Final Learning Plan and Agreement

For your final project for this course, look back at your work products and your learning journal to assess your progress in your self-identified learning objectives. Remember, the
goal of this activity is to observe your learning, so critical thinking and evidence will count more than general statements of achievement. After you have completed your selfassessment, please ask your mentor to assess your learning. Discuss your assessments, and then identify opportunities for continued learning in the future.
Student: Victoria Landa-Steinau
Your Learning Objectives

Mentor: David Van Zytveld

Domain

Dimension

Organization: Center for Urban Learning and Research

Activities

Assessment

Date Completed:

Self-Assessment

Supervisors
Assessment

Future Learning
Identified

In terms of practical
research skills, I hope to
learn how to identify social
problems demanding
research, properly analyze
the results, and
appropriately distribute the
results.

Skills

Personal
Developmen
t

Collaborating on
research projects with
faculty

Demonstrate original
research capability in
a class paper

In my Political
Numbers Class, I
conducted my own,
original research
alongside three of my
peers. Through my
experience at CURL
as well as help from
my Political Numbers
professor, I was able
to competently walk
through the process
of asking a research
question,
hypothesizing,
experimental
production, data
collection, analysis,
and now
dissemination.
Having had
experience in a
variety of these steps
beforehand
supplemented my
capability to
complete these steps
for my group project
and group write-up.

Victoria is a quick
study and did
excellent work. I very
much appreciate that
she was able to
combine her work
here with her work in
classes to broaden
her expertise.

Throughout my
next year of
college, I will
continue to
research new ideas
and concepts for
my coursework as
well as cocurricular
activities. Even at
CURL, I saw that
my previous
experience as a
research assistant
at DePaul
University
benefitted my
current
employment.

I want to learn in-depth

information about the social

Knowledge

Civic/Justice-

Conducting research
on my own as well as

Present findings to the

instructor in journal

Through mainly
working on four

Victoria is, as I noted

above, a quick study.

In order to
continue to expose

problems occurring in
Chicago. I want to be able to
elaborate on significant
issues facing local
marginalized populations.

Oriented

learning from
community partners,
faculty, and other
fellows

entries

projects at CURL, I
have been exposed
to a variety of areas
of injustice:
accountability issues,
environmental
injustice, lack of
equal access to
quality education,
and inadequate
responses to victims
of sexual violence.
Because of my indepth exposure to
these topics, I have
been able to have
knowledgeable
conversations about
them with my peers,
parents, and
supervisors. I went
on a retreat at met a
few Special
Education majors. We
were able to have a
very interesting
conversation about
their differing
experiences as
student-teachers
depending on the
location of their site
visits. I was able to
comprehend their
situation because of
my exposure to the
qualitative data I had
worked on at CURL.
The other day, I was
speaking to my
professor about the
differences in culture
between those in the
Middle East and the
United States. I was
able to use my

More importantly she

has done an
excellent job of
pushing herself to
make connections
between her work
here at CURL and
elsewhere. That is a
skill and approach
that will serve her
well!

myself to the
social problems
facing my
community, I must
stay involved. I will
continue to join
organizations
throughout my
lifetime, meet new
people, and listen
to their stories. I
will also continue
to read the local
news and stay
inquisitive as I
meet community
and business
leaders.

experience with the

Muslim lens of sexual
violence to have a
more interesting
conversation. These
are just two
examples of how my
time at CURL has
helped me
accomplish this goal.
I want to learn how to relate
my experiences with those
who come from different
backgrounds.

Attitude

Personal
Developmen
t

Interacting with people

from Loyola University
and others in different
settings

Present findings to the

instructor in journal
entries

Although I have not

had any direct
interactions with
community partners,
I have had the
opportunity to
transcribe a few
interviews. Through
these interviews, I
have been able to
hear about others
experiences. I have
also collaborated on
a couple of the
projects I worked on
during my time at
CURL. Through this
collaboration, I was
exposed to different
personalities and
leadership styles. By
working on projects
with others, I was
able to learn more
about my own
personal preferences
and how to
compromise to meet
common ground.

I regret that we
werent able to have
Victoria meet up
directly with any of
our community
partners. I can say
that the community
partners DID very
much appreciate all
her hard work on the
project. We would
definitely keep
Victoria on our staff if
she were staying in
the area.

I enjoy learning
about new
perspectives, even
when it can be
difficult. To
broaden my
horizon, I will make
an effort to
surround myself
with individuals
who challenge
what I think of as
the norm by
always being open
to meeting new
people. These are
the type of people
who help me grow.
I will also try to
remain patient
when I interact
with others who I
do not understand
in an attempt to at
least understand
why we hold
differing views.

I hope to identify whether or

not conducting research is a
career path I would like to
pursue in the future. Did I

Value

Professional
Developmen
t

Being exposed to
research and learning
how to conduct
research, seeing what

Demonstrated on my
final ePortfolio and
whether or not I want

By conducting
research, I have been
able to learn a whole
lot more about it. As

I think that the

ambivalence that
Victoria expresses
here is right where

Every time I hold a

new position, I do
not only learn the
ins and outs of the

like this experience? Do I

enjoy using the skills needed
to conduct research? Am I
good at it? Is there a
demand for what I want to
do with research?

a day in the life or a

researcher looks like

to follow this path

a sophomore in
college, I have
realized that I have a
long way to go before
knowing exactly what
I want to do. As my
fellowship with CURL
nears its conclusion, I
cannot say that I
strongly feel one way
or another in terms of
pursuing research as
a career. After the
Symposium for
Undergraduate
Research, I know that
if I were to pursue
research, it would
definitely be social
science research.
However, I have also
learned that I am a
very social person. I
am energized off of
talking with people,
asking questions,
trying to understand
material, presenting,
etc. I had a difficult
time sitting at a desk
for five hour shifts
working on the
computer. I find
research interesting
but I want to work
more with face-toface interactions
rather than behind
the scene.

she should be at this

stage. This work isnt
for everyone and she
will have to continue
that exploration
(among many other
avenues of interest
for her). CURL staff
stand at the ready to
help her wherever
she is in the world
as she continues that
exploration.

position, but also

more about myself.
I plan on interning
while I am abroad
next year and I am
excited to see
what kind of
information I learn
about myself once
there cultural layer
is added to my
new positions. I
also learn about
possible career
paths by talking to
those who are
already in them. I
will continue to
talk to and job
shadow those who
hold positions that
interest me.

We have discussed this learning plan and agree to work collaboratively throughout the semester towards these objectives, via the activities and assessment described above.

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Student Signature

__________________________________________
Mentor Signature