I began requiring journals 10 years ago after I
read an article on "Narrative Theory". We call
them "reflective journals" because the purpose is
for students to "reflect" on their experience,
and NOT just outline what they did or saw. Our
students have to express their thoughts, views,
feelings, etc. about their experience in addition
to describing what they learned or practiced.
This forces them to think critically and analyze
the usefulness of their experience. According to
"narrative theory", this greatly enhances
learning and critical thinking, in particular the
affective component that we sometimes struggle so
much to evaluate effectively. We require
students to make weekly entries on their
journals. Ideally, the student should write a
short paragraph at the end of every day, and then
a synopsis at the end of the week, but we only
read the weekly ones. I have mixed feelings
about carrying a journal around during their
experience. In a way, I prefer for the student to
sit down at the end of the day and play a "video"
in their heads of the day, think about what was
significant and what wasn't, and write it down
then. I believe this gets the students to spend
more time thinking about their experience instead
of just summarizing what they allready wrote. I
guess writing as you go may help provide more
"images" during the end of the day or week
writing (avoid forgeting), but its not my
preference. I give them either option, and
students get to choose their own method based on
their own learning style. Journals are graded.
I base the grading on how much "reflection" is
evident on the final product (the entire semester
worth of weekly paragraphs). A student that
sticks to simply describing what he/she did,
without any "personal" thoughts, etc. does NOT
get a good grade. This is always the biggest
challenge, getting students to "reflect" and
translating it onto paper. However, students
consistently get better as they progress from one
clinical rotation to the next. Some "get it"
right away, others need a semester or two before
they begin producing true "reflective journals".
I think it is a great tool to enhance learning in
their clinical experiences.



Jose' E. Rivera,M.S.,ATC.
Assistant Professor, AT Curriculum Coordinator
Dept. of Health and Physical Education
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA 15705
jrivera@...