Hello everyone, it was great meeting you all in class the other day. Before I even go back and start looking at the Learning Record (which I thought I had put behind me a year ago!) I wanted to try and remember what I could off the top of my head.
I can randomly recall that I had to write and document a number of things, such as new ideas or techniques I had learned or experienced in class. Doing a Learning Record was like keeping a journal; it helped to show how I had progressed throughout the semester. I know that at first it can seem confusing and there are lots of little parts that need to be written and documented, but at the end when you put parts A, B and C together, it somehow, finally, makes sense.
All right, I don’t remember much else, but thankfully I still have my old Learning Record (bwahahaha!) which will no doubt trigger my nightmares…erm…memory. Anyone else who wants to view the Word document can do so at a minimal fee of $20 (cash only please). Heh.
Part A1 and A2 are done somewhere in the beginning of the semester and they focus on your interests and talents. A1 requests that you to do an interview with someone you know, asking them their opinion of you and your ability with the selected topics, which in this case would be Writing for Electronic Communities. A2 asks you to write a personal reflection about the course and your abilities in writing and technology. Simple as that folks.
Then comes the observations. For those of you who dislike keeping journals, you will detest this part. In this section you will write down your observations, from activities in class, homework, discussions, group work etc. This is done over the duration of the semester and then is compiled at the end of section A. Under observations is the work samples that you have produced in class. These can include online discussions with a link provided, to examples of your written work and class assignments.
B1 is like a mid-term analysis of your progress. You will talk about what you have achieved and what you still need to improve on, keeping in mind the goals of the major course strands and the five dimensions of learning. B2 is more or less the same process, but is conducted at the end of the semester, a final analysis of your work.
And then, finally, the best part of the Learning Record – GRADING YOURSELF! C1 is where you give yourself a midterm grade, C2 is your final grade, each of which you have to justify to the professor. Fun stuff! Word to the wise – be realistic when grading yourself and be sure to back up your argument with plenty of evidence. Simply put, if you document plenty of observations and work samples, then you are more likely to have material to use as evidence to fight Dr. Wolff in the all important Battle of the Grades. If all else fails people, you can always try buying Giant’s tickets…I can’t imagine any other bribe would work on our professor.
I hope this has helped some of you, if you have any further questions, please ask. Advice is free (but my sample of the Learning Record is not…lol). Seriously, it seems like a lot of unnecessary work, but the Learning Record gives you something concrete to look back on. You can see where you have triumphed and where you still need to improve, so it’s worth it.
Good luck!
