Short Communication
The impact of a student learning journal: a two-stage evaluation using the Nominal Group Technique

Abstract

Reflection offers a strategy that can help learners connect what they learn with their everyday practice. It can also assist them in taking control of their learning and in developing insight into the way that they learn. This study used the Nominal Group Technique to evaluate a reflective learning journal on a one-year course for GPs and pharmaceutical advisers. Changes were introduced in answer to the students’ responses in the first year, and the evaluation at the end of the second year showed a significant reduction in students’ levels of confusion and anxiety related to keeping the diary. They also said that keeping the diary benefited their learning styles but they reported that keeping a learning diary was time-consuming.