Response Journal Assignments as a
Technique for Student
Comprehension and Engagement
Center for Teaching and Learning Symposium III
Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Ph.D.
School of Design and Human Environment
April 16, 2013
The Pedagogy of Response Journals
Reflective Practice and
Thinking
Reflective practice is the capacity to
reflect on action so as to engage in a
process of continuous learning.
Reflective thinking helps you to
recognize and clarify the important
connections between what you
already know and what you are
learning.
April 16, 2013
The Pedagogy of Response Journals
Reflective
Writing
Response
Journals
Peer
Review
Self
Assessment
Diary
Log
Book
"Writing is more than living. It is being conscious of living."
-Ann Morrow Lindbergh (1965)
April 16, 2013
Reflective practice
is rooted in
the paradigms of
phenomenology
and critical theory
http://www.open.ac.uk/cetl-workspace/cetlcontent/documents/4bf2b48887459.pdf
April 16, 2013
What is a Response Journal?
Why Should I Assign a Response Journal?
*Encourages active learning
*Challenges students to take ownership of their learning in the
course
*Offers continuity and flexibility in course assignments
*Challenges students to adopt new perspectives
*Encourages students to further develop a variety of critical thinking
functions
*Provides a safe environment to express thoughts via a “trial-anderror” process
-Increases confidence and comfort level with material
April 16, 2013
Deciding to Use a Response Journal Assignment
1. Decide what you want the journal to be for your class. A
record of responses to readings? A collection place for all class
writings? Both?
2. What is the format of the journal? Informal jottings? A log?
Formal short papers collected together with an introduction?
3. What is the pay off going to be for the students? That is, how
will the work they put into the journal benefit them in terms of the
larger class goals?
4. How do you want to incorporate the journal into class time?
http://www.writing.ku.edu/~writing/instructors/guides/documents/Teaching_Journals.pdf
April 16, 2013
“You Want Me to Do A Free-Writing Assignment!?”:
Student Reactions of Fear and Anxiety to Journaling
Students are
used to being
given clear
parameters
and thinking
“inside the
box.”
April 16, 2013
Response
journals allow
students to
“build the box”
(i.e.,
individualize
their learning)
AND
think “outside the box”
(i.e., discover new
perspectives and
information).
“You Want Me to Do A Free-Writing Assignment?!”:
Getting Used to an Unstructured Assignment
Developed and created by Dr. Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Oregon State University
April 16, 2013
“You Want Me to Do A Free-Writing Assignment?!”:
Helping Students Get Started with the Journaling Process
Use of Prompts
-Students receive a small
amount of structure
-Assists in bringing focus to
the assignment
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/worksheets/bookmarks/readersresponsebookmark.pdf
April 16, 2013
Helping Students Get Started with the Journaling Process:
Prompt Example
Developed by Dr. Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Oregon State University;
Adapted from previous documents by Dr. Elaine L. Pedersen, Oregon State University
April 16, 2013
Reflective Activity #1
Take out a sheet of paper and brainstorm,
write down, and discuss at your table:
- what course you would use a response
journal in and your reasons for doing so.
- possible prompts that you might use in a
response journal assignment for your
course/discipline.
April 16, 2013
Developing Instructions for a Response Journal Assignment:
My Response Journal Assignment Experience
*Why choose a response journal assignment?
EXAMPLE: Assignment initiated after I noticed that students were
struggling with their comprehension of research articles
*Response Journal Content Requirements: DEFINE CLEARLY!
1. Length
(Word count, paragraphs, page, etc.)
2. What constitutes a single journal entry?
3. How many journal entries are required for each submission?
4. Format
(Hand-written vs. typed, text vs. visual, pencil vs. marker/pen, etc.)
5. Required topics or up to the student? Or a mixture of both?
(Required use of prompts, etc.)
6. Structure and direction: What are students responding to?
April 16, 2013
EXAMPLE OF
TRADITIONAL
RESPONSE
JOURNAL
APPROACH
(TYPED,
FULLSENTENCES,
ESSAY STYLE)
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EXAMPLE OF
RESPONSE
JOURNAL
USING TABLE
FORMAT
(“READ AND
RESPONSE
FORMAT”)
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EXAMPLE OF
DOMINANTLY
-VISUAL
RESPONSE
JOURNAL
FORMAT
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EXAMPLE OF
RESPONSE
JOURNAL
USING MIND
MAPPING
APPROACH
TO ORGANIZE
IDEAS
April 16, 2013
“The Students Have Turned in Their Journals…Now
What?”: Response Journal Grading Practices
To determine the grading criteria that will work best for you,
answer the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Do I want to use a rubric or provide qualitative comments?
How many times will I collect the journals during the term?
What constitutes an “A-level” entry?
What constitutes a single journal entry?
How many journal entries are required for each submission?
What is the required length of each entry?
(Word count, paragraphs, page, etc.)
7. How will I provide feedback?
April 16, 2013
Assessing Students Based Upon a Semantic Grading Scale
in the Rubric
Developed and created by Dr. Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Oregon State University
April 16, 2013
Pedagogy Meets
Practice:
Self-Evaluation
*Refer to
sample selfevaluation
form handout
Developed by Dr. Genna Reeves-DeArmond,
Oregon State University;
Adapted from previous document by Dr. Leslie
Burns, Oregon State University
April 16, 2013
“The Students Have Turned in Their Journals…Now
What?”: Conceptual Assessment Strategy
Critical
Thinking
Interpret the “big picture”:
Justify, solve, conclude, etc.
Address larger
implications and make
connections: Values,
beliefs, etc.
Reflect on the
self: personal and
past experiences
Reflective
Thinking
Student:
Awareness of the
present
BEGIN HERE
Adapted from
http://freepdfdb.com/pdf/reflective-writing-the-learning-centre-the-university-of-3999919.html
April 16, 2013
*The goal is for
students to
reach the
highest level;
this constitutes
an “A” entry
This is How I Conceptualize the Movement from
Reflective Thinking to Critical Thinking for My Students:
*A description of each of these critical thinking functions is given to the
students at the start of the term and then modeled/practiced in class.
April 16, 2013
Assessing Students Based Upon a Classification System in
the Rubric
Self-Directed Responder (90-100%)
*Refer to
sample rubric
handout
Maturing Responder
(80-89%)
Emerging Responder
(70-79%)
Novice Responder
(60-69%)
Unsatisfactory Responder: Students
earning below 60% need additional help
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8012379/Reading-Response-Journal-Rubric---PDF
April 16, 2013
Assessing Students Based Upon a Classification System in
the Rubric (see Classification System in Previous Slide)
Developed and created by Dr. Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Oregon State University
April 16, 2013
Reflective Activity #2
Take out a sheet of paper and, over the next
three minutes, brainstorm and write down
the grading criteria that you would put in
place for your response journal assignment.
Would you use a checklist, rubric, semantic
scale, etc.?
April 16, 2013
Benefit for Instructor:
Simultaneously Engaged in Reflective Practice
with Students
Read student
journals
April 16, 2013
Provide
feedback to
students
Reflect and
make
teaching
decision
Response Journal Resources
April 16, 2013
Thank you for your
attendance and participation!
As you move forward, consider the
following questions:
What are the differences between response
journals in the sciences and the humanities? How
do we maintain the educational value of response
journals across disciplines?
April 16, 2013