GEN480: Networking and LinkedIn February 16, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Teaching, Career , trackbackWe discuss the importance of networking in GEN480 at the University of Phoenix. This is the Interdisciplinary Capstone course, generally taken at the end of the students’ programs. One of the recommendations that I make to students is to join LinkedIn or other professional networking sites. My LinkedIn public profile is here. Most of the students have never heard of LinkedIn, but some know about Facebook or MySpace.
GEN480 assignments reflect on the students’ goals set in GEN300 or GEN101 at the beginning of their programs. The course also stresses the importance of critical thinking and lifelong learning. The University of Phoenix has several courses that entwine critical thinking skills in discussions and assignments. We also discuss the relationship of the University’s learning goals with respect to students’ professional skills. The learning goals are (a) Professional Competence and Values, (b) Critical thinking and Problem Solving, (c) Communication, and (d) Information Utilization. Students write a “Past, Present, and Future Paper” reflecting upon their development through the program with an eye to the future.
Usually this class is fairly small because most are getting ready to graduate. Sadly, it is no secret that the drop out rate creeps up as students get closer to graduation. I only have four students in the class this time, which makes leading discussions a bit challenging. However, I have had large, medium, and small classes over the years and accept them all.
This week is the fifth and final class, and I will continue encouraging the students to network and to become lifelong learners. Some will go on to master’s programs and others will never take another course. However, I hope to have encouraged them to continue learning throughout their life by developing a hunger to know and discover.
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