Enhancing self regulated learning by learning journals

Learning journals are a self-guided way of writing that allows for elaboration and reflection on learning content. In a learning protocol, learners apply cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Our study tries to analyze the effect of using learning journals on self regulated learning strategies and on academic performances. The participants were 117 first year students. The students in the experimental group kept a learning journal as follow-up course work for an introductory course in psychology of learning. The results showed that the prompts successfully activated cognitive and metacognitive strategies that resulted in superior learning outcomes.