Writing Reflective Learning Journals: Promoting the Use of Learning Strategies and Supporting the Development of Professional Skills

What makes an online learning journal powerful for VET? Distinguishing productive usage patterns and effective learning strategies

“…LearnDoc aims to make generating a recipe book and a learning journal easier. Building on a pilot study (Mauroux et al 2015), this paper extends this line of research by including a larger sample over a longer period of time. The current study merges quantitative analyses of logging data extracted at different times during the training program, content analysis of learning journal entries, and final exam grades.…”

“…In VET, learning journals not only support reflection on workplace experiences but also help tracking learners' signs of progress. Mauroux et al (2015) also suggest that LJs can assist in connecting theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in different contexts. Learners who generated LJs more frequently achieved higher results in their final examination of their professional skills, especially when prompted to elaborate and reflect on demanding tasks.…”

“…Second, learners often do not perform all steps required to produce a complete product but only execute isolated segments. Their experiences are often scattered across time and contexts (Mauroux et al 2015). To understand a whole procedure or production sequence, learners need to integrate those fragmented workplace experiences.…”

“…Gleaves et al (2007Gleaves et al ( , 2008 found that learners using online learning tools generated more entries and were more willing to engage in reflection than participants who used paper-based journals (Caruso et al 2016). Online LJs can be accessed location-independent, stored securely, easily accessed by multiple people, include different media (for example photos (Mauroux et al 2015) or videos (Motta et al 2013), and offer reflection prompts to guide learning processes (Kicken et al 2009). …”

“…During the apprenticeship period, reflective practice can be modeled and facilitated through learning journals (LJs) that prompt reflection on experiences made in the workplace or at school (Nückles et al 2009). Learning journals are used by learners to track their progress and support their reflections of workplace experiences (Mauroux et al 2015). Different advantages of learning journals have been reported.…”