Reflective Self-Assessment

Although your instructor grades your work and provides you with feedback, in many ways you are your own best judge. You know your strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. You also know how much you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown as a writer as a result of taking this course. This final writing assignment gives you the opportunity to reflect upon that learning and growth.

Self-assessments such as this one have practical applications for your career. In the workplace, it is increasingly common for employees to be asked to rate their own performance as part of the review process. This assignment will provide you with valuable practice that you will be able to draw upon now and in the future.

As you reflect on this course, please consider the “What?” and “So what?” and “Now what?” of your learning experience. Organize your paper in paragraphs with one for each section or group of questions listed below.

Introduction What were your expectations regarding your own performance in this course before it started? How satisfied are you with your accomplishments?

What?:

• What challenges did you expect to face in this course? Were there any unexpected challenges?
• Recall the writing process you followed for each essay. How would you assess your engagement in the writing process built into the weekly course activities, particularly the course discussions?
• How would you rate your time management with regard to submission of course deliverables, such as essays, discussion posts, and Connect assignments?
• What motivated your selection of topic, purpose, and audience for your writing assignments? How effectively do you think your essays accomplished your purposes with your intended audiences?

So What?:

• What did you learn about your strengths and challenges as a writer, researcher, and communicator?
• How will you use the skills you’ve honed to situations outside this course?

Now What?:

• What will you do differently in future courses?
• How will you address continuing challenges? What aspects of writing, researching, and communicating do you need to continue practicing?
• How will you more effectively communicate with individuals, teams, and communities?

Successful assignments will do the following.

• Respond to each of the four main sections in a separate, well-developed paragraph
• Be typed and submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) with 12-point font
• Follow current APA guidelines (link to APA template) for essay format
• Be one and one-half to two double-spaced pages (400–500 words), not including the title page
• Be submitted for grading