1. Weekly Study Logs

What: Brief weekly reflections on study habits and learning process

When: Every Sunday evening (7 times across 7 weeks)

Length: 150-250 words per week

Prompts (student chooses 2-3 to address):

• What concept did you find most challenging this week? Why?
• Describe a moment when something clicked. What helped you understand it?
• How did feedback from your last assignment influence your approach this week?
• What study strategies worked well for you this week?
• If you got stuck on something, how did you get unstuck?
• What question do you still have that we haven't addressed?

2. Self-Assessment Reflections

What: Student evaluation of their own work before/after feedback

When: Before submission (3-4 times: before each major essay submission)

Length: 200-300 words per essay

Process:

• Student completes self-assessment rubric before submitting essay (rate each criterion)
• Written reflection explains their self-assessment: "I think my rule statement is strong because... but I'm less confident about my application because..."
• Students submit self-assessment with essay
• Later, after receiving feedback, students see how their assessment compared to instructor assessment

3. Revision Reflections

What: Reflection on feedback received and revision process

When: After receiving instructor feedback (3-4 times, one per major essay)

Length: 200-300 words per reflection

Prompts:

• What was the most important feedback you received? Why was it important?
• What did you change in your revision? How does the revision address the feedback?
• What's one thing you will carry forward from this feedback to your next assignment?
• What are you still uncertain about, even after revision?

Grading Scale

Evidence of Metacognition

• Self-awareness: Student identifies their own strengths ("I'm good at fact-matching") and weaknesses ("I struggle with rule synthesis")
• Process awareness: Student describes their study strategies and can evaluate what works ("Talking through the CREAC structure with a peer helped")
• Goal-oriented thinking: Student sets goals for improvement based on feedback ("Next time I'll spend more time on application")
• Growth mindset: Student views challenges as learning opportunities, not failures

Evidence of Engagement with Feedback

• Revision reflections specifically reference instructor feedback ("You said I need to fact-match more, so I added...")
• Student explains why feedback was important or how it changed their thinking
• Student identifies what they'll do differently next time based on this feedback
• Reflections show understanding that feedback is information for learning, not criticism

Red Flags

• Superficial reflections: "This week was hard" without explaining what was hard or why
• Blaming others: "I would have done better but the assignment was confusing" (lack of ownership)
• Not addressing prompts: Student writes about assignments instead of reflecting on learning process
• Rote/checklist writing: Appears written just to fulfill requirement, not genuine reflection
• Silence about challenges: Student never acknowledges struggle or areas for growth (too polished, not authentic)

Efficient Grading Approach

• Skim, don't deeply read: Read for evidence of engagement and metacognition, not for perfect writing
• Quick feedback turnaround: Grade weekly study logs within 48 hours; students benefit from quick response
• Minimal written feedback: A 1-2 sentence response per reflection is enough ("I like how you identified what worked in your revision process" or "Tell me more about why that feedback was important")
• Batch grading: Grade all weekly logs for a given week before moving to next week
• Typical time investment: 5-10 minutes per student per week (all reflections combined)

Encouraging Honest Reflection

• Tell students: "These reflections are for your learning, not to impress me. Write honestly."
• Model vulnerability: "I struggled with X when I was learning this. Here's what helped me."
• Don't penalize honest struggle: "I didn't understand application this week" is a great reflection, not a failure
• Respond with curiosity, not judgment: Ask follow-up questions rather than giving advice

What Should Be Included

• All 7 weekly study logs
• 3-4 self-assessment reflections (one per major essay)
• 3-4 revision reflections (one per major essay)
• Optional: Concluding reflection (1-2 paragraphs) on overall learning in the course

Portfolio Format

• Organized chronologically or by type (all study logs together, all self-assessments together, etc.)
• Clear labeling (date, type of reflection, week number)
• Page numbers if submitted as single document
• Cover page with student name, course, date optional but helpful

Final Holistic Grade

• After receiving portfolio, read through all reflections (15-20 minutes total)
• Assess overall evidence of metacognitive engagement and growth across the course
• Assign single holistic grade (Excellent/Good/Adequate/Below) for entire journal
• Brief note in grading file explaining grade: "Consistent reflections showing strong engagement and clear growth in metacognitive awareness"