Paper assignment

Name

Institution

Professor

Date

College Reforms

The selected topic for the purpose of this paper is on ‘College Reforms’. The topic was decided on because I personally have a keen interest on how education has progressed over the years. It has always fascinated me how education has evolved over the years to embrace diversity through concepts such as multicultural education. My interest in education has enabled me have a wider perspective on the issue and has also increased my knowledge base through which I will be able to handle this paper. From my understanding, I consider a reform as an amendment to what was previously wrong, unsatisfactory, or corrupt. Unlike a revolution, a reform works to improve a system as it stands rather than trying to overthrow it wholly i.e. it only seeks to correct what is wrong in a system, and not change the entire system (Innes, 43). With regards to education, I can describe a reform as a goal or objective that seeks to change public education. Reforms usually take on different forms since the motivational factors surrounding the reformists are always different. Since the 80s, reforms in the education sector always have been focused on converting existing educational systems from being based on inputs by the students to being based on the output from the students (achievements of the students). To understand more about reforms in the higher education sector, I will use journals such as the International Journal of Educational Reforms and the Education Reform Journal both published in the year 2016. To be discussed in detail are the specific college reforms which I will propose to be implemented and how they will help improve students’ problem solving, learning, and critical thinking skills.

About The Proposal

The selected topic will address the three main aspects of college life that are inherently linked to an individual student’s ability to learn, think critically and solve problems, which are learning, adapting, and growing. In essence, the idea of college reforms does not just include policies that will govern the students only with regards to education, it goes further than that and includes a student’s life outside the lecture halls. A student’s life both within and outside the walls of a lecture hall plays a great part in shaping their life skills and intellect. The proposed reforms will undoubtedly include all aspects of the student’s life including their social, sexual, and co-curricular (zhao, 19).

The length of the paper will be addressed in a total of 1500words. Keeping in mind that college education still falls within the education sector, it is safe to say that any reforms adopted will undoubtedly have an effect on the other levels of education. The education issue has a very broad perspective, and trying to work in the favor of one education level will tend to raise question in the other levels. Therefore, the paper will be keen to focus only on those areas that are sensitive to college and will not in any way conflict with the other levels. To do this every reform will have to be discussed in great detail so as not to leave out any info that may discredit them. Therefore, I am more than certain that the paper will meet the minimum of 1500 words.

The topic is debatable enough to be an argumentative essay. Regardless of the industry or sector, reforms are always subject to dispute. Despite some reforms bringing about a positive effect, there will be those that will bring in a little of both. It is such as these that will spark debates among the various authorities in the field of education, with some claiming that the reform should be nullified will others will fight to maintain it. With regards to the topic, it is very possible for positions to be taken and the whole issue argued from two perspectives. Areas can be refuted while ideas can be defended. However, after all is laid down, a decision can still be made concerning the issue with either of the opposing views carrying the bulk. As such, the topic can be said to have all the necessary features that could warrant a debate through an argumentative essay.

The audiences for the topic are both the college students and the authoritative heads in the education sector. The topic directly affects both the college students and the education authorities. The students are affected because it is them who are subjected to the policies and reforms that are passed, whether or not they support them. As for the education authorities, they are the ones who put their signatures to the proposed reforms so that they can become law. The interests of the college students are well vested in the topic because they also have the power to accept or refute the proposed reforms. Various boycotts and riots have been witnessed all over the world whenever the interests of the students are left out when formulating and passing the reforms. As for the authorities in the sector, it is in their best interests that they make sure that the needs of the students are also catered for in the reforms. The students have their own values and beliefs about what concerns them and those in authority also have their own views regarding what is best for the sector.

Because both audiences are directly affected by the topic and have invested interests, it will be easy to engage them on the issue. Reforms will be proposed and weighed in such a manner that none of audiences will be able to dispute them. Each will be handled individually and how they reflect on the students with regards to boosting their learning abilities, their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Though some of the reforms will seem to favor one and impose on another, there will still be common ground regarding the issue and no party will be able to complain (Mehta, 203). To effectively learn and master my audience, I will need to refer to past reforms and how well or badly they were received. Material that will aid me in this is readily available in the articles, newspapers, journals, and even the internet. Through these means I will be able to identify what makes the audience tick and what works to bring them to common ground instead of either of them taking a side on the matter.

Works Cited

Innes, J. (2003). Reform in English Public Life: the Fortunes of a Word.

Mehta, J. (2012). The Futures of School reform: Five Pathways to Fundamentally Reshaping American Schooling. Leadership and Innovation.

Zhao, Y. (2016). Chapter 1. Recent Education Reform in the United States. Retrieved February 9, 2016, from Differentiated Instruction Sources: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109076/chapters/Recent-Education-Reform-in-the-United-States.aspx