Any Former UCD Access Students??

Access2014

Hey, looking for some help with the study journal portion of the course this year. Alot of classmates are in the same boat as well...

Basically, we've been keeping the personal study journal since September, but nobody knows exactly what the lecturer wants as regards the summary? Personally, I'm not even sure my journal entries are up to scratch - the lecturer has contradicted himself a few times as regards what he wants.

Is there anyone who has done the course in previous years and can shed some light on the subject? Thanks in advance!

TheSockMonster

Access2014 wrote: »

Hey, looking for some help with the study journal portion of the course this year. Alot of classmates are in the same boat as well...

Basically, we've been keeping the personal study journal since September, but nobody knows exactly what the lecturer wants as regards the summary? Personally, I'm not even sure my journal entries are up to scratch - the lecturer has contradicted himself a few times as regards what he wants.

Is there anyone who has done the course in previous years and can shed some light on the subject? Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I'm doing the course this year. My impression of the learner journal is that rather than being a summary of our weekly entries, it is an essay where we pick 3 or 4 themes and write about them. The journal entries are supposed to be used as a guide so that we can look back over the semester and see what issues keep recurring.

The themes have to be backed up by expert evidence and/or advice and we go on to say how we used this information to work on the issue and improve our academic abilities. So for example, a theme could be how you found it difficult to write in an academic style. You would then find books, see what study skills experts say about this and what recommendations they make to improve academic writing, follow the advice and write about how it helped (or didn't!).

But the themes have to be related to your learning, eg. Using the library, anxiety about the exams etc. instead of personal stuff that's unrelated to the course. You can also write about your expectations of the course, your experiences of making friends in college and highs and lows of the course.

I'd check that this is ok with your tutor as he may have a different format but this is what mine said to do. She also recommended a book that you might find helpful: Learning Journals by J.A. Moon

Hope this helps! How are you finding the course?

Dores

Hi! The purpose of this task is reflection on your learning. Therefore your own thoughts are your best friends. You can't go wrong with that.

You can find Study Skills literature helpful to articulate and organise your thoughts.

Burns and Sinfield, 2008. Essential Study Skills. Second Edition ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Chambers E. and Northedge A., 1997. The arts Good study guide. third edition ed. Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Cottrell, S., 2008. The study skills handbook. third edition ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Davis, D., 2007. The adult learner's companion. Boston: Patricia A. Coryell.
Drew and Bingham, 2010. The guide to learning and study skills. Farnham: Gower Publishing Limited.
Moran, A., 2000. Managing your own learning at university. A practical guide.. 2nd ed. Dublin: University College Dublin Press.
Smale and Fowlie, 2009. How to Succeed at University. London: SAGE Publications ltd.
Sukumar, G. N., 2010. Learning And The Learner : Insights Into The Processes Of Learning And Teaching. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..

Access2014

TheSockMonster wrote: »

Hi,

I'm doing the course this year. My impression of the learner journal is that rather than being a summary of our weekly entries, it is an essay where we pick 3 or 4 themes and write about them. The journal entries are supposed to be used as a guide so that we can look back over the semester and see what issues keep recurring.

The themes have to be backed up by expert evidence and/or advice and we go on to say how we used this information to work on the issue and improve our academic abilities. So for example, a theme could be how you found it difficult to write in an academic style. You would then find books, see what study skills experts say about this and what recommendations they make to improve academic writing, follow the advice and write about how it helped (or didn't!).

But the themes have to be related to your learning, eg. Using the library, anxiety about the exams etc. instead of personal stuff that's unrelated to the course. You can also write about your expectations of the course, your experiences of making friends in college and highs and lows of the course.

I'd check that this is ok with your tutor as he may have a different format but this is what mine said to do. She also recommended a book that you might find helpful: Learning Journals by J.A. Moon

Hope this helps! How are you finding the course?

Sounds like our lecturers are on different wavelengths regarding the summary to be honest, but thanks for your feedback.

Enjoying the course so far, apart from the occasional vagueness as regards assignments! How about yourself?

Dores wrote: »

Hi! The purpose of this task is reflection on your learning. Therefore your own thoughts are your best friends. You can't go wrong with that.

That's all well and good, but our guy wants things done in a very specific manner, but hasn't specified that manner for the summary! Thanks for the reading list though. Much appreciated.

hdowney

Yea I'm in The Sock Monsters class, and I am like whut re the journal. How am I supposed to use published material to back up I felt bored out of my skin and didn't learn anything today?!!!

TheSockMonster

Access2014 wrote: »

Sounds like our lecturers are on different wavelengths regarding the summary to be honest, but thanks for your feedback.

Enjoying the course so far, apart from the occasional vagueness as regards assignments! How about yourself?



That's all well and good, but our guy wants things done in a very specific manner, but hasn't specified that manner for the summary! Thanks for the reading list though. Much appreciated.

Yea I'm really enjoying it! It's far more demanding than I thought it would be though. Can't believe the first semester is nearly over already!!

TheSockMonster

hdowney wrote: »

Yea I'm in The Sock Monsters class, and I am like whut re the journal. How am I supposed to use published material to back up I felt bored out of my skin and didn't learn anything today?!!!

I guess you have to look deeper than your boredom. Why are you bored, what could you do yourself to make the class more interesting, could you change your perspective on the class? Etc.

Or else you could just use different themes!

hdowney

TheSockMonster wrote: »

I guess you have to look deeper than your boredom. Why are you bored, what could you do yourself to make the class more interesting, could you change your perspective on the class? Etc.

Or else you could just use different themes!

Honestly I am bored - in her classes - cos I am not learning anything. I have one theme - to do with footnotes - I think I'll have to make up the rest! See you Weds