REFLECTION SHEET: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT CRITICAL MOVIE REVIEW

This was, no doubt, one of my favorites writing assignments to date. In Student

Development, we were asked to watch a film that focused on higher education and apply and

critique the use of developmental theories to the characters in the film. I chose Mona Lisa Smile

knowing I would likely find it fascinating considering my interest in womens issues and 1950s

cultural norms. Not only was I correct in that I did find it fascinating, but I also was able to

demonstrate my ability to apply, synthesize, and analyze theories as they relate to issues in

higher education. Because of this, I chose this paper as an example of the Analytical Inquiry

learning goal.

In this paper, I used Belenkys Womens Ways of Knowing theory on intellectual

development and Baxter Magoldas theory of Self Authorship to demonstrate how a theory could

be interpreted and applied to two different students. Though fictional characters, I demonstrated

my ability to develop and support arguments by making interpretations and then supporting them

using quotes and examples. Additionally, I used these theories to analyze the fictional students

behavior, as well as the cultural norms and expectations of the time in which the film was set.

Specifically, I broke down each theory into their stages or concepts and applied them to the

characters behavior and development. Lastly, I also demonstrated how students today still face

many of the same gendered expectations and how these theories could be applied in order to

address the same developmental issues we see today. For example, many of the same gender

norms still exist in some of nations Greek communities. Higher education professionals can

utilize these theories to challenge gender norms and pressure through programs and critical

conversations with students. Overall, this paper directly corresponds to the competencies

outlined in the Analytical Inquiry learning goal.