Students views about the learning journal and the portfolio
المؤلف:
Rosario Hernández
المصدر:
Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Assessment
الجزء والصفحة:
P272-C23
2025-07-19
403
Students' views about the learning journal and the portfolio
The students valued these methods as appropriate instruments to assess their learning because they allowed them to reflect on their learning. These are some of the comments made:
"They are good instruments to assess this course"
"The journal gives you an opportunity to reflect about your own learning"
"The portfolio allows you to organize your learning activities and to reflect about what you have
learnt; it makes you realize how much work you have done"
Students expressed in the questionnaire some initial concerns about how to write the journal. They brought a copy to the interview with the teacher and, if they still had some questions, they were able to address them. Even when the students did not have difficulties with this instrument, the teacher took the opportunity to give valuable feedback and reassurance about the work being done by the students. It may be the case that if students were given the opportunity to submit their journals in the first few weeks of the course, their uncertainties about how to write their journal would disappear sooner. Based on previous experiences with other groups, early submission of journals was not considered necessary by the teacher.
A review of the literature on students' journals shows that this instrument encourages reflection among learners (Langer, 2002). However, learning journals often show different levels of reflection (Hernández, 2000). Different levels of student engagement in critical reflection were also found in the present study. That may be linked to students' perceptions about the value of the instrument and, in the case of writing in a foreign language, to their linguistic competence. The initial concerns expressed by some learners regarding how to write their journal may have had an impact on their level of critical reflection. Guidance from the teacher during the early stages of the course may facilitate more reflection by the learners.
The question of whether journals can be used to assess students' learning has been much debated (Moon, 2002). Some argue that the process of reflection is better left un-assessed (Steward & Richardson, 2000). Certainly, critical reflection and affective learning are difficult to quantify in terms of marks, which are the common ways to report students' learning in educational institutions. However, assessing journals can be justified when clear criteria are provided (Moon, 2002) and learners are well aware of what aspect or aspects of the journal are being assessed, i.e. the process, the product, students' learning, critical reflection, etc.
The portfolio is an instrument widely used by artists to present their work. Portfolios are often considered as powerful collections of students' work (Seidel & Walters, 1998). They are very popular instruments in the United States in educational courses that have a written component (Cassany, 1999). The portfolio as an instrument to assess students' learning presents difficulties and, as a result, many advocate their formative function (Cassany, 1999). It is argued that a summative function can be given to students' portfolios when the criteria to assess such instruments are clearly stated. Learners may also take an active part in assessing their own portfolios and those of their peers.
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