Humanistic Learning Outcomes

I have been thinking more and more about the humanistic learning outcomes that I attempt to facilitate through my person-centered and nondirectional teaching style. For example, I have observed in students and have experienced directly increased activity and engagement, self-expression, relaxation, a greater range of emotions, self-reflection, and greater responsibility for learning. These do not apply equally to all students—some demonstrate them while others demonstrate little. 

But the question remains whether these observations and experiences are products of my own bias or byproducts of my getting to know my students more deeply as unique persons. In order to assess whether my courses facilitate these humanistic and self-growth-oriented learning goals, I need to design my courses in a systematic way. It would also be useful to develop an assessment strategy.

The first step is to list the outcomes that I believe to be facilitated by a person-centered approach.

• ·      Creativity
• ·      Curiosity
• ·      Congruence
• ·      Self-actualization
• ·      Emotional Intelligence

As time goes by, I will create new posts with links to these five outcomes.