Independent Learning Initiative
Students will be asked to participate in an Independent Learning Initiative. The purpose of the ILI is to help students articulate their goals and expectations at the start of the GDCR program. Making goals explicit will help students to assess how well they are meeting them throughout their course of study. Experience shows that goals often change over time; tracking them will provide insight into growth and development. The statement will become a “template” by which students can track their progress throughout the program; it is to be handed in the last day of class. Students are also required to keep a “Learning Journal” (see guidelines for doing journals). Journals are to be handed in with the final assignment.
What is an Independent Learning Initiative?
The ILI provides independent opportunities for you while a student in the GDCR program to actively participate and reflect upon your own learning. In each course, you will be given opportunities for self-reflection designed to create an optimal learning experience. ILI assignments include keeping a journal, reflecting on goals and expectations, assessing skill development, and other activities specifically focused on helping you recognize your learning path, progress and success.
Why is the ILI such an integral part of the GDCR program?
Course readings, class discussions and lectures are important aspects of the GDCR program. So too is personal self-reflection, as it is key to developing an appreciation of your experience of the ideas and skills. Self-reflection, which is at the core of the ILI, helps you to take the teachings of the classroom a step further into a more personal and meaningful place where deep insights often occur. Through self-reflection, you can begin to get a greater understanding of who you are as an individual in relation to the course readings, class discussions and class assignments, and how they will impact your practice as a mediator. Throughout the course of your studies, you will be provided with many opportunities to reflect on the development of your skills and performance. You will be required to analyze conflict situations that are transferable to real life. Reflecting on these situations will help you draw links to how they might apply within your own personal and work realms. It is these links that create moments of awakening (aha! moments) and lead to transformative learning. Throughout the GDCR program, you will be encouraged to complete readings and assignments mindfully and with intention, which involves taking conscious notice of your learning as you begin to question what you do, and why are doing it. The GDCR program is not about memorizing formulas or theories; it is about remaining curious and open to learning and to understanding how it applies to you and, then, to others. The GDCR program is a combination of both theoretical foundations and practical skills development, the latter of which is of particular focus in the ILI. Without reflecting independently on what you have learned you are less able to recognize and appreciate your skill development as you move from novice to artist.
The ILI is a journey into self-examination that encourages you to become a more competent and reflective practitioner. It leads you to discover your own personal style and values thus maintaining authenticity as a practitioner. Self reflection involves evaluating your limitations, strengths, weaknesses and biases, and understanding how they can impact future conflict actions and interventions. Before bringing parties to the table, you must first understand what you, as a mediator, are bringing to the table; this requires examining who you are, at your core.
Which course assignments incorporate the ILI?
The GDCR program incorporates various assignments which provide you with ample opportunity to take initiative in your own learning. All courses require you to maintain a learning journal in which you include your self-reflections of the day’s most insightful moments. The learning journal provides an opportunity to express thoughts, questions and concerns that allows you to reflect on during and after each course. Most courses also provide you with an opportunity to conduct written self-assessments which help you monitor your strengths, weaknesses, limitations and obstacles. These self-assessments also examine your expectations of yourself and the program as well as your interests in the area of mediation. In Laws 5700, you learn to critique and self-reflect on your course readings, and it is expected that you will continue this practice in all your other courses. Critical thinking encourages you not to adopt everything that is said by a given author as true, but to reflect on it in relation to other knowledge and experience.
As part of the ILI you are required to maintain a binder, to be handed in during Laws 5702, which contains the collection of your ILI assignments. That is, a binder which forms a comprehensive look at your journal entries, your self-assessments, your written assignments and critiques, and your term papers – all of which help demonstrate your evolution and learning development throughout the program.
Another invaluable learning tool, albeit less formal, are the check-ins conducted in each class. Generally, at the start and end of each day, you have the opportunity to share your self-reflections openly with the class and the professor. Sharing these insights allows you to learn both from your own personal experiences, as well as from others’ personal experiences. These reflections help create links between the course material, your classmates, and day to day life.
What do students of the GDCR program have to say about the benefits ILI?
