By Teaching You Will Learn: Journals Facilitate Student and Faculty Learning

Joan Benek-Rivera, PhD, SPHR
Department of Management
Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Abstract

Writing skills remain important for college graduates given technology like e-mail and text messaging. Assignments typically include essays, reports, and case analyses. Journals are a variation that engages students by having them reflect on learning. In the 4-step "process wheel" technique presented, students write about an activity and process it based on their thoughts, feelings, and application. The objectives of these journals are to enhance skills in writing and self-disclosure, and to facilitate transfer of learning. Journals also facilitate writing across the curriculum. Both students and faculty learn from journals: students increase their self-awareness and understanding of material, and faculty receive honest feedback about students' learning.

…By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn… I adopted this Latin proverb as a motto years ago and it is the basis of my teaching philosophy. As we prepare for our careers as professors, we often don't realize at the time the amount of our learning that continues to occur well after we have received those important graduate degrees. By using "process wheel" journals in my classes, I have found that faculty can learn as much, or more, from what our students learn, as they learn from us.

How often do we stop to think about what students are really taking away from courses besides the grades and credits? What indicators do we look for to decide when it is time to replace a lesson with something new? How often do we discover, sometimes by accident, that students missed the point of what we were trying to teach? If and when we make that discovery, sometimes it occurs too late, when there are no more opportunities to re-teach the material. How many times do we grade an assignment that is personally moving, intrinsically rewarding, or even one that offers opinions we totally disagree with-but still deserves an A?

Based on my use of "process wheel" journals over the last 6 years in four different courses, I have found that journals benefit students and instructors alike. Students not only increase their understanding and self-awareness, but also come to the realization that they have learned something they can transfer to their personal and/or professional lives. Journals provide unanticipated outcomes to faculty who often learn that what we thought we taught may not be what the students learned, or that their learning was more powerful than we could have imagined. In any case, journals are an excellent source of honest feedback that may directly impact our future teaching.

The purpose of this article is to outline a 4-step "process wheel" technique for student journal writing. Benefits of journal assignments to both students and faculty are also discussed.

Why Assign Journals?

The objectives of "process wheel" journals are two-fold. First, students develop skills in written communication and self-awareness via self-disclosure. Self-disclosure activities improve one's self awareness, and self-awareness is a critical aspect of emotional intelligence. It is more powerful in predicting success in life than is intelligence (Goleman, 1995). Second, students apply their classroom learning to situations in their work and personal lives; in other words, students learn by analyzing their experiences (Allen and Enz, 1987). A by-product of this objective is to reinforce understanding and retention of concepts.

With the increasing emphasis on outcomes and competencies of college graduates, skill development exercises provide a means to this end. Whetten and Cameron (2005) outline a 5-step approach to skill development that extends Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977). Their model includes skill assessment, learning of principles, case analysis, practice exercises and simulations, and, finally, application exercises to facilitate transfer of learning. Journal writing is an easy-to-use application activity. It offers students an opportunity to transfer learning to everyday practice and life activities. For example, in "process wheel" journals students formulate a specific action plan to implement in the near future. Learning also occurs from insights in journals, a form of feedback to self.

Journals provide a vehicle for implementing writing across the curriculum, as a writing to learn assignment (Cox, Bobrowski, & Spector, 2004). Students learn from writing by explaining ideas to themselves, posing questions in their writing, and enhancing their critical thinking and problem solving skills (Allen & Enz, 1987; McLeod & Maimon, 2000). Journal writing helps develop skills of introspection and reflection (Coghlan, 1993). By reflecting on their feelings, students are able to personalize course concepts in a familiar context, thus enhancing their understanding and retention (Vargo, 1997).

Journal assignments may be used to enhance the effectiveness of other instructional methods (Allen & Enz, 1987; Kalliath & Coghlan, 2001), like readings, lectures, and case discussions. According to Kalliath and Coghlan (2001), these traditional methods emphasize cognitive appraisal of information. With the addition of action-reflection processes, like writing journals, students move to a higher level of learning that Kalliath and Coghlan call meta-cognitive learning.

