Introduction

The search for an alternative method to traditional classroom learning is the subject of Langer’s (2002) article, Reflecting on practice: Using learning journals in higher and continuing education. Inspired by polemics on alternative pedagogies dating to Dewey’s early twentieth century philosophies of learning directed at the application of practice based, education methodologies, the Langer proposes a nuance to this approach through journal writing models of facilitation, as both a process of self-reflection, and tool for communicative praxis as understood by Jurgen Habermas. Philosophical articulations promoting the autobiographical independence that such a learning method provides, the journal as repository of thought, and vehicle for the development and demonstration of critical thought might be considered in its flexible repose as an experiential learning device.

The study was implemented with a convenience sample comprised of classes of over one hundred students each, over three consecutive semesters. Interview research was conducted in follow-up to the application of the journal assignment. The purpose of the study was to assess the extent by journals influence the evolution of critical thinking amongst adult students. Findings to the investigation revealed that pedagogical assumptions, and theoretical frameworks responsive to this approach in learning varied in their efficacy, and that ‘reflection’ proved to be instrumental toward a range of learning constraints that might otherwise be ignored or not met entirely.

Research Question

Impetus for the study on learning journal facilitation is based on the null hypothesis that there is little evidence of the claim for knowledge development due to lack of demonstrable proof.  Existing discussions on the employment of the learning journal in certain fields where it is already deemed essential, as in the Sciences, shows that students benefit from the replication of

ideas and facts specific to the ontology of practice (Langer, 2002).  Experts in the field of mathematics offer suggestion that journal keeping encourages students to make record of technical definitions for recall of mathematical concepts that in turn reinforces abstract thinking.
Literature review

Theoretical considerations in the study focus on the dual emphases on theory or practice, as scholarly queries on educational pedagogies find philosophical articulation in formulations derived from practice-based perspectives, as in the works of John Dewey and Jurgen Habermas, and also research-in-action constructs instigated by thinkers such as Schon and Kohl for the use of reflection in the experiential learning cycle. Instructional training models also incorporate the concept within the practical application of curricula, in that it allows for both process and representation of learning outcomes.

The uniqueness of the reflection school of thought points to the ability and process aligned in each individual. The learning journal is a highly personalized inculcation of attendant standardized systems of thought. A tableau for rendering impressions, and replicating information over time, the process by which the student fosters internal dialogue with the outside world, can be then captured for iterative dialogue in the classroom. Other scholars vested in process oriented learning technologies note that the journal is timeless in approach, yet with concrete outcomes. The utilitarian aspect of such a deployment of intellectual growth and individual consciousness is of course highly subjective in terms of ‘accurate’ or ‘objective’ content, and for this reason the tool should be interpreted merely as a mitigation of the conditions in the learning environment rather than a locus of ‘fact’ or ‘truth.’ Ultimately, the learning journal stands to engender the appropriate learning environment for student, which is always the core competency to be realized in pedagogical tasks.

The proposition of ‘meta-cognition’ within journal writing as a formal path to self-enquiry and critical thought in contemporary educational philosophies parallels Dewey’s earlier work. Langer discusses the importance of active learning as the primary modus operandi amidst the field of theoretical potentialities and mentions the student-to-instructor communication dynamic.  Finally, applied research on the aforementioned theories tests the expansion of learning strategies and argued findings in reflective thinking as verifiable outcomes and criteria for recommendation.