“This is a program that must be savored – each course, each assignment, my independent learning initiative – they weave an overall learning experience together for me. And I do more of my learning AFTER a course is finished – it’s as though I need “soak” time to really squeeze as much learning out of it as possible. As Larry Sherman says when he refers to mediation – we don’t want to leave anything of value on the table. If I were to blow through this program without time for reflection, I would be leaving more than half of my learning “on the table” and that would be a terrible waste.” – Cathy Lyons
“I find that journaling helps me to gather my thoughts, induces deeper reflection and introspection, and seems to elicit insight into my learning progress. There is something about setting the time aside and putting pen to paper that facilitates reflection.” – Mike Blake
“The ILI has allowed me to reflect on my learning journey: where I’ve been, where I am and where I’m going. It is also a very useful one-stop info package. Having easy access to assignments, information and personal reflections has helped me increase my self-awareness and enriched my learning journey.” – Suzanne Davidson
Learning Journal
A Learning Journal is a way of systematically recording your thoughts, impressions, concerns, questions and reflections. It provides an informal yet focused opportunity to express whatever comes to mind as you read course materials, participate in class discussions, attend to faculty presentations, and engage in conversations with colleagues.
Why keep a Learning Journal
Kept with frequent and fairly regular entries over months or years, a Learning Journal provides a growing picture of your understanding of conflict resolution theory and practice, your professional aspirations, and the ways in which your learning is unfolding. For some, it can be a tool for analyzing and solving problems; for others it is a source of new ideas and questions to be explored. Recording concerns and questions allows you to come back to them and address them with new insights and perspectives. In essence, then, a Learning Journal helps you think about, evaluate and bring together your learning throughout the GDCR program.
Objectives of the Learning Journal
- To help you reflect upon your learning experiences.
- To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as your personal preferences, values, biases and emotional reactions to various learning activities.
- To help you evaluate your learning and development throughout the GDCR program.
- To facilitate the integration of theory and practice.
- To assist with papers and assignments.
- To help you become a reflective practitioner.
How to keep a Learning Journal
Use a notebook specifically for this purpose. Please ensure that there are margins available for comments from the faculty.
Each entry should include the date, a brief description of the situation or learning event, a reflective comment about your learning, assumptions, insights, feelings, questions, and, when possible, follow-up action, resources, or other “to do” information.
A Learning Journal is personal and will reflect the personality of the learner. Be creative. Be honest. Be thorough. Challenge yourself.
Do keep in mind that from time to time faculty may wish to read your journal as part of their role in helping to further your studies and development.
Organize and write your observations, questions and comments without concern for just the right word and whether your spelling and grammar are correct.
Getting Started
Begin your Learning Journal with some reflective questions. You will no doubt find value in returning to these questions as you progress through the program.
- What metaphors, images or expressions would I use to describe conflict?
- What three things do I believe about conflict?
- What is my pattern of behaviour when involved in a conflict situation?
- What do I like about my pattern; what works, what seems effective?
- What do I dislike; what behaviours get in the way of being effective?
- What worries me most when I am involved in conflict?
- What would I most like to change about how I deal with conflict?
- What do I want to get out of the GDCR program; what do I want to learn; what knowledge and skills do I want to acquire?
- What strengths do I bring to this program; which of these strengths will help me in accomplishing my learning goals?
- What beliefs, behaviours and attitudes will I need to put aside in order to achieve my learning objectives?
- What concerns do I have about the GDCR program, and how will I address them?
Continuing with your Learning Journal
You might want to reflect upon and include responses to the following as part of your Learning Journal:
- A critique of course readings or other texts dealing with conflict resolution.
- Your reaction to particular ideas, questions, or comments raised in class.
- Your reaction to activities and exercises.
- Newspaper accounts of a current conflict and your analysis on how it was handled.
- The recounting and analysis of a conflict in your personal or professional life – what worked for you, what didn’t.
- Any “brain waves” (new ideas, comments, ah-ha’s) that may have occurred to you.
- Insights about your values, bias, personal preferences, and conflict style.
- Connections between topics/issues/readings that occurred to you during a course, or between courses.
When grading your learning journal, faculty will be looking for:
- Whether you are reflecting on the readings or class activities, or whether you are simply recounting what had occurred.
- Whether you are able to identify any lessons learned, “ah hah” moments, or other insights, challenges, questions.
- Whether you are able to see how the course material might relate to your present or future work.
Higher marks will be given to those who were able to identify the lessons they learned, and lower marks to those whose journals are primarily a summary of the week’s activities.