In a similar vein, Epstein (1994) outlines two modes of information processing: experiential and rational. The former processes stimuli from the external, social environment, and the learning becomes part of long-term memory. The rational mode is logical and structured and becomes part of short-term memory. He asserts that "information gained through personally meaningful experience is more effective at changing feelings and behavior than impersonal information acquired from textbooks and lectures" (Epstein, 1994, p. 711). Narratives such as journals appeal to the experiential mode because they are emotionally engaging and personally convincing. Students can more readily apply insights gained from experiences than from abstract knowledge. The general nature of journals makes them suitable for use across disciplines, and in courses at different levels.

Implementation

This method is an adaptation of the "process wheel" technique used to process lessons in diversity training at the National Multicultural Institute (NMCI, 1996). The facilitator leads the trainees through an in-depth discussion of their thoughts, feelings, and actions during a given lesson. As a trainee of NMCI, I found the "process wheel" to be a simple yet powerful method and decided to use it in university courses I taught. Because it was rather challenging to engage an entire class of college students in such a discussion, I opted for a written variation with students processing their learning in journals. Initially I introduced these journals in a Managerial Communications course since writing is an important communication skill. It was easy to see that these journals could be used in other classes, and I have used them successfully in a number of graduate and undergraduate courses.

The "process wheel" journal has four elements: Doing, Thinking, Feeling, and Application. The journal is typically 1-2 pages. Students process learning by exploring their thoughts and/or feelings about the lesson and formulating an application plan for transfer of the learning. Allen and Enz (1987) offer several variations of journal writing exercises, one of which is a process log. The "process wheel" journal described here expands on the process log where students record their thoughts and experiences while working on a project. This journal technique corresponds in part to Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle: the opening paragraph describes a concrete experience; paragraphs 2 and 3 concern reflection, and the final paragraph is a form of experimentation where students plan to use insights in future situations.

Opening Paragraph: Students describe the featured lesson and what they were doing. They provide details about who was involved, what was happening, where the activity occurred, when, why, or how. They are encouraged to provide details that will help them recall the activity in the future. For example, they are instructed to not just say they watched a video, but to provide specifics about the video (course topic and other any pertinent observations). It has been my experience that paragraph one is not difficult for students to write. Sometimes they fill an entire page with the first paragraph, and write much shorter paragraphs for the remaining three sections.

Second Paragraph: Students are asked to write about any thoughts or questions they had during the lesson, or afterwards. They should articulate their thoughts/questions in terms of course content and explain the reasoning behind their thoughts. They may include rhetorical questions. Moon (1999) reveals a number of purposes for using reflective journals, including developing critical thinking and skills in reflection and thinking.

Excerpts from paragraphs on students' thoughts follow. Each student provided written consent to have their journal excerpts included in this article. These journals were written in a Managerial Communications course where there was a heavy emphasis on interpersonal skills and nonverbal communication, with lessons on professional dress, networking, business etiquette, conducting meetings, and giving feedback.

During the presentation I was thinking back on the materials we reviewed in class on meetings and the guidelines that were given. I was trying to recall if men wearing earrings to a business meeting was acceptable as proper business attire.

During the course of the presentation I was thinking about a lot of things. Being that I am a full-figured woman I have to deal with additional factors. Where do I go to look for a suit?…The biggest question was "How much will a suit cost?" Mrs. W. said that suits of high quality are an investment. This would mean that I would have to purchase a good quality suit…Presentation is everything and first impressions are lasting. It would be a good investment to purchase a suit that will help me look my best at an interview.

…When I was evaluating my other group members I thought about how they would react to my comments, both positive and negative. After receiving our scores and then having to work with the group immediately afterwards, I questioned whether or not the cohesiveness of the team could be affected.

…I was thinking to myself to make sure I used the entire silverware, and the napkin placement the right way…

…I thought this [mock cocktail] party was just an excuse to waste a day…I was wondering why this is part of Managerial Communications?

…I thought how nice it was to get out of the classroom setting but still be learning helpful things for my future…I thought it was a good way to show the class what it would be like to be in a business setting while dining.

