Running head: SIGNIFICANT LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Significant Learning Experiences: Leadership Syllabi in Higher Education

Naseeb K. Bhangal
Loyola University Chicago

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Five syllabi from five different courses and instructors were chosen to understand how
faculty members approach designing and instructing leadership courses in higher education.
According to Fink (2003), individuals and organizations involved in higher education are
expressing a need for important kinds of learning[including] leadership (p. 34), a topic that
compels instructors and students to go beyond the traditional cognitive domains of learning and
towards significant learning experiences. Nilson (2010) noted that people tend to learn materials
that are connected to their own lives, and with leadership being a significant learning goal for
many higher education institutions, this paper seeks to understand whether leadership courses
draw out lived experiences in the classroom. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) discussed
that students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works (p. 15).
Arguably these preconceptions apply to concepts, such as leadership, which students regularly
come into contact with, both within and outside of their respective institutions. In an effort to
understand if faculty instructing leadership courses welcome the pre-existing knowledge their
students bring to their courses, and if faculty are promoting significant learning experiences, five
syllabi are described, analyzed, compared, and deconstructed using course readings in this paper.
Description: 5 Course Syllabi
The titles of the five courses and syllabi include the following: Leadership and
Storytelling (Albert & Vadla, 2008); Asian Pacific American Leadership (Naik & Sawyer,
2008); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Leadership (Vargas & Hagovsky, 2005);
Decision-Making and Leadership (Middlebrooks, 2008); and Introduction to Leadership Studies
(Mmeje, K., 2016). From the five chosen syllabi, one of the syllabi is from an undergraduate
course (i.e. Leadership and Storytelling) I completed at Gonzaga University, which focused
primarily on the lived experiences of students learning about authentic leadership. The

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Introduction to Leadership Studies syllabus was intentionally chosen to explore how leadership
is being instructed currently at Loyola University Chicago. All five course syllabi focused on
helping students better their understanding of leadership through the following: knowledge
acquisition of contemporary threads of leadership theories and events; inviting students to
develop or discuss their own leadership philosophies; and encouraging application of knowledge
from the classroom to the surrounding campus environment. All five syllabi include insightful
course descriptions. Some of the course descriptions highlighted the importance of social
identities, i.e. race and/or sexuality, in leadership (Naik & Sawyer, 2008; Vargas & Hagovsky,
2005), while others focused on leadership as a process that can be understood through
storytelling (Albert & Vadla, 2008), decision-making (Middlebrooks, 2008), and re-learning to
address common misconceptions of leadership (Mmeje, 2016).
All five syllabi present varying degrees of expectations of students when it comes to
classroom participation, grades, assignments, and theoretical framework(s). What is clear across
all five syllabi is that faculty and instructors do not only present their expectations of the course
to students, but they also design individual exercises and assignments that can complement the
students learning styles, lived experiences, and the course literature. Course structure is
immensely important to a students experience (Bransford et al., 1999). What faculty include in
their course syllabus and how they include it, according to Nilson (2010), influences student
learning. Nilson (2010) urged faculty to recognize the needs of their audience in their course
design, especially when working with the millennial generation, which values communication
and information and respond well when [faculty] explain why [faculty] use the teaching and
assessment methods [they] do (p. 12). Knowing this, it is not surprising to see all five courses
include a specific statement on grading, faculty availability, and course materials.

