ABSTRACT
Grading or providing other forms of feedback on classroom journal writing presents challenges. Faculty members want journal entries that show how students are engaged with course content and how the course relates to their own life experiences. Some faculty members know that journals are also a particularly appropriate place for authentic observations and reflections on readings, clinical-setting observations, laboratory observations, and service-learning activities. Feedback is divided into two types: summative and formative feedback. Instructors may give feedback in a summative form, a formative form, or both throughout a given course. Journal writing is typically an ongoing activity over a semester or term. Instructors need to help students develop, refine, and reflect on their journal entries. This chapter addresses the question of what kind of feedback to provide on classroom journal writing. The journal is generally considered a place for private musings; for exploration; and for honest, authentic responses to the world outside and within.
