Use of learning diary

Goals

Creating a learning diary helps in forming the necessary
in-depth, individually processed view to the target under study.
The writer of the learning diary actively builds an understanding of the
material and is enabled to evaluate his or her own learning.
Writing of the learning diary supports the collection of information
basis and forming of a structured overview.
Personal viw to the material helps in understanding and remembering it.
While writing in own phrases (language?) about the learning target,
the learner processes and analysess the material more deeply than when
just reading. It is important to use full sentences, as they represent
whole ideas.

(Based on "Lindblom-Ylänne, Nevgi : Yliopisto- ja korkeakoulun opettajan
käsikirja" .)

Typical contents

1. What was the essential contents of the topic area?
(What was expressed in the briefing to be the learning goals?)

2. What did I learn?
(What was new / surprising / interesting to me?
What was usefuls as background material?)

3. What was left unclear?
(After  lectures / after reading the book / studying all the material;
what additional background material would have been needed?
Is that material expected to be covered later in the material,
or should you find out about it on your own before progressing?
Even: is it  prerequisites on the course and should you fill in the gap
asap?)


4. In what extend is the material (concepts, solutions, etc) useful and
in which context it can be applied?

5. What parts of the material is suitable for lecturing  / self-study
from  the course book?

Format: abstract/survey type of text (no bulletpoints)
Typical length is 2-4 pages (but it is more important to concentrate
on the depht of your analysis than the amount of text: please do take
time to write it short!

Grading principles

9 Shows understanding of the relationships between concepts and issues
      The writer has created a coherent overview and shows ability
      to apply the learned material. The writer is able to
      evaluate the applicability of the theoretical infomration and
      differentiate between good and bad applications.

6 Understanding the issues discussed
      The writer shows understanding of separate issues and discuss
      them.  There is no overarching relationships between issues, and thus
      no full ability for applying the learned material.

3 Some understanding of issues
      The writer is able to resitate some concepts and definitions.
      However, misunderstandings hinder progress.

0 No understanding
     Significant misunderstandings or signs on no coverage of the material.

(Source: "Lindblom-Ylänne, Nevgi : Yliopisto- ja korkeakoulun opettajan
käsikirja" .)