REFLECTION

Master of Arts Graduate Program in Communication and Leadership

Program Director, Dr. J. M. Noe

 

Dr. Aitken's Advisees: Capstone of Reflection or Project or Thesis - Comprehensive Exams - Defense of Thesis or Project

 

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LEADERSHIP REFLECTION

Professor:  Dr. Aitken

Office Hours:   In CO 229 or by phone:  By Appointment.

Email:  joan.aitken@park.edu  816-584-6785

 

 

Course Description Prerequisite: Completed at least 24 hours in the MACL program.

Capstone course for the Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership. Under faculty supervision, the student may emphasize intercultural communication or some other area of interest. As part of the reflection process, the student will analyze, evaluate, and apply learning from the entire MA program in communication and leadership (3 credits)

 

IMPORTANT:  If you start the thesis or project and receive credit, you canNOT switch to the reflection.  The reflection does NOT count as an elective course.  For the reflection, you take an additional 3-hour elective course, then the 2-hour reflection course to replace the project or thesis option.

 

What Is Needed in "Reflection?"

 

Reflections

The only difference between a standard essay and a reflection is that you need to synthesize and evaluate your own experience within the context discussed in the essay. 

Reflectivity is the idea that to learn, an individual must consider his or her beliefs and forms of knowledge before putting new knowledge into practice (Dewey, 1933). In this assignment, you will reflect on previous knowledge and new learning as a way of applying knowledge in communication or leadership practices.  Consider this metaphor by Schon (1987):
 
"There is a high, hard ground overlooking a swamp.  On the high ground, manageable problems lend themselves to solution through the application of research-based theory and technique.  In the swampy lowland, messy confusing problems defy technical solutions.  The irony of this situation is that the problems of the high ground tend to be relatively unimportant to individuals or society at large, however great their technical interest may be, while in the swamp lie the problems of greatest human concern" (p. 3).

Photo from Microsoft Clipart

 

References
Dewey, J. (1933) How we think. Boston: D. C. Heath.

S
chon, D, (1987).  Educating the reflective practitioner:  Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

.

 

 

Instructor's Educational Philosophy

I believe in mastery learning to achieve competence in the course content.  Competence includes a demonstration of exemplary communication and leadership.

 

Core Learning Outcomes

As a result of taking this course the student should be able to

1.  Compare personal strengths and needs to the Kouzes and Posner model of exemplary leadership.

2.  Apply new learning and perspectives to the problem-solving process.

3.  Evaluate research-based information and theories as a way of becoming an exemplary leader.

4.  Explain communication styles and values of different cultures and how these factors influence communication and leadership in a global environment.

5.  Synthesize program learning by combining theoretical knowledge and practical skills to develop effective strategies for resolving organizational issues and improving decision-making in that context.

6.  Synthesize beliefs and forms of knowledge as a way of putting new knowledge into practice.

7.  Describe your framework for ethical communication and leadership conduct in contemporary organizations, which may operate in a global context.


If you are Dr. Aitken's student, you will write seven essays using correct formal writing style. The topics of the seven essays are below. You will need to attach at least one document from at least one of the courses listed. In addition, you can add documents from elective courses not listed below.

1. Reflect on your peception of the centrality of communication in all aspects of personal and organizational life.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 501: Human Communication Perspectives
CA 504: Special Topics in Communication and Leadership
CA 505: Organizational Leadership
CA 510: Rhetorical Criticism
CA 529: Cross-Cultural Communication
CA 699: The Epistemology of Communication

2. Reflect on your ability to read and conduct research and apply the principles to their own organizations.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 516: Qualitative Methods of Communication Research
CA 517: Experimental Methods of Communication Research
CA 670: Measuring Leadership

3. Reflect on the exchange of ideas between you and organizational leaders concerning the requirements to achieve excellence.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 505: Organizational Leadership
CA 670: Measuring Leadership

4. Reflect on a historical overview of leadership perspectives from the 1940s to the present.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 501: Human Communication Perspectives
CA 670: Measuring Leadership
CA 699: The Epistemology of Communication

5. Reflect on your learning about communication styles and values of different cultures and how these factors influence business in a global environment.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 505: Organizational Leadership
CA 529: Cross-Cultural Communication

6. Reflect on your ability to combine theoretical knowledge and practical skills to resolve organizational issues and improve decision-making.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 501: Human Communication Perspectives
CA 516: Qualitative Methods of Communication Research
CA 517: Experimental Methods of Communication Research
CA 505: Organizational Leadership
CA 529: Cross-Cultural Communication
CA 670: Measuring Leadership
CA 699: The Epistemology of Communication

7. Reflect on your framework for ethical conduct in contemporary organizations.
Document your learning by attaching at least one piece of work selected from the following:
CA 501: Human Communication Perspectives
CA 505: Organizational Leadership
CA 529: Cross-Cultural Communication

In your essays, synthesize and evaluate your learning in the Communication and Leadership Master of Arts program. You may focus on exploration of a particular or few topic(s) of interest. Other elements may include the following:

  • Include specific principles and theories from courses in the program. 

  • Use that reflection to figure out how you will apply your learning in the future. 

