Identity, Community, Responsibility and Bodies of Knowledge From “A New Agenda for Higher Education: Shaping a Life of the Mind for Practice.” 2008. William M. Sullivan and Matthew S. Rosin. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For purposes of the ORGL seminars, you will be particularly interested in understanding the highlighted concepts on page 94 of the following excerpt. “The academy” refers to institutions of higher education. INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS on Sullivan & Rosin… Chapter IV, pgs. 93 – 95. Sullivan & Rosin describe four guiding principles that relate to how students learn: I. Identity II. Community III. Responsibility IV. Bodies of Knowledge These elements also relate to the different approaches of the three ORGL seminars. In ORGL 3000, emphasis is on the Self - or your personal identity – and how you learn. Sullivan and Rosin define IDENTITY: Identity is “the reflective and formative…ways in which persons are formed, through institutional and social engagement, as they participate in evolving traditions of knowing” (Sullivan & Rosin Part I of IV, 2008, p. 94) In ORGL 3050, we concentrate on Self in Context referring to those things around us which influence how our identities develop and how we interact with others: Self in Context relates to Sullivan and Rosin’s Parts II and III: COMMUNITY is “Participation with others populates the imagination with models of what it means to engage the natural, social, and contextual contexts of action.” RESPONSIBILITY—“the person lives up to her responsibility for others and the values of the community… Only by keeping faith with the trust of others does the professional achieve legitimacy and meaning.” (Sullivan & Rosin, 2008, p. 94) In ORGL 4000, the focus is on how the Self Transforms, being able to appreciate multiple perspectives or bodies of knowledge, being self-aware and being able to transform our behaviors. In Sullivan and Rosen’s Part IV of IV, BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE are defined as — disciplinary (and multidisciplinary) frameworks for ‘arguing and knowing.’ (Sullivan & Rosin, 2008, p. 94) Sullivan & Rosin’s Practical Reasoning The four principles above comprise the foundation of “practical reasoning,” proposed by Sullivan and Rosin. In their view undergraduate education must move beyond "critical thinking" to the idea of "practical reasoning" integrating teaching practices from the liberal arts—which develop students' ability to assume responsibility for their purposes and identity— with those from professional education, which stress competence and practice. Practical reasoning offers a repertoire of skills and habits of mind that can help adults figure out what to do when navigating the challenges of contemporary adult life. READ THE FOLLOWING PAGES 93-95 FROM SULLIVAN & ROSIN. ORGL 3050. Fiddler & Marienau. Conceptual Frameworks for Reflection Let’s look at ...

1. Identity, Community, Responsibility and Bodies of Knowledge
From “A New Agenda for Higher Education: Shaping a Life of
the Mind for Practice.” 2008. William M.
Sullivan and Matthew S. Rosin. The Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching.
For purposes of the ORGL seminars, you will be particularly
interested in understanding the highlighted concepts
on page 94 of the following excerpt.
“The academy” refers to institutions of higher education.
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS on Sullivan & Rosin… Chapter IV,
pgs. 93 – 95.
Sullivan & Rosin describe four guiding principles that relate to
how students learn:
I. Identity
II. Community
III. Responsibility
IV. Bodies of Knowledge
These elements also relate to the different approaches of the
three ORGL seminars.

2. In ORGL 3000, emphasis is on the Self - or your personal
identity – and how you learn.
Sullivan and Rosin define IDENTITY: Identity is “the reflective
and formative…ways in which persons are
formed, through institutional and social engagement, as they
participate in evolving traditions of
knowing” (Sullivan & Rosin Part I of IV, 2008, p. 94)
In ORGL 3050, we concentrate on Self in Context referring to
those things around us which influence how our
identities develop and how we interact with others:
Self in Context relates to Sullivan and Rosin’s Parts II and III:
COMMUNITY is “Participation
with others populates the imagination with models of what it
means to engage the natural, social,
and contextual contexts of action.” RESPONSIBILITY—“the
person lives up to her responsibility for
others and the values of the community… Only by keeping faith
with the trust of others does the
professional achieve legitimacy and meaning.” (Sullivan &
Rosin, 2008, p. 94)
In ORGL 4000, the focus is on how the Self Transforms, being
able to appreciate multiple perspectives or bodies of
knowledge, being self-aware and being able to transform our
behaviors.
In Sullivan and Rosen’s Part IV of IV, BODIES OF
KNOWLEDGE are defined as — disciplinary (and