These examples illustrate the use of the terms, "thought," "thinking," "recall," "questioned," and "wondering," which are among the criteria listed in Appendix A. Some students will articulate any questions on their minds when writing this paragraph. Due to the subjective nature of journal writing, instructors will use individual discretion in determining how well students have followed the directions for the assignment.

Third Paragraph: This paragraph explores students' feelings and emotions during the lesson, and why they believe those feelings surfaced. It is the most challenging paragraph to write. In many cases students have never before been asked to describe their feelings about what they were learning. Students frequently confuse feelings with thoughts. For example, they might say, "I felt it was a useful exercise…" when in fact they are describing a thought and not an emotion. When I first began using this technique I had little success with this paragraph and opted to have students combine thoughts and feelings into one paragraph. I have since learned to provide instructions with examples of words describing feelings, like "frustrated," "bored," "excited," "angry," "happy," etc., and again I am requesting this as a separate paragraph. Vaill (1996) asserts that ignoring feelings in the learning process is a surefire way to prevent learning from occurring:

The basic point about feeling learning in learning as a way of being is that we need to develop self-acceptance of the feelings that arise during learning because these feelings are a part of the learning. They are not, as institutional learning would have it, annoyances that must be put up with in the learning process. Rather, the feeling of learning is one of the most reliable signals we could want that learning is occurring! (74)

Zull (2004) also recognizes the importance of emotions in learning. When people learn, both practice and emotions contribute to changes in the brain. He describes thought and emotion as "physically entangled;" the way we feel influences our brain. As teachers we want learning to feel good for students, and they need to be aware of their feelings. Journals will indicate whether students' learning experiences are positive or negative.

Some excerpts from student journals follow:

…A feeling of guilt came over me while she was speaking. I had assumed that most professors were the same and did not really care for the feelings of students.

At the start of the business etiquette luncheon, I was feeling extremely excited. I have never taken part in an activity like this before and was extremely eager to do my best. As the luncheon proceeded, I began to feel more relaxed and comfortable with my environment because I felt I was doing a good job.

During the presentation I felt a little bit of anxiety. I have scheduled two interviews for over the Easter break. Being that I do not own a suit, I started to worry. Shortly after, I started to panic. I calmed myself down and realized that I had time and my mother works in clothing retail so she could help me find a suit.

… I like dressing up and using my skills that I learned in the classroom in a real life situation…I feel more confident in a business suit…I also feel more important…When I walked into the restaurant there were other business men already eating, and I felt equal to them. I didn't feel like a college student and I don't think they looked at me as one either.

…My level of confidence has increased tremendously throughout the semester…The class and especially the luncheon practice has reassured me that I will be successful at things like business etiquette.

…I felt at ease with people at my table. The setting made me feel very comfortable compared to the "Mocktail" Party, where I felt nervous at first. I also was anxious to use some of the etiquette tips we went over in class…

In this paragraph I am looking for the expression of different emotions or feelings. Some students work through their feelings as they write about them; for example, progressing from "nervous" to "more relaxed."

Last Paragraph: The final paragraph in the journal concerns future action(s) the student will take as a result of their learning. Students discuss how they might apply what they learned from the experience, outlining one or more specific action steps they can take in an academic, personal, or professional setting. For example, students would not just say they know the correct way to give performance feedback to their peers, rather they would specify a behavior or two they intend to practice when giving feedback, like owning their statements or describing work-related problems or accomplishments. Returning to Epstein (1994), students progress from the rational to the experiential mode of learning when they link the classroom activity to real-life experiences-what they will do; such learning becomes part of long-term memory. For example,

…I plan to apply this to my own meeting that is scheduled for April 22…by making introductions at the beginning of the meeting…also…to set out rules for voting
at the beginning of the meeting…and making sure that every member has a clear understanding of these rules.

Some specific actions that I will use in the future include: seating the ladies at the table before myself, placing the napkin on my lap, and the proper way to place
my silverware when I'm finished eating.

When I become a manager…If I am able to speak with concern and genuine feelings to my employees…like she did to us, I am confident that I will get positive
results…

In this final paragraph students need to outline specific actions or behaviors. They provide some concrete step(s) they will take to transfer their learning into future practice, as indicated in these excerpts.