  • Provide specific examples from your experience. 

  • Evaluate your personal strengths and needs and communication strategies you use to continue your personal communication and leadership improvement. 

  • Analyze how the program has influenced your ethical, professional, problem-solving, and decision-making behaviors. 

  • Reflect on what have you learned and how will you use that to improve your communication and leadership.  In agreement with your faculty advisor, you may select a particular area of emphasis, such as intercultural communication and leadership. 

  • Discuss what you have learned and applied, how you have improved your communication skills, and what you still need to learn.

 


 

EXAMPLE CORE ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

 

Competency

Exceeds Expectation

(2)

Meets Expectation

(1)

Does Not Meet Expectations

(0)

Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation

 

 

Learning Objectives # 5

Synthesizes research-based principles and theories learned in four courses and evaluates them to their pragmatic use in the student's experience.

Synthesizes principles learned in two to three courses and evaluates them to their pragmatic use in the student's experience.

 

Synthesizes principles learned in fewer than two courses and evaluates them to their pragmatic use in the student's experience.

 Application

 

Learning Objective #1, 2, 3, 6

Provides four examples of how the student will apply program learning to problem-solving in the future.

 

Evaluates strengths and needs against five areas of the exemplary leadership model.

Provides two or three examples of how the student will apply program learning to problem-solving in the future.

 

Evaluates strengths and needs against three or four areas of the exemplary leadership model.

 

Provides fewer than two examples of how the student will apply program learning to problem-solving in the future.

 

Evaluates strengths and needs against less than three areas of the exemplary leadership model.

Whole Artifact

 

Learning Objective #6, 7

Effective writing makes it easy for the reader to understand the student's

ethical, professional, and research-based strategies.

Minor errors seldom interfere with the overall professionalism and communication of the reflection.

 

Lack of effective writing or APA style interferes with focus on the content of the reflection.

 

 

Ideas for Course Reading List

 

Scholarly Articles click here.  Right click on the article to download.  These articles are protected by copyright and are accessible only to enrolled students with access to EBSCO Host or Wilson Indexes.

 

Aldoory, L., & Toth, E. (2004, April). Leadership and gender in public relations: perceived effectiveness of transformational and transactional leadership styles. Journal of Public Relations Research, 16(2), 157-183.

Barclay, L. (2008, March). The nature of leadership: reptiles, mammals, and the challenge of becoming a great leader. Business Communication Quarterly, 71(1), 123-125.

Barclay, L. (2009, March). Discursive leadership: in conversation with leadership psychology. Business Communication Quarterly, 72(1), 120-123.

Bisel, R., Ford, D., & Keyton, J. (2007, April). Unobtrusive Control in a Leadership Organization: Integrating Control and Resistance. Western Journal of Communication, 71(2), 136-158.

Clifton, J. (2006, July). A conversation analytical approach to business communication: The Case of Leadership. Journal of Business Communication, 43(3), 202-219.

Eicher-Catt, D. (2005, Spring2005). The myth of servant-leadership: A feminist perspective. Women & Language, 28(1), 17-25.

Farmer, B., Slater, J., & Wright, K. (1998, October). The role of communication in achieving shared vision under new organizational leadership. Journal of Public Relations Research, 10(4), 219-235.

Fatt, J. (2004, March). Leadership styles between technical and non-technical superiors: guess who will give subordinates more freedom on the job?. Journal of Technical Writing & Communication, 34(1/2), 91-111.

Hall, M. (2007, September). Communicating subjectivity: leadership as situated construction. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 15(3), 194-213.

Heath, R., Bradshaw, J., & Lee, J. (2002, October). Community Relationship Building: Local Leadership in the Risk Communication Infrastructure. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14(4), 317-353.

Infed.Org Site about Reflection in Learning, click here.

Limon, M., & France, B. (2005, Winter2005). Communication traits and leadership emergence: Examining the Impact of Argumentativeness, Communication Apprehension, and Verbal Aggressiveness in Work Groups. Southern Communication Journal, 70(2), 123-133.

Madlock, P. (2008, January). The link between leadership style, communicator competence, and employee satisfaction. Journal of Business Communication, 45(1), 61-78.

Muir, C. (2007, September). Leadership through storytelling. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(3), 367-369.

Schon, D, (1987).  Educating the reflective practitioner:  Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

Sheer, V., & Chen, L. (2003, June). Do superiors' intranet use predict their transformational leadership?. Asian Journal of Communication, 13(1), 120-136.

Turman, P., & Schrodt, P. (2004, Spring2004). New Avenues for Instructional Communication Research: Relationships among Coaches' Leadership Behaviors and Athletes' Affective Learning. Communication Research Reports, 21(2), 130-143.

University of Vermont Site about Reflection in Learning, click here.

Watt, D. (2007). On becoming a qualitative researcher: The value of reflexivity. Qualitative Report, 12(1), 82-101.  

 

 

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APA Style Information

Course Expectations & Guidelines for Students

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These pages are provided by Dr. Joan E. Aitken to supplement official information available through Park University. This page is provided as a free service, without the authority of any institution or organization. OnlineAcademics.Org. Copyright 2005-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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