3. multidisciplinary) frameworks for ‘arguing and knowing.’
(Sullivan & Rosin, 2008, p. 94)
Sullivan & Rosin’s Practical Reasoning
The four principles above comprise the foundation of “practical
reasoning,” proposed by Sullivan and Rosin. In their view
undergraduate education must move beyond "critical thinking"
to the idea of "practical reasoning" integrating teaching
practices from the liberal arts—which develop students' ability
to assume responsibility for their purposes and identity—
with those from professional education, which stress
competence and practice.
Practical reasoning offers a repertoire of skills and habits of
mind that can help adults figure out what to do when
navigating the challenges of contemporary adult life.
READ THE FOLLOWING PAGES 93-95 FROM SULLIVAN &
ROSIN.

4. ORGL 3050. Fiddler & Marienau. Conceptual Frameworks for
Reflection
Let’s look at some of the conceptual frameworks that can help
us to understand the best way to
reflect on our past experiences and learning.
In ORGL 3050, we will focus on the second parts of these
theories, the parts that involve responding
to situations, events, and perplexing issues. For example, in
Fiddler and Marienau, they describe
examining and interpreting your own beliefs, responses, and
assumptions in light of the situation at
hand - in light of the social, political, environmental context
you are working in. How does being in the
position of having to make a difficult decision force you to take
a step back and re-evaluate your
assumptions? Here’s a table that describes the process of
reflection:
Table 7.1 from Fiddler, Morris, & Marienau, Catherine (2008,
summer). Developing habits of reflection
for meaningful learning. In, S. Reed & C. Marienau (Eds.),
Linking adults with community: Promoting
civic engagement through community-based learning. New
Directions for Adult and Continuing
Education, 118. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 75-85.
Photo of Morry Fiddler taken from:
https://www.insightmedicalgenetics.com/our-team/
Photo of Catherine Marienau taken from:
http://snl.depaul.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty-a-

5. z/Pages/catherine-marienau.aspx
ORGL 3050. Kegan & Lahey. Three Phases in Adult Mental
Development (Teams and Leaders)
Here’s another conceptual framework to help you reflect and
think about learning. When we think
about how our context, especially our social context, can
influence how we learn, one conclusion we
might come to is that at times we behave as either followers or
leaders. In their work on reflective
learning, Kegan and Lahey describe a developmental process in
terms of leadership. Consider how
this model can apply to you, especially you as a “self-
transforming mind”.
From: Kegan, Robert, & Lahey, Lisa Laskow (2010). From
subject to object: A constructive-
developmental approach to reflective practice (chapter 22, pp.
433-449) in Nona Lyons (Ed.)
Handbook of Reflection and Reflective Inquiry. New York:
Springer.
Photo of Robert Kegan taken from:
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty/robert-kegan
Photo of Lisa Laskow Lahey from taken from:
https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Laskow-Lahey/e/B001KH9ZQC
1

6. The following is a brief overview of Kolb’s theories and sets
the stage for a better understanding of the more complex
diagrams and material from Kolb presented in these learning
modules.
Experiential Learning (David A. Kolb)
American educational theorist David A. Kolb believes “learning
is the process whereby knowledge is created through the
transformation of experience” (1984, p. 38).
Four Stage Learning Cycle
The theory presents a cyclical model of learning, consisting of
four stages shown below. A learner may begin at any
stage, but must follow each other in the sequence:
1. concrete experience (or “DO”)
2. reflective observation (or “OBSERVE”)
3. abstract conceptualization (or “THINK”)
4. active experimentation (or “PLAN”)
Figure 1. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle.
Kolb’s four-stage learning cycle shows how experience is
translated through reflection into concepts, which in turn are
used as guides for active experimentation and the choice of new
experiences. The first stage, concrete experience (CE),
is where the learner actively experiences an activity such as a
lab session or field work. The second stage, reflective

7. observation (RO), is when the learner consciously reflects back
on that experience. The third stage, abstract
conceptualization (AC), is where the learner attempts to
conceptualize a theory or model of what is observed. The
fourth stage, active experimentation (AE), is where the learner
is trying to plan how to test a model or theory or plan for
a forthcoming experience.
2
Four Learning Styles
Kolb identified four learning styles which correspond to these
stages. The styles highlight conditions under which
learners learn better. These styles are:
•assimilators, who learn better when presented with sound
logical theories to consider
•convergers, who learn better when provided with practical
applications of concepts and theories
•accommodators, who learn better when provided with “hands-
on” experiences
•divergers, who learn better when allowed to observe and
collect a wide range of information
Diagram of Kolb's learning styles and learning stages

