1 Developing Good Learners in Your Subject Session 3 The Learning-to-Learn NETWORK presents a 4-session certificate course Developing Good Learners in Your Subject Session 3 Learn to Reflect: Reflective Learning Journal Dr Angela Ho, EDC Kenneth Tam, L2L project Wincy Lee and students, CPCE

2 Learning to Learn UGC funded teaching development project Learning to Learn Developing students ’ Cognitive, Motivational & Interpersonal strategies for learning

3 Participating departments 1. BSE 2. BUSS 3. COMP 4. EDC 5. ENGL 6. GEC 7. ITC 8. LSGI 9. ME 10. ISE 11. OR

4 Sit back and relax. Without talking to each other, think about your teaching, or anything related to it …

5 Reflective Learning Journal Provides space for reflection Opportunity to look back at oneself What obstacles have I encountered? Why would I think so? Could it be otherwise? –R–Random prompts to trigger off reflective thinking

6 Ensure and Enable A balance between enough guidelines and enough freedom More in the teacher guide More in the teacher guide Focus of reflection Explore the experience itself Think of it in relation to … Metacognitive reflection Awareness Evaluation Regulation

7 For Students … Metacognitive –Develop reflective thinking –Awareness  Evaluation  Regulation = Metacognition Cognitive –Deeper understanding to the subject Motivational –Learning becomes part of them

8 For You … Identify difficulties that your students encounter Open a channel of communication with your students  better teacher-student relationship Gain insights into the way you teach

9 Creative and Critical Thinking Hong Kong Community Colleage, Associate Degree Scheme Hong Kong Community Colleage, Associate Degree Scheme Core General Education subject: Core General Education subject: Creative and Critical Thinking Creative and Critical Thinking Holistic Development of student Holistic Development of student Skill of thinking instead of what to think of Skill of thinking instead of what to think of

10 Implementation Details Three classes of 50 students from IT, Engineering and Arts stream Three classes of 50 students from IT, Engineering and Arts stream Delivery of guidelines: Delivery of guidelines: First tutorial First tutorial Collection interval: Collection interval: Once a month, 2 entries of around 600 words, either in Chinese or English Once a month, 2 entries of around 600 words, either in Chinese or English Return interval: Return interval: On average one month time with detail comments On average one month time with detail comments Assessment weighting: Assessment weighting: 5 % each submission 5 % each submission

11 Students ’ Initial Resistance Psychological discomfort: Psychological discomfort: Open topic Open topic Close-up of one ’ s own thinking process Close-up of one ’ s own thinking process Assessment concern Assessment concern Perception of RLJ: Perception of RLJ: Waste of time Waste of time Doubtful about the usefulness of this assessment method Doubtful about the usefulness of this assessment method

12 Students ’ Progress Many students failed to grasp the full idea of how to write RLJ initially Many students failed to grasp the full idea of how to write RLJ initially Detailed comments are given to students to improve their writing in RLJ Detailed comments are given to students to improve their writing in RLJ Follow-up tutorial session: Follow-up tutorial session: Group sharing of lecturer ’ s comments Group sharing of lecturer ’ s comments Students found the session useful Students found the session useful All students were able to write quality RLJ upon the second submission All students were able to write quality RLJ upon the second submission

13 Why not see some of their work and feedback?

14 Overall experience: From lecturer ’ s point of view RLJ helps to attain one of the important learning objectives in the course: To appreciate, monitor and evaluate one’s thinking process, in order to think critically in one’s daily life Precious rapport among students and lecturer have been built Obtain many valuable, though candid feedback on how was I doing in the course, and what did my students need from me Students were motivated to write only when they know their lecturers read their journal!

15 WANTED LOOKING FOR EFFECTIVE METHOD TO COMMENT ON THESE QUALITY JOURNALS THE STACKS SOMETIMES OVERWHELMED ME!!