This new perspective creates a foundation for enhanced critical thinking and psychological skills. Finally, journal writing is also a self-directed activity that prepares students to critically understand and evaluate books and articles.
According to Muirhead (2002), the Journal Writing approach relies on a student-centered assessment philosophy. In this model, students are not empty vessels to be filled up with knowledge. Instead, students and instructors are seen as academic partners. The adult students are autonomous and independent, and much of their studying depends on innovative assignments and assessment tools.
Because much of the learning is student-centered and done independently, it is even more important for the instructor to provide clear feedback. Towards this,...
Developing such a tool takes time, and must be geared towards the specific needs o the assignment and the class.
In
conclusion, this article discusses how new educational environments and new kinds of students are also generating the need for new, more effective methods of assessing knowledge. Quizzes and term papers are limited in this instance. Instead, the challenge lies in developing new methods to measure a student's knowledge, evaluate improvement and provide constructive feedback. Journal writing and portfolio work are two techniques that have been suggested to meet these needs. As online education continues to broaden, it would be interesting to see what new forms of assessment outcomes are developed.
Works Cited
Muirhead, B. (2002, Feb). Relevant assessment strategies for Online Colleges & Universities. USDLA Journal, 16. Retrieved Oct 26, 2004, at http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article04.html.
