Program Learning Outcome Reflection

Communication Skills

The ability to communicate effectively with both written and spoken language is part of

the Communication Skills learning outcome. Additionally, the learning outcome focuses on

students’ ability to use technology in research and instruction. The Theory Poster project was an

assignment that I completed for my Student Development in Higher Education course and I

believe that it helped me achieve the Communication Skills learning outcome.

This assignment asked students to choose one of many student development theories and

to use technological tools to create a professional poster presentation that detailed the theory. In

an effort to challenge myself to explore an identity that I had not previously critically analyzed, I

decided to present a poster for Worthington et al.’s Heterosexual Identity Development Model.

A particular challenge with this project was mastering the ability to be concise with my

communication. It was difficult to create a one-page poster with all of the required information.

However, I improved my writing and was able to include history of the model, an overview of

the model, significance of the model, how the model measures development, benefits and

limitations, implications and future research, and an appropriate conclusion. In an effort to

practice my technological skills, I used Microsoft Power Point to develop my poster. This took

some significant time, as it was necessary to adjust formatting and layout in order to include all

of the necessary information. Additionally, I had the opportunity to improve my oral

communication skills by presenting this poster to my class and a panel of guest judges. The

presentation had a relatively short time limit, which forced me to be concise, yet clear in what I

wanted to communicate. Overall, this project helped improve my communication skills in more

than one way.