The rationale behind "process wheel" journals is that learning occurs both cognitively and experientially. Readings, lectures and discussions typically stimulate cognitive learning; exercises, problem solving, simulations, lab experiments, and other activities stimulate experiential learning. The bulk of learning occurs when students process a lesson, if they are willing to express what they know about themselves and what they are learning. Writing journals makes students realize they have in fact learned something they can transfer to another setting.

Added Benefits

Benefits of using journals also accrue to faculty, provided we are open to student feedback. There is the potential to increase our own self-awareness from the feedback students provide in their journals. However, this benefit is by no means a sure thing. Whetten and Cameron (2005) describe the "sensitive line" or point at which we become defensive when we receive information about ourselves that is discrepant with our self-concept. That could very well be the case when students disagree with something we've done, question it, or provide their honest thoughts and feelings. In order to reap the benefits of "process wheel" journals, we as faculty need to first be aware of our self-preservation reflex and then be consciously open to what students express in their journals.

Journals may provide unexpected lessons in the realization that what we thought we taught was not what students learned. Sometimes they miss the point of our lesson; sometimes they gain something other than what was intended. In any case, journals are a good source of honest feedback that faculty may use to re-teach or revisit a lesson, or to provide confirmation that a particular technique should continue to be used. For example, a journal in my team-based course included the following statement of confirmation: From the experiences I had with previous groups I had thought that groups just did not work with class members, but because of group activities like this I now know that groups can be invaluable.

Previous years' journal entries by several students about tight, uncomfortable seating during an activity caused me to locate another room, with more space, the following semester. In the future I plan to let the class decide if teams should sit together or not at the etiquette meal because recent journals reflected both sentiments.

Fukami (2002) created a montage of essays by faculty that outline how their classes were affected by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. A number of professors described the use of stories, discussing emotions, and processing of thoughts and reactions. As Ruth Axelrod so eloquently stated, "Baring our emotions, our vulnerabilities, in the classroom, were the risks that we accepted; deep learning and emotional connectedness were the rewards" (Fukami, 2002, p. 15).

Evaluation and Effectiveness of Journals

The issue of whether or how to grade journals is left to the discretion of the professor. In a communications course where the mechanics of writing are emphasized, journals would be graded for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage. Assigning multiple journals in a semester facilitates continuous improvement of written communication skills if professors provide detailed feedback on earlier submissions.

Appendix A includes the instructions my students receive for their journal assignments. In order to solicit honest feedback from students, it is important to assure them both confidentiality and that journals will be graded as objectively as possible, based on the grading criteria provided, and not on the opinions expressed. Appendix B is a simple rubric that may be used by instructors who grade journals.

The only potential risk to students from these assignments is their discomfort in revealing personal thoughts, feelings, and circumstances to the professor. Therefore the assurance of confidentiality is imperative. The potential risk to faculty is reading students' thoughts or feelings about our teaching that we may disagree with or not like. However, being open to receiving such feedback may be useful in our professional development.

In the 6-plus years I have used this technique, there have been no instances of the assignment failing. I have learned that journals work best when students write a series of them throughout the semester-two or three at minimum. It is very important that the instructor provide in-depth feedback on the content of the first journal, so that students may use the feedback to improve their performance on subsequent journals. These journals work best for experiential learning activities or those where classroom lessons have opportunities for direct application.

The excerpts from my students' journals that appear above convince me that these assignments continue to be beneficial to both students and instructor. "Process wheel" journals are liberating in that students share their thoughts/feelings about learning. Journals humanize, as they allow professors to see each student as an individual; and journals facilitate personal growth of students and faculty. Journals connect students to themselves and to their professors who learn about students and about themselves as teachers.

References

Allen, B. & Enz, C.A. (1987). Journal writing: Exercises in creative thought and expression. The Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 11(4), 1-14.

Bandura, A. (1977). A social learning theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Coghlan, D. (1993). Learning from emotions through journaling. Journal of Management Education, 17(1), 90-94.

