CS-E5600 - Aesthetics D, 12.01.2021-06.04.2021
This course space end date is set to 06.04.2021 Search Courses: CS-E5600
Learning Diary
HOW TO WRITE A LEARNING DIARY
A learning diary is a tool of reflection. It helps the student to assess what they have learned on a course. This obviously helps the teacher, too! The aim of a learning diary is to summarize, analyze and comment on the course and lectures. As such, it replaces an essay or final exam.
The key to writing a learning diary is to draw on the lectures and discussions, but instead of just repeating what the lecturer has said, the students should speak with their own voice. A diary is a subjective view, and a learning diary should reflect what the student has heard and learned. It’s the student’s own analysis and insights that count. The teacher’s ideas may even be taken further and elaborated on.
These guidelines will give you pointers for writing a reflective academic learning diary. First of all, put the lectures and study materials into perspective: how did the classes relate to your prior learning and life experience? Secondly, you should state the main points of the lecture, but a mere summary is not enough. The teacher is not keen to read summed up versions of her ideas, but would rather learn of the trains of thought that her teaching has set in motion. Such feedback is also valuable to developing the course contents.
Make references to the complementary material (articles, videos etc.) provided by the teacher to write your learning diary.
The sensible thing to do is write a brief summary of the thoughts raised by the lecture soon after the class. It may prove hard to go back to the lecture notes weeks after the lecture. Reflect on the contents of the lecture both during and after class in relation to your own views of the issues at hand.
-> You should write approx. 400 words of each lecture (7 lecture meetings, the final one is on 2nd March). Use font size 12, line spacing 1.5, PDF format is preferred. The use of images is encouraged but remember to always credit the source when using borrowed images or text.
-> You can submit your learning diary weekly, after each meeting (this is advisable), but you can also submit the whole learning diary in the end of the course. In any case, the learning diary will be assessed only after the deadline (6 April) so you can revise and resubmit your learning diary entries throughout the course.
-> To conclude the diary, you should write a 1/2-page summary of what the course has taught and meant for you. This is also an excellent opportunity to give feedback about the course as a whole.
-> Finally, make an effort to write lucidly. Work on the language, but you can also play with it!
The following questions may help you write your learning diary:
1) What did I learn? What was new to me? Was there something that changed my views and why? Focus on and analyze the themes important to you.
2) What did I not understand? What went against my own ideas? Why? What was less comprehensible? Why? Focus on analyzing the questions that left you puzzled.
3) What the course has taught is likely to have some relevance for you and your studies. Can you identify what this is? How are you able to apply this knowledge in your studies? How does this support your development as a student? Make note of and reflect on the thoughts that emerge as especially important.