Independent Learning Pursuits (ILPs)

Annotated Sample ILP Papers:

“Learning to Teach Creatively”, Competence A2X

“The Changing Role of Technology in Educational Settings” by Brian Holmsten, Competence S3F

Additional ILP Samples:

S (Scientific World): "My Skydiving Mishaps: A Quick Lesson in Physics" by Joan Travers is a very entertaining ILP for the S1C competence. It is featured in the 2009-2010 Writing Showcase.

H (Human Community): "Principles of Effective Public Speaking and Assessing Effectiveness" by Mary Erl for the H-3-E Competence. In addition to this eight-page paper and her ILP Submission Form, Mary provided the following documentation to support her claim of competence: an evaluation of one of the speeches she gave as a member of Toastmasters; a certificate from Toastmaster's International for "successful completion of the Toastmaster's Communication and Leadership Program;" a newspaper article about her as president of her local Toastmaster's group; and a flyer, news release and newspaper articles on financial planning seminars she offers at community sites. Look in the column on the right to watch an interview with Mary in which she tells about writing this and nine other ILPs.

A (Arts and Ideas): Having worked as a professional photographer, this student completed the A2A competence through an oral presentation in Art Share. Here is her ILP Submission Form and here are the supporting materials she prepared for her Art Share presentation.

FX (Focus Area): These two ILPs give an idea of the range of possibilities for the focus area:

• "Learning Six Sigma Theory"
• "Collecting and Classifying Folklore"

ILP Writing Tasks:

Students submitting ILPs have up to three writing tasks:

1.  Students are encouraged to use the ILP  Worksheet to gather their ideas and get feedback from their faculty mentor. See a sample ILP Worksheet here.

2.  The ILP Submission Form requires that all students write a Rationale for their ILP. See a sample ILP Submission Form here.

3.  As evidence that they have attained the competence, students may submit a variety of kinds of evidence, including artifacts like a painting, photographs or a video and certificates like those awarded for training. Very often students write a research paper to demonstrate evidence of their learning and its application to the competence.

More Help:

For more about ILPs, see chapter seven of the Foundation’s book.

Mary Erl wrote ten Independent Learning Pursuits (ILPs) before graduating in Spring 2009. To view this video on I-Tunes U, click here. To see her ILPs on public speaking for the H3E competence, see the middle section of this page.

SNL Faculty on ILPs

The best ILPs maintain a focus on the area of competence and demonstrate a balance between evidence from the student's personal experience and research.  Reflection upon the larger implications of one's personal experience is a critical element for success.  Weaker ILPs fail to address the competence and insufficiently define or explore key concepts.

Instructors recommended that students focus on relating the specific to the general, reflecting deeply on their experiences, and finding appropriate source material to support their ideas.