Cox, P.L., Bobrowski, P.E. & Spector, M. (2004). Gateway to Business: An innovative approach to integrating writing into the first-year business curriculum. Journal of Management Education, 28(1), 62-87.

Epstein, S. (1994). Integration of the cognitive and the psychodynamic unconscious. American Psychologist, 49(8), 709-724.

Fukami, C. (2002). 9/11 Montage: Professors remember. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 1, 1, 14-37.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.

Kalliath, T. & Coghlan, D. (2001). Developing reflective skills through journal writing in an OD course. Organization Development Journal, 19(4), 61-70.

Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

McLeod, S. & Maimon, E. (2000). Clearing the air: WAC myths and realities. College English, 15(5), 573-583.

Moon, J. (1999). Learning journals: A handbook for academics, students and professional development. London: Kogan Page.

National Multicultural Institute (NMCI). Training of Trainers Diversity Training, Washington, DC, June 1996.

Vaill, P.B. (1996). Learning as a way of being: Strategies for survival in a world of permanent white water. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Vargo, J.W. (1997). Stretching minds: Personal and academic aspects of teaching. In J.K. Roth (Ed.), Inspiring teaching: Carnegie professors of the year speak (pp. 13-23). Boston: Anker Publishing.

Whetten, D. & Cameron, K. (2005). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice-Hall.

Zull, J. (2004). The art of changing the brain. Educational Leadership, September, 68-72.

Appendix A, Instructions for "Process Wheel" Journals

OBJECTIVE:
Students will process a learning activity by writing a Journal that explores their thoughts and feelings about the activity, and also outlines an application plan for transferring the learning to another setting.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Students will type their Journal, following a Memorandum format*; the subject of the Memo will be the learning activity you are writing about. Each Journal Memo* will include 4 paragraphs following the "Process Wheel" technique. These journals are a written reflection of any learning activity (speaker, video, exercise, field trip, role play, class discussion, or other exercise). The "Process Wheel" addresses 4 components, one per paragraph, and each paragraph should be at least 5 sentences.

• (1st paragraph) What you were doing during the activity-describe the featured class activity in terms of Who was involved, What exactly was happening, Where the activity occurred, Why, or How-provide details to help you recall the activity when you refer to your Journal later in the semester. For example, don't just say there was a video about motivation, but provide specifics.
  
• (2nd paragraph) What you were thinking during the activity in terms of this course, and any questions you had, and why. Feel free to include rhetorical questions. Use the words "thoughts," "thinking," "impressions," etc., freely in this paragraph.
  
• (3rd paragraph) What you were feeling during the activity, and why. Be careful not to confuse feelings with thoughts. For example, I felt it was a useful exercise… is a thought, not an emotion. Feelings include: frustration, anger, anxiety, nervousness, happiness, being relaxed, annoyed, bored, satisfied, etc.
  
• (4th paragraph) How you might apply what you learned from the experience-something specific you can do in the future. Write out a specific action step you can take, either in your personal or professional life. For example, don't just say you now know the correct way to give performance feedback to your peers, but specify a behavior or two you will practice when giving feedback, like owning your statements, and describing work-related problems or accomplishments.

Note: Written assignments completed outside of class will be graded for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage.*

(*) These instructions are for a managerial communications course where the mechanics of writing are emphasized. In other classes a Memo format is not needed, and instructors may use discretion in determining whether/how to grade Journals.

Appendix B, Grading Rubric for Process Wheel Journals

Each of the four paragraphs-doing, thinking, feeling, application/action step(s) - may be awarded a "minus" to "plus," ranging from 1-5 points.

(+) 5 points Exceeded the requirements for this paragraph; complete, detailed, specific, no spelling/grammar/usage errors.
(+/v) 4 points Met the requirements with no spelling/usage/grammar errors, or exceeded the requirements with one or two such errors.
(vv) 3 points Met expectations but has more than one or two spelling/usage/grammar errors.
(v) 2 points Did not meet the requirements for this paragraph due to omissions, spelling/grammar/usage errors.
(-) 1 point Major omissions, lack of specifics, and too many spelling/grammar/usage errors.

Total Points Possible = 20

Back to Top