1) The document discusses evaluating student performance and learning environment in a course at Sultan Qaboos University using learning journals. 2) Learning journals allow students to record their reflections, thoughts, and progress, giving teachers insight into student thinking and learning. They support self-directed learning and making real-world connections. 3) Blogs are often used as learning journals since they allow students to reflect and make connections in a public online space. The course discussed in the document uses blogs as learning journals.

1. Evaluating student performance & learning environment in LEARNING JOURNALS Asma Salim Al-Balushi Sultan Qaboos University College of education (ILT) [email_address]

2. Introduction This presentation is prepared to evaluate student performance and learning environment in a certain course (in SQU) by using learning journals .

3. About the course Course Title: E-Learning Strategies (1) Course Code: TECH3422 Course Type: Department Requirement Credit Hours: 3 Instructor : Dr. Maryam Al-Washahi The E-Learning Strategies (1) course is designed to introduce the student to the pedagogical, institutional, cultural, and technological aspects of e-learning. It is offered on SQU moodle. However, learning journal is used in this course for assessment.

4. What is a learning journal? A learning journal is a steadily growing document that the learner write, to record reflections, thoughts and the progress of learning. For the teacher, reflective journal writing serves as a window into student thinking and learning.

5. advantages of learning journals Provide a basis for creating new perspectives - it creates a framework to explore relationships and arguments between ideas. Offer opportunities to increase understanding for others - individuals can address social issues and enhance their understanding of our society and world. Provide a way to practical way to understand books/articles - writing creates a format to regularly examine reading materials and improve our ability to comprehend and recall knowledge. Provide support for self-directed learning activities- journal writing requires personal discipline and establishing individual learning goals to complete journaling assignments.

6. blogs as reflective journals Blogs are used widely as learning journals to reflect the educational experience of students More over, blog-based journals allow students to make connections with the real world, and reinforcing key ideas and concepts “ To take advantage of the general nature of Web logs as ‘public journals’ in using them for personal reflection, in the context of a learning community, one issues that arise in the course, both rhetorical and course-related” ( Nardi et al., 2004 , p. 45).

7. An example of blog-based journal

8. Assessment of learning journals Assessment of student performance Assessment of learning environment

9. References : Nardi et al., 2004 B. Nardi, D.J. Schiano, M. Gumbrecht and L. Swartz, Why we blog, Communications of the ACM 47 (12) (2004), pp. 41–46. Relevant Assessment Strategies for Online Colleges & Universities. Accessed online on 28/3/2010 : http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article04.html Blogging Assessment Rubric Instructor Evaluation . Accessed online on 28/3/2010 : http://education.uregina.ca/technology/ecmp355/Assessment/Blank-ECMP355-BloggingEvaluationRubric.pdf Blogging Evaluation . Accessed online on 28/3/2010: http:// www.masters.ab.ca/bdyck/Blog / Blogging Rubric . Accessed online on 28/3/2010: http:// www.evenfromhere.org/?p =1282 CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A blog. Accessed online on 28/3/2010 : http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalblog.pdf learning journals . Accessed online on 28/3/2010 : http:// www.audiencedialogue.net/journal.html REFLECTION JOURNAL ACTIVITIES . Accessed online on 28/3/2010 : http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/cathteach/outcomes_rubric_reflection_journal.html