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Bransford et al. (1999) emphasized that the meaning of knowing has shifted from
being able to memorize and repeat information to being able to find and use it (p. 5). In an
initial overview of the five syllabi, it is clear that faculty in leadership studies are preparing
students to go beyond simply knowing leadership taxonomies to instead applying,
deconstructing, and reconstructing concepts of leadership as it relates to their own lived
experiences. In attempting to help students look at leadership beyond simple rote memorization,
some faculty had similar course structures (i.e. lived experiences), while others varied (i.e.
assessment). These similarities and differences will be overviewed in the next section.
Compare and Contrast the Syllabi
When comparing the five syllabi the following similarities became notable and worthy of
additional consideration: transfer of leadership and learning to different contexts is encouraged
and students lived experiences are acknowledged. Bransford et al. (1999) noted that learning in
the classroom should be transferable to other areas of students lives. Bransford et al. (1999)
defined transfer as the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts
(p. 51). Bransford et al. (1999) believed that transfer is influenced by the degree to which people
learn with understanding rather than simply memorizing facts. In all of the syllabi, it is obvious
that the instructors have placed importance on the transfer of knowledge to different contexts
outside of the classroom. Whether this transfer was achieved is a different matter.
Naik and Sawyer (2008) focused on helping students in the Asian Pacific American
Leadership course broaden the picture and go into issues affecting APAs (p. 1) by helping
students move from being leaders on their campus to leaders in society through a serviceimmersion assignment. Similarly, in the course objectives for the Decision-Making course,
Middlebrooks (2008) included that students will be able to explain implications for real-world

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leadership and decision making across varied contexts (p. 1). In the Introduction to Leadership
Studies course, Mmeje (2016) incorporated an Interpreting Leadership in Context assignment
for students to gain a broader understanding and appreciation of how context (including social
identities) influences leadership (p. 9). Through these examples, it is evident that most
leadership courses aim to push students to go beyond course literature and apply learning to
additional contexts.
Another similarity that was evident when reviewing the five syllabi, is that every course
aimed to help students connect what they learn in [their] courses with their life file rather than
just their course file (Fink, 2003, p. 7). Fink (2003) described the life file as a component of a
students schema that was shaped directly by lessons from their everyday life, and they draw on
this file for all their life decisions, questions, actions, and so on (p. 7). Naik and Sawyer (2008)
assigned students an assignment that required them to complete a Personal History Paper.
Similarly, in the Leadership and Storytelling course, Albert and Vadla (2008) grounded the
voices of students in the course assignments in order to help students develop an understanding
of authentic leadership. By using Noel Tichys (as cited in Albert and Vadla, 2008) three
leadership stories, Who I Am, Who We Are, and the Future Story, students are not only able to
share their pre-existing knowledge of authentic leadership, but they are also able to connect the
course to themselves, which is often the missing link in learning (Bransford et al., 1999). Having
taken part in Albert and Vadlas (2008) Leadership and Storytelling course, I have come to see
stories as a powerful tool that evokes critical self-reflection and vulnerability. While I have
forgotten the names of my classmates, to this day I still remember the stories they shared due to
the emotional responses their stories elicited. This is consistent with Nilsons (2010) reading,
which noted that people learn better when emotions are evoked.

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While similarities surfaced across the five syllabi, so did a few notable differences: the
role of social identities within course curriculum and the need for assessment. Aside from Naik
and Sawyers (2008) focus on Asian Pacific identity and Vargas and Hagovskys (2005)
emphasis on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender identity, the other leadership courses did
not highlight social identities to the extent that is required. Mmeje (2016) mentioned social
identities as a central theme in the Introduction to Leadership Studies course, however this was
not emphasized to the extent the other two courses touched upon social identities. Bransford et
al. (1999) utilized the term learner centered (p. 134) to describe environments that recognize
the beliefs, skills, knowledge, and attitudes that students bring to the classroom. According to
Ladson-Billings (as cited in Bransford, 1999), in order to create a true learner centered (p.134)
experience, educators must include teaching practices that have been called culturally
responsive, culturally appropriate, culturally compatible, and culturally relevant (p. 134).
When thinking about culturally appropriate techniques, Nilsons (2010) understanding of how
educators can incorporate social identities, such as gender, race, ethnicity, nation origin, sexual
orientation, and religion is helpful. Nilson (2010) believed that instructors must serve as an
ambassador of the academy to [minoritized groups], [as they] are close enough to them to reach
out and include them (p. 14). Albert and Valda (2008) and Middlebrooks (2008) failed to
explicitly note the importance of social identities in their syllabi, further perpetuating the norm
(Bransford, 1999) that social identities do not intersect with leadership frameworks.
With the exception of Vargas and Hagovskys (2005), the other course syllabi failed to
include assessment opportunities into the curriculum. Mmeje (2016) provided extensive rubrics
for course assignments, which are helpful sources of instruction for students regarding
expectations. However, rubrics alone are not enough. According to Bransford et al. (1999),

