5315 Contribution to Your Learning and the Learning Community

As I reflect on my journey through the Assessing Digital Learning and Instruction course, I recognize the significant strides I’ve made in understanding how to measure learning in meaningful and relevant ways. This course challenged me to think deeply about how assessment aligns with instruction and how it can be used not only to measure student learning but to improve it. I give myself a self-assessment score of 95, acknowledging the dedication, collaboration, and growth I’ve shown throughout this course, even in the face of personal and professional challenges.

These past few weeks have been some of the most demanding in the ADL program. Between testing season at school and my son’s busy Little League baseball schedule, managing my time and energy was tough. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed, but I pushed through with the support of my learning community. I would not have made it without the consistent feedback, Zoom call collaboration, and GroupMe chats with Jelisa Davis-Sophus, Melissa Richards, and Patricia Hamilton. Their feedback on my Measurement Strategy and Action Research Outline updates was incredibly helpful and allowed me to improve the clarity and depth of those assignments. Working with this group was one of the most impactful parts of this course, and I’m grateful for the accountability and encouragement they provided.

One thing that worked well for me during this course was staying committed to the revision process. I revised all of my assignments based on instructor and peer feedback, making sure to reflect on those changes to deepen my understanding. Each revision helped me better align my work with course expectations and gave me the opportunity to improve my communication and planning strategies. I also made sure to complete all course readings, videos, and resources, which strengthened my understanding of assessment theory and best practices. The course content provided a solid foundation that supported the development of my action research and other assessments.

However, there are still areas where I can improve. One assignment I didn’t do as well on was the literature review. Life became overwhelming during that time, and I didn’t take the extra step of seeking peer feedback from my learning community. That missed opportunity was a reminder that collaboration is not just helpful—it’s essential to success in this program. Moving forward, I plan to be more proactive in building in time for peer reviews and feedback, especially for major assignments. I’ve also learned the importance of pacing my work more intentionally to avoid last-minute stress.

Throughout the course, I made a point to contribute to my collaboration group by offering feedback, sharing resources, and participating in discussion. Our shared efforts made a real difference in the quality of our work and in our ability to stay on track. I met all the course activity deadlines and remained fully engaged with the content, despite the challenges of balancing school, work, and family.

This course reinforced the idea that learning is about reflection, growth, and correcting mistakes. I’m leaving this course more confident in my ability to design and measure learning experiences and more committed than ever to applying these strategies in my own classroom and beyond.