Reflecting on Practice: using learning journals in higher and continuing education

Teachers College

Reflecting on Practice: using learning journals in higher and continuing education Langer (2002) central focus is plainly stated in the introduction, which is “how the use of journals impacted the learning process of adult non-traditional students and how this impact compared to that of traditional students”.
The purpose of this article critique is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Langer (2002) article. The body of the critique will develop the five major elements, which begin with the research question/problem to include the author’s purpose for writing the article. The next element is the conceptual framework, followed by the methodology, results/findings of the study, and lastly the discussion.
Even though the research question is stated clearly in the third sentence, the use of the terms former and latter in the introduction was somewhat ambiguous because the two comparatives were used early in the paragraph. The article mentioned traditional students, but it was unclear if they too were adults. The reviewer eventually determined that the traditional students were adults because the article stated that the computer technology certification courses were designed for adult students interested in changing their careers. Langer (2002) gave a clear purpose of his study, which was to understand the immediate and extended effects of journals as learning tools for working with adult students, as well as promoting critical reflection.
The theoretical/conceptual framework provides sufficient and current references, which supports the importance of the research question. Lukinsky (1990) was a part of the literature review that provided guidance to instructors on the use of different types of learning journals and their benefits. Langer (2002)