Writing Effective Learning Journals

Writing effective learning journals Materials developed by the Learner Development Unit at the University of Bradford

The Plan…
Clarify the role and purpose of learning journals
Identify different elements of ‘learning’ that can be recorded in a journal
Identify the features of an effective learning journal

Learning journals are:
A collection of notes about the process .
Purposeful: encouraging awareness of how you learn.

Advantages of keeping a learning journal
To identify or recognise your strengths, so you can capitalise on these;
To acknowledge your current limitations;
To identify areas for self improvement and development;
To identify ways of learning that suit you best;
To gain insight into your potential contributions to future tasks;
To recognise your own mistakes and the mistakes of others.

Learning situations: a matrix Context Skill Comfortable Uncomfortable Broadly familiar Unfamiliar

Exercise 1
Think of a past learning experience and apply the matrix to it
Add in the third column how you felt at the time
Finally, comment on the effect of the situation for you, e.g. what effect or impact did it have on you.

Learning involves:
Your knowledge - what you know;
Your skill - your ability to apply knowledge in a particular context
Your feelings - how you felt about both 1 & 2 above. Your feelings about a learning episode can affect your future approach to a similar situation.

Exercise 2: Extract from a learning journal
What is happening in this journal?
What is the student trying to do in this journal entry?
Try and identify the different features of the extract.

In the journal extract:
The student:
Describes what happened during the class
Criticises aspects of the learning medium, e.g. the video
Summarises what he/she learned
Reflects what he/she enjoyed about the class
Offers a personal response to the class discussion
Expresses his/her fears at two levels: describes them; and analyses them.

Key elements of an effective learning journal
Description:
What happened;
when; why, where,
how; people involved.
Reflection: Your aims, behaviour, feelings, and personal observations on what happened Learning: What you learned; what you would have done differently; how you have changed See class notes for specific issues you could address

Writing style
You should use first person terms, e.g. ‘I’, or ‘Me’, as this is about you, and your personal responses to your learning.
Make the writing true to your personality.
Try and write as soon as possible after the event, as this will encourage a true and honest reflection on events.
Don’t write to please your tutor; be fair and objective, but above all, be honest.

What next?
Check out our website for more learning materials: www.brad.ac.uk/developme
Come along to another workshop: http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/lssworkshops/
Contact us for 1-2-1 advice and support: http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/learnerdevelopment

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Writing Effective Learning Journals

by Learner Development Unit on Jul 21, 2008

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