired by the program. We surmised that while stu-dents might have stopped to think about these issues without the Week of reflection, they would not have done so within the same time frame as their peers and many synergistic conversations would have been lost.

students were encouraged to journal at each event, enabling us to capture the products of their reflections. each student was given a puzzle piece in the same color and theme as the day’s activities. these were eventually pieced together and used for a display at new student

orientation to help students understand how learn-ing could be broad and interconnected. Video blog-ging provided verbal learners with the chance to talk through their learning. In the end, students had ample ways to communicate their richly contextual reflections and illustrate the complexity with which they articu-lated this learning.

STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS provided a kind of verification of the sort of change we hoped an

sLU education would produce, and their unprompted insights spoke volumes about the degree to which they really were changing along these dimensions. From the reflection journals and video blogs, it was apparent that many students knew that they were changing and were

able to articulate the role that the university played in that change. One student wrote, “In thinking about the last year, I’ve changed so much. I’ve changed my major, hang out with new groups of friends, strength-ened some of my morals and changed some of those beliefs. sLU has really been an instrumental part in feeding and nurturing that change and growth.” the understanding that one is

changing and that this change is at least in part due to the education one is receiving is fundamental to all additional insights that students may form.

For some, the change helped them to reframe the purpose of their education. One student said, “my value for education has grown. I am no longer con-cerned about graduation or a degree, but value what I have learned and how to apply it to myself and others.” another student articulated the value of education in more altruistic terms, saying, “although it is important to receive good grades, it is so much more important to learn how to apply your education towards the helping of all people.” students seemed to be keying into the transformational value of education—and the impact that change can have on others, too.

as transactional views of education fell away, some students were left with views of education that were decidedly more complex. One student’s reflection read, “the more you know, the less you know.” another asserted, “You can’t know everything, life is a mys-tery.” this understanding seemed to push some stu-dents from a view in which some things are right and some are wrong to a worldview in which so-called facts

One stUDent saID, “I am nO

LOnGer COnCerneD aBOUt

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24 aBOUt CampUs / marCH–aprIL 2009

are subject to interpretation. One student reflected, “I have learned that just because opinions are different, does not mean that they are necessarily wrong and that you need to learn to respect [others’] ideas.” In a con-text in which knowledge is transformative, abstract, and subject to the interpretation of others, students are primed to understand the role that others play in shap-ing their understandings and beliefs.

One of the most exciting discoveries was how the program had helped students to understand how their learning is affected by others in a community of schol-ars. One student wrote, “my values have been tested and refined because of my experiences this year.” another provided more detail, saying, “I’ve been called upon to defend my faith and beliefs. In this practice, I have learned more about my faith, [and] confirmed my beliefs. It has also helped me to have a truly open mind and really question myself as to why I believe what I believe. It has helped me to grow.”

Whether one’s ideas have been supported or challenged, it is clear that reflection allowed the par-ticipants in the program to articulate contextually rich and qualitative views of learning. the program allowed us a glimpse of the complex and often mysteri-ous synergy taking place as students develop and grow during the college years.

We set out to create a program to help students understand how they had been changed by education; in the end, we learned as much as they did. In the beginning, we supposed that learning was complex, contextual, and interconnected, and many students’ reflections and feedback on the program confirmed this belief. Capitalizing on that aspect of learning is, perhaps, our greatest achievement and also our greatest potential for the future.

I LOOK FORWARD to developing the idea fur-ther with increased consultation across the univer-

sity. In the second year, the group started earlier to involve faculty more deeply. For instance, the Cen-ter for teaching excellence provided a workshop for faculty to involve reflection in general, and the Week of reflection specifically, in their courses. the pro-gram discussed the role of reflection in helping students make sense of how what they learn in class connects to

their overall educational experience. the program was expanded to the nearby health science campus to reach students who primarily attend classes there. the com-mittee refined our reflection questions to help explore the insights that students expressed in the first year in greater depth. Journals and blogs from the first year were also incorporated to prime participants’ thinking and encourage them to dig even more deeply into their thoughts about learning.

I have since left sLU to accept the position of dean of students at stephen F. austin state Univer-sity in nacogdoches, texas. In april, sLU will hold its third Week of reflection program and stephen F. austin will hold its first. a number of colleagues have contacted me about expanding the program onto their campuses as well. While the mission and learning out-comes of the institution will no doubt influence each approach, I would be remiss if I did not offer some

advice to those thinking of launching similar programs. Fir s t , our success was largely based on the quality of our learning outcomes. If these outcomes are not an authentic representation of what students experi-ence, it is likely that a pro-gram based on them won’t be very successful. also, if the intent of programs such as these is to illustrate that learning is broadly integra-tive and interconnected, it

is essential to consult as broadly as possible. Learning, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. to truly rep-resent its complexity will require a multitude of voices. Finally, start early and assemble a group capable of han-dling the logistical concerns of the program.

and so, while so much of what is learned is lost, those who participated in “a Week of reflection” seemed to find much more. the facts and figures of learning may be distorted or forgotten, but the cumula-tive effect remains. and within the profits and losses of the academic environment, I’d like to think that these students came out ahead. If they did, I’d be the first to say, “Keep the change.”

Note

Confucius & Legge, J. (ed.). (1971), The Confucian analects: The great learning and the doctrine of the mean. toronto, Ontario, Canada, General publishing Company.

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