Personal reflection on learning - Term Paper Example

?Personal Reflection on Learning As a my ultimate aim is to learn. And like any other s in specific academic programs, the marketing subject entails learning objectives that students are expected to learn at the end of the term. I can confidently say that I was able to do this on my end and I was able to be familiar with concepts and themes that are relevant to successfully imbibe the knowledge necessary in order to be a successful marketer in the future. An interesting aspect, however, in this process is the manner by which I was able to contribute in the learning process as well. The way that the instruction in this particular subject has been carried out required the participation, engagement and commitment of the learners in order to be effective. This paper explores my reflection on this particular aspect. The traditional method of teaching, which calls for a passive role from the part of the learners, has already been outdated and no longer considered the norm or the standard for best teaching practices. What this means is that in the classroom setting such as in my Marketing class, students are expected to participate and be part of the learning process. Gone were the days when learners wait to be spoon-fed with the subject's contents. That is widely accepted as ineffective. There are evidences that could attest to this fact and that the conventional demagoguery has been exchanged for the current more progressive approach in a logical progression of evolution in education. The prevailing idea is that learning should be experiential. The student, together with the teacher, explores and discovers concept and issues, which underpins a framework that is both engaging and effective especially in terms of achieving learning objectives. Learning a marketing concept, for instance, is not about the assimilation of a conceptual explanation of the teacher but the assimilation through the discovery of such concept, as facilitated by the instructor. This is particularly more pronounced in the case of teaching or learning the marketing field. Marketing is all about relationships; it is all about persuasion, information and experience. Our class learned this indirectly by simulating those processes. Such simulation could not have transpired without the contribution of each student. For example, in doing activities like group works, I discovered that being able to play assigned tasks and roles are crucial in achieving positive learning outcomes. First, there was the structure: we assign leaders and followers. Then, there was the negotiation. Say, I provide some inputs why this student will be better in this task or this role, so the assignments are revised. Because of respect for other people’s opinion, we were able to avoid conflicts that could have resulted to poor outcome. Instead, we effectively harnessed diverse perspectives. So it is imperative for students learning this field to be able to navigate through the learning issues and the socialization process involved and should not entirely rely on the source of knowledge or of an expertise. I also would like to cite the benefit of being curious. This worked for me especially when students are encouraged to ask questions, engage in a dialogue and discuss issues. There are times when lectures could be so silent, however participative the teacher encourages it to be. Then I ask a question or raise something thought provoking. And it contributes to making the discussion livelier and more engaging. Other students also do this and I found that we could only ask and raise issues, and participate better if we came to school prepared or knowledgeable. If I assumed a passive position in the learning process, I would have contributed nothing to the manner by which knowledge is gained and internalized. More importantly, I would have encouraged an ineffectual learning environment. I would like to cite a theory we have learned as an example. The law of supply and demand is a pretty straightforward concept we have learned and a notion that is widely recognized. It can be explained and learned easily. That would have been the end of it: The instructor conveyed the data and the learners were able to understand and comprehend it. But because I was an engaged learner in its discussion, I paid attention and was interested with the subject matter – I inquired further. I asked for more clarification and demands better explanation. I wanted to learn something more about this concept. The law of supply and demand is complicated by many other variables that cannot be fully explained with a mere outline of the basic principle. We would not have learned more details about such complexity if I have remained silent and nodded my understanding. This case is the same with learning other marketing concepts. Themes such as ethics and social dimensions to marketing can never be fully understood in a one way learning process. Abstract concepts such these can be interpreted in an extremely diverse manner and students with their - various experiences, backgrounds and points of view - can provide and offer different insights that could enhance and even challenge an existing standard or the accepted definitions and practices. I would like to think that I have contributed some thing more in this respect. Looking back - through my experiences, my participation and my engagement with discussions, conversations and lecture, I realized that I have contributed something meaningful in the manner by which I and other students have learned knowledge and discovered and conceived of ideas. A simple question I raised could trigger a response. A knowledge or a personal experienced shared could lead to wider and more diverse knowledge set, which benefits co-learners further. They are aligned with the natural scheme of things where an action entails a reaction. A conscious and subconscious attempt to engage in a dialogue or join and interact with others will render conversations and learning processes richer and, hence, more informative. Learning as a communication process also requires two-way interaction where a message is not considered successfully transmitted without hearing or eliciting any feedback. The student’s contribution, hence, to any learning activity must never be written off. It underpins the current approaches to teaching and to learning. And this is not without reason. The dominant experiential model of learning, for instance, relies on the learner’s ability to experience concepts and learn from them in the process. Adopting a passive role does not help the process at all. This is the reason why I believe my engagement and interest in the subject played vital roles in the way I contributed to each and every lecture for this marketing subject. Read More