REFLECTIVE JOURNAL CRITERIA

Criterion

Explanation

Relating your journal to the text

Your journal has to relate to the set text but focuses on your responses to reading it in relation to your development over the semester

Where you can find yourself in trouble Summarising, undertaking a review, or a description of the text, complaining about the author or the text, no indication you have read the text

2 or 1

You engage with the subtleties and complexities of the text and your response to it at an outstanding level of insight

You engage with many of the subtleties and complexities of the text and your response to it at a high level

You show that you are aware of the some of the complexities of the text and your response to it, but tend to do so at a more surface level

You have a base level awareness of the text and your response to it; you have summarised, described or reviewed the text only, complained about the author

You cannot grasp the focus of the text or your response to it, you do not demonstrate that you have seen the text, you undertake a very poor description, summary or review You say that the text is easy or hard without explanation, you blame the authors, you do not show that you have read the text

You show no recognition or acknowledgement of the text or your response to it; you may have ignored the question and reading

Responding to initial reading

You have to start somewhere, and it is likely that this reading will be difficult. Your explanations as to why it is difficult is the focus here

Simply saying that it is easy or hard is not a reflection without explaining what challenges it throws out to you, or why you find it difficult or easy; blaming the authors

You demonstrate a very high level of understanding of your own abilities/limits, and use this to engage in the subtleties and complexities of the text and your response to it You have drawn on the prompts to construct your own responses to the text, showing outstanding levels of insight into your own abilities

You demonstrate a high level of understanding your abilities/limits, and use this to engage in the subtleties and complexities of the text and your response to it You have drawn on the prompts to show a very good understanding of your response to the text, showing good levels of insight about your abilities

You have some understanding of your abilities/limits but cannot explain why you respond this way

You have no real understanding of your abilities/limits but you show that you have made some attempt to respond to the initial reading

You show no recognition or acknowledgement of the text or your response to it; you may have ignored the question and reading

Using the prompt questions

You take these basic starting questions and draw on them to develop your own thoughtful responses to the reading and your challenges dealing with the reading You have thought carefully about why you have changed or not as the semester progressed

You answer the prompt questions as if they were a test and wont have used them to develop ideas or thoughts from the set text

You have attempted to use the prompts to show you have thought about the reading and your responses beyond the basics

You have answered the prompts without exploring them beyond a very basic level you stick to them on a question/answer basis only

You do not have a basic awareness of the prompt questions or how they may have helped you with your reading or responses to the text

You show no recognition or acknowledgement of the text or your response to it; you may have ignored the question and reading

The quality of the completed journal how well did you reflect

You simply say that you are better able to understand what is being said without exploring why

You explored your development at an outstanding level

You explored your development at a very good level

You attempted to explore your development but tended towards description over reflection

You described your responses mechanically and did not demonstrate a process of reflection

Your attempt at reflection was poor and showed limited reading, and lack of thought

You did not attempt to reflect; you may simply have said asserted that you improved