Efficacy of Reflection Journals for Student Learning in an Online Environment

Across eight online classes, students were required to write a one-page meaning-making reflection after each week of class. This was an opportunity to critically evaluate new information learned that week, tie it to course materials and analyze how the information helped in becoming a better professional. The reflections were instructed to be free of jargon and not overly technical. The aim was for the students to continually build knowledge from week to week (i.e. a living document/diary), have a record of their thoughts, feelings, attitudes and ah-ha moments at the end of the term, as well as to give the instructor insight into student learning processes and the impact of components of the courses. These reflection exercises were met by students with wide-spread attentiveness and interest after the initial learning curve of how and why “diary-style” reflection journals were useful as a pedagogical instrument. The instructor also discovered the rich, casual and meaningful dialogues on learning were powerful tools for monitoring and adapting the course to meet and exceed stated student learning outcomes