Purposeful Learning
Purposeful Learning is both a capacity and the lens through which students develop the five other core capacities in Communication & Expression (CE), Inquiry & Analysis (IA), Creativity & Innovation (CI), Numerical Literacy (NL), and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Every course approved for General Education incorporates goals and assignments linked to Purposeful Learning so students connect what they are learning and doing to how it matters in their lives. In centering Purposeful Learning across the General Education curriculum, SOU offers learners a practical approach to self-reflection, connecting with others, and adapting cross-disciplinary skills essential to lifelong learning. By applying the Purposeful Learning capacity/lens to their university experience, students relate their education to their broader, individually defined goals.
What: Purposeful Learning supports students’ ability to engage in intentional and guided reflection to identify and assess their personal, intellectual, and professional goals and develop a flexible plan to move them toward them.
Why: Purposeful Learning enables students to explore personal and professional options, identify and pursue new opportunities, leverage their skills to progress toward their aspirations, and continuously learn and improve.
Purposeful Learning Goals
Students will create actionable goals and demonstrate progress toward those Purposeful Learning in four categories:
Goals for Self-Awareness, Health, and Well-Being
Who am I? Who will I be or become? How do I want to live? What are my strengths and challenges? What are the conditions which create wellbeing for me? How do I nurture and sustain my mental and physical health?
Goals for Learning & Growth
What inspires me? What knowledge and skills do I wish to attain? How do I learn best? What are my optimal learning strategies? How best can I develop and enhance my writing, reading, speaking, and research skills?
Goals for Career & Finances
What careers are available to me? How do academic disciplines relate to specific careers? What does professional success look like to me? How do I make that success achievable and sustainable? How do I manage my finances and career development (resume-building, interviewing, portfolio construction and use, technological skills)?
Goals for Relationships & Community
What do I wish to contribute to the world around me? How do I want to show up for myself and others? What interpersonal skills are needed to help me engage in community issues, workplace dynamics, service work, and civic engagement?