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Assessment and feedback are crucial for helping people learn (p. 244), and effective faculty
continually attempt to learn about students thinking and understanding and make it relevant to
current learning tasks (p. 245). In the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Leadership
course, Vargas and Hagovskys (2005) incorporated an opportunity to collect Self, Class, &
Material Assessments during the fourth, eighth, and twelfth weeks of the course. Vargas and
Hagovsky (2008) encouraged students to assess their own performance in the classroom, in
addition to assessing the performance of the larger class and the usefulness of the classroom
materials. Nilson (2010), along with Bransford et al. (1999), encouraged educators to build
plenty of assessment opportunities into the course that go beyond low-stakes quizzes,
reflection papers, and group projects. In order to evaluate whether any of the chosen syllabi
contribute to significant learning experiences, the next section will analyze the course materials
by drawing on Finks (2003) taxonomy of significant learning experiences.
Integrate Significant Learning Experiences
Fink (2003) believed that significant learning is learning that makes a difference in how
people live (p. 7). The taxonomy of significant learning includes six types of learning:
foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning how to
learn (Fink, 2003). The taxonomy of significant learning begins with foundational knowledge
for obvious reasons, as students have to some valid basic knowledge about their chosen topic or
course. All syllabi, with the exception of Albert & Valda (2008), provide foundational
knowledge for their respective courses on decision making, the Asian Pacific identity, Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender identity, and leadership theories.
The second kind of significant learning type includes application, where students learn
how to use and apply foundational knowledge. This type of learning is often characterized by

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skills (i.e. reflection; oral communication; writing), complex projects with many subtasks, and
critical thinking (Fink, 2003). All five syllabi incorporate opportunities for students to apply
their learning and knowledge acquisition. Albert and Valda (2008) encouraged students to
develop stories as a means of working on their writing and oral communication skills. Vargas
and Hagovsky (2005) required students to lead classroom dialogue in order to help students
apply their critical thinking skills, which Fink (2003) defined as the process of analyzing and
evaluating something (p. 46). Mmeje (2016) and Naik and Sawyer (2008) incorporated service
learning and emersion trips into their course syllabi, which compels students to learn how to
organize and coordinate many different tasks to successfully complete the whole project (p. 45).
Service learning and experiential opportunities can address issues of boredom and relevance
which are discussed by Bransford et al. (1999) and Nilson (2010).
The third kind of significant learning includes integration, where students learn how to
connect and relate various things to each other (Fink, 2003, p. 49). Within integration
interdisciplinary learning is immensely valued along with transferring learning from the
classroom to other areas of life (Fink, 2003). Naik and Sawyer (2008) and Vargas and Hagovsky
(2005), promoted integration by discussing leadership from a media, sociological, and critical
race theory lens. By discussing race and sexuality through various lenses, these faculty fostered
an environment where students can think about leadership from perspectives of two or more
disciplines while also extending the learning to students personal and social identities.
The fourth dimension of significant learning is the human dimension, which addresses
the important relationships and interactions we all have with ourselves and with others (Fink,
2003, p. 50). Mmeje (2016) and Albert and Valda (2008) provided several opportunities in their
course design for students to explore their self-image (Fink, 2003, p. 51) and interactions with

