Communication Skills Program Learning Outcome Reflection

The communication skills learning outcome assesses the ability to demonstrate clear,
comprehensive written and oral communication skills, as well as interpersonal communication
and group facilitation. Additionally, the use of technology is assessed within the communication
skills learning outcome. I chose two presentations to include within this outcome, which not
only represents my growth and development from my time in the Higher Education program, but
also signify my communication skills from before the program. This is important because it
represents my previous professional background in higher education, and shows how I can assess
my program learning through reflection on work Ive done in the field alongside coursework.
The first example is a 3x4 poster presentation from the Student Affairs Profession in
Higher Education course, which I completed during my first semester in the program. This was
my first poster presentation, and my first scholarly presentation. It was created in the style of a
research poster for a conference presentation, which could stand alone on display without my
presence. It represents my ability to synthesize a lengthy paper into a comprehensive single-slide
document that includes detailed policy analysis and research findings.
The second example is a virtual training created by my team at Kaplan University, which
involved various presentation technologies. This represents my skill in oral communication for
diverse audiences, and a focus on working collegially with diverse constituencies and to facilitate
group relations. I have utilized and expanded these communication skills throughout my time in
the program, in class presentations and projects, and during my various internships and
assistantships over the last two years, including enhancing a safe space training for the Illinois
Institute of Technology (IIT) and presenting during a leadership symposium at IIT. While I am
still incredibly proud of the work put into that training presentation, I am also able to see how my
communication skills are always growing and improving.