8. The following diagram illustrates the relationship between the
four-stages of learning and the four different learning
styles. The stages of learning are depicted on the outer circle
and in red are the four different learning styles. As the
learner progresses through the learning stages, he/she will use
the various learning styles depending on his/her
preferences depending on he or she will process or “do” things
(blue square) and how he or she will perceive or “think”
about things (green square).
Source:
•Kolb, David A. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the
Source of Learning and Development. Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
ORGL 3050. Kegan & Lahey. Three Phases. Socialized, Self-
Authoring, Self-Transforming
Kegan and Lahey further describe these stages as shifting from
emphasizing our own beliefs and
ideas in the first place (socialized), to a gradual ability to step
back and look at our beliefs in a
broader context (self-authoring), and then finally being able to
see the limitations in our own belief
system and acknowledge the values in other’s ideas (self-
transforming). The next two pages have
diagrams that illustrate this process:

9. From: Kegan, Robert, & Lahey, Lisa Laskow (2010). From
subject to object: A constructive-
developmental approach to reflective practice (chapter 22, pp.
433-449) in Nona Lyons (Ed.)
Handbook of Reflection and Reflective Inquiry. New York:
Springer.
ORGL 3050. Kolb. Table 6.1 Theory of Development
A Complex Set of Ideas about How We Learn
In case you were wondering how complex Kolb’s own
conceptual scheme gets, here it is! Don’t worry,
you don’t have to memorize the whole thing. But just think
about how it might make sense to reflect
on how we learn using this kind of a set of concepts. Take a
look at the line that mentions “Concrete
Experience” on the left side, about eight lines down. See how
the movement is from the left to the
right: we start out with direct sensing and feeling in the world,
then we develop self-awareness about
our own values, then we can differentiate others’ beliefs and
feelings, and eventually we feel a
commitment to our own values while at the same time
appreciating differences of opinion in our
broader social context. The ORGL seminars help you to become
more aware of this process in
yourself.
Table 6.1 from Kolb, David A. (1984). Experiential learning:

10. Experience as the source of learning and
development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Photo of David A. Kolb from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_Kolb.png
ORGL 3050. Kolb. The Three Phases of Reflection and the Self
Below, see one of Kolb’s own diagrams describing how this
process of reflective learning is
developmental, how it actually develops the self, and gives you
new ways of interacting with the
world. To read a diagram like this, imagine yourself moving up
the diagram from the bottom in the
same direction as the arrow on the left side. Then read the
different descriptions of the self on the
right side. Our three Reflective Seminars, ORGL 3000, 3050
and 4000, correspond to these three
phases.
In ORGL 3000, you focus on yourself as an “acquisition” phase
learner. You analyze your own
assumptions, beliefs and feelings as they relate to specific
learning experiences. As you develop
more skill, more ability to work with complex ideas, with other
people, with a social and
physical context, you enter the ORGL 3050 “specialization”
phase. You are aware of

11. disagreements and other ideas more in this phase, and your
learning experiences will involve
negotiating those differences as you interact with the world.
The third phase, of “integration”, is
the more mature phase in which you have learned more about
how to interact with the world and you
are able to transform, to adapt, to new situations and new
schools of thought. In ORGL 4000 you will
be writing about this level of self and reflection. In the
Capstone course, ORGL 4690, you will be
focusing on how your previous experiences and learning
connect and integrate with your current
degree program.
Figure 6.3 from Kolb, David A. (1984). Experiential learning:
Experience as the source of learning and
development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Photo of David A. Kolb from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_Kolb.png
ORGL 3050. Korthagen & Vasalos. The Onion Model:
Reflection on your own Goals and
Degree Program
Korthagen and Vasalos also provide a useful way to ask
yourself a series of questions that will help

12. you to analyze and understand your own big picture, yourself,
your understanding of your
experiences and your abilities, and the context in which you
must work to achieve your goals.
The kinds of questions you see here will also be a part of the
Discussions and Assignments during
the ORGL seminars.
From: Korthagen, Fred A.J., & Vasalos, Angelo (2010). Going
to the core: Deepening reflection by
connecting the person to the profession (Chapter 27, in Nona
Lyons (Ed.) Handbook of Reflection
and Reflective Inquiry. New York: Springer.)
Photo of Fred A.J. Korthagen taken from:
http://www.aera.net/About-AERA/Fellows/2015-AERA-Fellows
Photo of Angelo Vasalos taken from:
http://absolutewakefulness.com/about-angelo