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other people. Mmeje (2016) used the Interpreting Leadership in Context assignment to help
students use dialogue and interviewing skills to share their own values with someone at their
service learning site, while also engaging with a community leader about their leadership values.
Similarly, Albert and Valda (2008) encouraged students to write their Who We Are story as a
tool for helping students explore the power of personal authorship, which is consistent with
Finks (2003) writings on the human dimension.
The fifth kind of significant learning is caring, which Fink (2003) acknowledged resulted
from faculty wanting students to care about their learning and subject matter. Based on the
knowledge that is provided across the five syllabi, it is hard to indicate whether students
experienced care about leadership as it relates to decision-making, storytelling, theories, and
social identities. Vargas and Hagovsky (2005) were the only instructors who incorporated
assessment into their course. Without similar assessment incorporated into the other courses, it
is difficult to measure a sense of care among students. Mmeje (2016) encouraged students to
utilize e-Portfolios to assess their learning. Through web reflections, it may be possible to better
gage students evolving passion for the course and their care. Overall, after reviewing the five
syllabi, it is clear that the fifth type of significant learning is not always readily measurable.
The sixth type of significant learning is that of helping students learn how to learn,
specifically helping students learn to be self-directed learners. Fink (2003) acknowledged the
need for autodidaxy, which means knowing how to learn what one needs to learn in life (p.
60). In order to promote self-promoted learning, or autodidaxy, students are often encouraged to
select a topic to investigate and share with the larger class in their course. In the Decision
Making and Leadership course, Middlebrooks (2008) invited students to present on a relevant
topics discussed throughout the course curriculum. While this type of assignment may appear to

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facilitate self-promoted learning, it mostly limits learning as a method unique to the student role.
Instead, Fink (2003) argued that self-promoted learning should move beyond the student role, to
encourage students to ask What should I be learning beyond this topic, and why, and how (p.
60)? Mmeje (2016) and Albert and Valda (2008) primed students for self-directed learning by
encouraging students to become aware of their own life goals and how their current
commitments and values support them in achieving their goals. Both of these courses on
leadership, asked students to think about who they are, why they are in the classroom, and where
they want to go through course assignments, which helps students learn how to become selfdirected learners (Fink, 2003). Finks (2003) taxonomy of significant learning experiences
provides a better understanding of the five selected syllabi. The next section explores where
additional clarification is required to better understand significant learning experiences.
Conclusion
In analyzing five syllabi, it became apparent that the course readings do not consider
whether certain disciplines, such as leadership, relative to other disciplines, such as STEM
courses, are more or less primed to develop significant learning experiences. Additionally, while
every component of Finks (2003) taxonomy of significant learning experiences can be seen
throughout the five chosen courses, it is hard to find one syllabus that incorporates all six
components. The readings offer several critiques, but fail to shed light on whether it is even
possible to support significant learning experiences using all components of Finks (2003)
taxonomy. This leads the reader to wonder which type of learning experience (i.e. foundational
knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learn how to learn) should be
prioritized if all forms of learning cannot be sufficiently embedded within a syllabus. Finally, it
is slightly ironic that majority of the literature on how individuals learn is largely inaccessible to

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educators and readers. While Bransford et al. (1999), Fink (2003),and Nilson (2010) deconstruct
and reconstruct preconceptions about learning, they still fail to consider who they leave behind
through their drawn-out and dense prose.

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References
Albert, J. F. & Vadla, K. (2009). Authentic leadership development in the classroom: A narrative
Approach. Journal of Leadership Education, 8(1), 72-92.
http://www.leadershipeducators.org/Resources/Documents/jole/2009_summer/JOLE_8_1
_Albert_Vadla.pdf
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.) (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to
developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mmeje, K. (2016). Introduction to Leadership Studies [Syllabus]. Chicago, IL: Educational and
Leadership Policy Studies, Loyola University Chicago.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B41CkelVwd5sVkkxRjU2T2NaTDg/view?usp=sharing
Middlebrooks, T. (2008). Decision-Making and Leadership [Syllabus]. Newark, DE: Leadership
Program, School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware.
http://www.ila-net.org/communities/MIGs/EdSyllabi/Decision-Making.pdf
Naik, D. & Sawyer, R. (2008). Asian Pacific American Leadership [Syllabus]. College Park,
MD: Counseling & Personnel Services and Asian American Studies Program, University
of Maryland. http://www.ila-net.org/communities/MIGs/EdSyllabi/AsianPacific.pdf
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Vargas, M. B. & Hagovsky, E. (2005). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Leadership
[Syllabus]. College Park, MD: Counseling & Personnel Services, University of
Maryland.

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https://nclp.umd.edu/include/pdfs/sample%20syllabi/maryland%20LGBT%20syllabus.pd
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