BIS 293 – Estuaries and Coastlines
Reflective Essay #1
For this assignment write a reflective essay in response to one or more of the questions
below. The goal is to express a thoughtful assessment of your educational journey in
light of this course. You can choose which question(s) you wish to address. Use them
as a starting point. Feel free to synthesize and run with them.
But don’t feel so free as to write much more than 3 pages. Well, write all you want, but
submit something that has been reviewed and edited to a more concise statement.
Also, please submit your type-written essay with the text formatted at 1.5 spacing and
12 point font.
By the way, I am not really looking for a critique of the readings or the course. This
essay is about you. What, if anything, are you gaining by taking this course?
1. How does taking a “Natural World” course add value to your IAS education? In
what ways does exposure to natural science perspectives color your view of how
the world works? What is your take on the value of natural science research and
its potential impact on your life beyond the class? Is your regard for the process
of science and the issues of environmental science shifting?
2. Because you’ve completed Interdisciplinary Inquiry, you’ve read The Banking
Concept of Education by Paulo Freire. Thus far, the course has featured a lot of
lecturing by the professor that could easily be characterized as banking style
education. How is the predominance of this style of classroom interaction
impacting your learning? To what degree are you comfortable with a banking
concept of education? To what degree do you find it “oppressive” or
counterproductive? To what degree has your experience in the IAS program
influenced your responses to these questions?
3. How do you intend to take on the course research project differently than you
have in previous courses? How can you use this assignment to improve your
research, critical thinking, and collaboration skills? To get specific, refer to the
Interdisciplinary Research Assessment Rubric document online at
http://faculty.washington.edu/rturner1/BIS293/IR%20Rubric.doc . Wow – did you know we
have such high expectations of you? In what ways are you going to move
towards the “substantially developed” end of the scale in interdisciplinary
research? What could help you in your research and collaboration efforts?
4. We’ve been learning that coastal ecosystems are being seriously degraded and
this has the potential to seriously limit our future prospects. How does learning
about this make you feel? Is it just new information to store or does it bother you
enough to make you want to take some sort of action? Does it make you want to
learn more? Does it make you want to be an agent of social change? How
might this course influence you after it is done?
BIS 293 – Estuaries and Coastlines
Evaluation
How will I evaluate your reflective essay? After all, there are no right or wrong answers
when asked to reveal your thoughts and opinions. But your effort and the quality of your
product can certainly vary. Aside from just doing the assignment, I am mostly looking
for evidence of reflective thought. More specifically, you will be evaluated on your
success in articulating how the course is intersecting with your educational experience.
To a lesser extent, you will also be evaluated on your writing skills.
The essay is worth a maximum of 15pts. I will use the following rubric to evaluate your
essay and assign point values. Please recall that the total maximum points you can
score will go down 5% for every day your essay is submitted late. If you are unhappy
with the score you earn on your essay, you might be able to boost your grade with a
revision and resubmission, subject to approval by the instructor.
Points
scored
Content
Writing
Adherence
to Format
Guidelines
Poor (1)
Not reflective or
relevant to any
of the guiding
questions.
Points are
scattered or
reasoning is
haphazard. No
personal or
unique insights.
Fair (5)
Connections
are made
between the
course and
personal
experience, but
they are
inconsistent –
some points are
unpersuasive,
unclear, or offbase. Personal
stance unclear.
Good (8)
Fulfills the
objectives of
the
assignment.
Multiple
good points
are made
and
supported.
Personal
stance is
clear.
Very Good (10)
Compelling.
Abundant
evidence of
critical and
independent
thought. Makes
connections in
a creative and
unique way.
Personal stance
is persuasive.
Poor (0)
Difficult to read
because of
choppy writing,
redundancies,
many spelling
and grammar
errors and/or
poor
organization.
Fair (1)
Clarity of essay
suffers due to
weak
organization or
spelling and
grammar errors.
Good (2)
Evident care
spent on
writing and
reviewing.
Minimal
writing
problems.
Very Good (3)
A joy to read.
Flows smoothly
with creative
and logical
transitions and
organization.
Poor (0)
Submitted late
or does not
adhere to any of
the guidelines.
Fair (1)
Adheres to
most of the
guidelines.
Good (2)
Adheres to
the
guidelines in
all ways.