The reflective diary as a method for the formative assessment of self-regulated learning

Abstract

Abstract. An increasingly desired outcome of engineering education is the ability to engage in selfregulated learning (SRL). One promising method for the formative assessment of SRL is the reflective diary. There is, however, a paucity of research on the use of reflective diaries in engineering education. To mitigate this gap, we report on a case study where reflective diaries were implemented in a master's course on tissue engineering. The objective of this paper is to explore the potential of reflective diaries for the formative assessment of three central aspects of SRL: conceptions of knowledge, conceptions of learning, and strategies for monitoring and regulating learning. Based on a theoretical thematic analysis of the diary entries, we show that reflective diaries can be used to assess these three aspects of SRL. We discuss ways of providing feedback to students, with a focus on dialogic feedback.

Examining the Effects of Reflective Journals on Students’ Growth Mindset: A Case Study of Tertiary Level EFL Students in the United Arab Emirates

“…Current research reports the significance of writing reflective journals (Wallin & Adawi, 2017). However, Wallin and Adawi point out that, in higher education, most of reflective writing research comes from teacher education and nursing.…”

“…It also develops students' awareness of their own skills (Boud, Keogh, & Walker, 1998). Studies have shown that learning while reflecting on the metacognitive process is an important way of learning, however, it is not spontaneously learned and it must be taught (Wallin & Adawi, 2017). Giving learners the opportunities to reflect on their learning is a substantial way to focus learners and give them tools for improvement.…”

Diary Keeping in Writing Education

“…There are many types of research regarding reflective or learning journals such as science and technology (Çavuş, Özden, 2014;Cengiz, Karataş, 2014), mathematics (Hensberry, Jacobbe, 2012;Atasoy, Atasoy, 2006); teacher's practice (Alterman, 1965;Ekiz, 2006;Numrich, 1996;Gömleksiz, Sinan, Demir, 2010;Koç, Yıldız, 2012); teaching English as a foreign language (Barjesteh, Vaseghi, Gholami, 2011;Kır, 2012;Marefat, 2002); teaching Turkish to foreigners (Melanlıoğlu, Atalay, 2016); home studies (Güvenç, 2011); postgraduate (Tang, 2002); engineering (Wallin, Adawi, 2017); academic writing (Klimova, 2015). The use of the concepts of "reflective and learning logs" for a similar type of research in the literature can lead to a conceptual conflict.…”

Teaching And Learning In A Time Of Corona: A Social Work Experience

“…It involves participants' describing over a period of time a recent experience and unpacking its salient aspects. This method has been used to study the experience of school-to-work transition in recent mechanical engineering graduates (Lutz & Paretti, 2019) and students' ability to engage in self-regulated learning (Wallin & Adawi, 2018). No speci c guidelines were given regarding the frequency and format of writing other than the general request that participants document their experiences and reactions during the rapid move of the university from face to face to online classes.…”