Pedagogy

Reflective journal writings is an effective tool for self-assessment in that it engages trainees in thinking about certain ideas and experiences and envisioning new ways of responding to them. This activity combines journal writing with the use of technology as a means of extending learning in the classroom. It engages trainees in working on an Internet-based project that is meaningful and challenging, places them in control of their learning, enables them to work collaboratively with a diverse community of learners, and connects them with expert workers.

 

Training Strategy

Journal writing as an authentic tool to guide reflection, self-assessment, and learning. It provides trainees with an opportunity to record what is happening in their lives and clarify their feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and values so as to develop self-knowledge and inspire self-directed learning. The trainer's role in promoting reflective journal writing is that of coach and mentor, helping trainees to focus on the what is happening in the moment and using that information to guide future participation in life events.

 

Learning Activity Scenario

The local Chamber of Commerce wants to produce a publication describing some of the top careers in the local area. Your task is to engage trainees in developing this publication by having each of them focus on a specific occupation of interest. Information for this project must be acquired, synthesized, interpreted, reviewed, revised, and presented in final form through use of Internet technology, e.g., listserv exchanges, e-mail communication, private journal writings, and public postings on the Internet.

 

Evaluation criteria

Evaluation of trainee's performance will be based on their demonstrated ability to:

Plan, organize, and monitor the collection of relevant information about a self-selected occupation; Work collaboratively with others to gain multiple perspectives about problem issues and solutions; and Reflect new understanding through journal writings that convey thoughts, assumptions, and arguments.

Evaluation of the publication will be based on its acceptability to the Chamber of Commerce. A rejection of the publication will require writers to revise it within 1 week period.

 

Operational Steps

STEP 1

Have trainees select the occupations they wish to investigate.

Provide resources of occupations common in the community. Include company brochures, yearly reports, and so forth.

 

STEP 2

Help trainees establish their teams. For example, a trainee may select mentors, teachers, trainees with similar interests, members of relevant associations, and parents to be part of his/her interactive learning team.

Help trainees to use communication technology to locate individuals to serve on their teams.

 

STEP 3

Introduce trainees to several kinds of communications channels they can use in their project work:

Listserv exchanges through which team members can share their research findings and ideas with each other;
E-mail exchanges between the trainee and trainers and/or other mentors through which trainees could present their work for review and feedback;
Private journal writing in which trainees can record their experiences, including frustrations, insights, and issues to address sometime in the future; and
Public postings on the Internet that can be read by all Internet users.

Demonstrate the use of these four channels of communication available through Internet technology. Coach and guide trainees, helping them to make use of all four channels as they engage in project activities.

 

STEP 4

Ask trainees to begin their projects by publicly posting requests for resources over the Internet and World Wide Web. These information searches should be for human as well as print resources, e.g., names of subject matter experts, professional organizations, and/or colleagues.

Encourage trainees to interact with resource people other people other than those on their listservs, or to add others to their listservs as interested parties are discovered. For example, an electronics trainer could be consulted for information about new technologies in the field, business skills trainers could be valuable resources for data related to the field, e.g., growth figures, stock performances of small and large business in the field. Also prompt teams to share their planning, learning, and development approaches across teams.

 

STEP 5

Encourage trainees to share their research findings, including names of contact persons, with the people on their listservs. Ask them to make entries about their processes for inquiry to share with others and to solicit feedback.

Observe trainees as they work, providing "scaffolding" to help them engage in listserv exchanges. Help them to connect what they are learning to what they already know.

 

STEP 6

Have trainees use e-mail to communicate with their trainers and other mentors/learners. Their exchanges can consist of ideas for performing the project activity, problems they are encountering, and any other information or questions for which they would like to receive feedback

As the facilitator, it will be easier for you to communicate one on one with trainees over the Internet than it is during a classroom session. Immediate feedback is important to enable trainees to make adjustments to enable them to advance in their learning. It also gives you an opportunity to compliment and encourage trainees so that they are motivated to continue learning.

 

STEP 7

At regular intervals or key points in the investigation, remind trainees to write entries in the personal journals they have created in their program files. Encourage them to record descriptions of problems they have encountered, solutions they have tested, lessons they have learned, plans they have changed, and new directions they are taking. Also ask them to reflect on their feelings, attitudes, and perspectives about these issues.

Stress the importance of documenting these experiences thoroughly and regularly as a way to retain opportunities for reflection, dialogue, and feedback.

 

STEP 8

Offer continuing guidance and support as trainees move forward in their investigations of relevant information, decisions about what data to include in the publication, and their strategies for developing and distributing the final publication.

Although trainees must be encouraged to direct their own learning process for this project, offer ongoing support and encourage them to interact with classmates in large and small groups

 

STEP 9

Have trainees publicly share via electronic communications various portions of their writings and to ask for feedback from those Internet users.

In presenting the product for review, guide trainees to include the objectives of the project and the type of feedback they seek so they can revise as necessary.

 

STEP 10

After trainees have reviewed and revised their writings, engage the entire class in preparing the final publication for the Chamber of Commerce and in distributing in to the public through an Internet entry or through linkage to the Chamber of Commerce website.

Facilitate trainees in their attempts to do this. Enlist a member of the Chamber of Commerce to conduct the review.

 

 

Reflective Practices

Divide the class into five groups. Ask each group to formulate an answer to its assigned question and present that answer to the class:

Group 1: In what aspects of my life can I follow a similar process for learning by using new communication technologies?

Group 2: What learning concerns did the experience bring to mind?

Group 3: In what way were values reflected in the experience?

Group 4: What new insights about myself did the experience trigger?

Group 5: How did (or didn't) reflection about the experience change the way I think?

Ask trainees to reflect upon interpersonal communications and social interactions over the Internet. Use the following questions to guide this reflection:

In what ways did you feel comfortable (or uncomfortable) exchanging ideas over the Internet? What channels of communication did you use most frequently to communicate your feelings? Why? Was it possible to assemble a geographically, socially, and culturally diverse team? If yes, explain how this was accomplished. If not, describe the factors that prevented this from happening.

Point out to trainees that journal writing can be assigned criteria against which assessments can be made. These criteria could be specified in a rubric, for example, and related to the following (Allenspach et al , 1996, p. 80):

Reflectiveness
Depth of response
Number of entries
Originality
Use of concrete images
Length of response
Descriptive words
Evidence of thoughtfulness
Creativity
Connections to other subjects
Responses to posed question or lead-in statements
Connections to a life experience

If desired have trainees link performance standards to journal writing. Have trainees create a rubric to assess their reflective journal writing, using criteria like the ones listed and identifying the varied levels of performance. (Assigned weights are optional, depending upon the intent of the experience.)

 

Evaluation

Conduct assessments of the project objectives by determining the extent to which they demonstrated of the process objectives. Public sharing an Chamber acceptance of the document meets the criteria for successful evaluation. Offer feedback regarding both process and product so that students will be directed to learn from their experiences and be able to transfer that knowledge to other situations and project work.

 

back | top | next