Comments from Students

· Despite being initially suspicious of how useful a learning diary would be, I have learned from the experience. There are some particular themes that kept recurring and that have provided the main gains.

· During early diary entries, coding problems are repeatedly referred to as ‘intractable’ and ‘impossible’. At this stage the diary was serving a useful function as an outlet for worries, but gradually a more solution-focused approach was adopted. Although each problem is different, through my diary entries I have found a way of tackling these problems that used to seem insurmountable. Although they seem like common sense when I go back and read them, strategies such as:- ‘going back to basics’, printing code out to examine on paper, seeking tutors help, and putting the problem down for a couple of days, have all become part of my repertoire for dealing with difficult-looking problems. Often stating what I think the central issue is, in a couple of bullet points, helps when I come back to the problem. The fact that I have committed myself to paper often helps me get out of a rut.

· After some indecisive ramblings about the decision, I wrote an entry where I wrote down all the pros and cons of the two options I was considering. Again, making myself write them down helped me clarify my thoughts. I realised that I had confused my wish to do a project involving industrial collaborations with interest in the actual field of study. Becoming aware of this made the decision much easier.

· My reading led to some worries about the approach I was planning to take. After putting them in my diary, I decided to discuss my concerns with my supervisors. We came to the conclusion that a slightly different approach would be the best way forward.

· The two most beneficial issues that I’ve learned about through my diary are presentation skills and approaches to planning. Again, some of the observations I made about the practice sessions we did, seem like common sense. However, they involved things I was not doing. In particular, the way I use overheads has improved; not putting too much on them and covering the right amount up seems to keep the audience’s attention. Also, taking my time and trying not to ‘um’ can be difficult to stay aware of, when doing an assessed presentation. I did, however, reflect on how the next presentation went and an issue I decided to focus on in the presentation was keeping within the time slot allocated for the talk. The approach to this issue I took was to rehearse more than I had done before, and it worked.

· The diary has helped me plan my work more effectively than I did at the start of the course. Initially I made daily lists of what I had to do as I went along. After the time management seminar I started to make more disciplined weekly plans, but found them difficult to stick to. So, I decided to keep a record of exactly what I did and when. I used this analysis to identify when the most appropriate times were for different tasks (e.g. I do general reading tasks first thing in the morning and difficult problem solving tasks in the early afternoon). This enabled me to make more realistic plans that have been easier to stick to. I also try to keep the plans fairly consistent between weeks to build up a routine. Also, as the nature of my workload has changed I have been able to develop my planning strategies. During January, with six pieces of coursework to complete, I developed different levels of planning. At a global level I decided which pieces of work to do in which weeks and then broke down the tasks into component pieces that were planned in more detail. By planning my work further into the future than I had previously done, I made sure that the workload was evenly spread and that I never tried to tackle more than two subjects on the same day. My diary entries were crucial in forming these plans.

· A more general positive comment about the experience is that reading through my diary boosts my confidence if it is low. I realise that I have learned a lot, and while there is still a long way to go, I am getting there. I can solve the problems I come up against.

· How could I have used the diary more effectively? I tended to focus on a few problems that kept recurring, but left others out. Also, I did not put many entries in about my personal life, that was important at the time. I think this might have helped me see my academic life with a clearer perspective.

· I got more out of the diary when I made a conscious effort not to worry about its coursework role and the fact that I might lose marks if I didn’t use it every day (not the case). It suited me best if I wrote in it every 4 to 5 days. I felt I had more to say and it helped me realise where I was in terms of planning and how much I had got done. Its utility as a reviewing and planning tool means that I will continue to keep my learning diary. I do, however, plan to further develop my use of it as a specific problem solver by making more frequent entries.

· From the outset it was clear that writing the learning diary on a regular basis was a worthwhile and valuable endeavour.

· A review of my learning diary reveals that a large portion of my study time and attention was concentrated on one module. Early in the term the diary shows that I had major problems with this module, which caused a moderate amount of stress. However, as the semester progressed there are clear indications that I was beginning to make progress in this module. When recording many of the small achievements make in programming, I was often disappointed at my seemingly slow rate of improvement. However, reviewing these small achievements together, it is clear that substantial advancement in the subject has been made. Without the learning diary I may not have been fully aware of this fact.

· Personally, I found the task of writing the diary a catharsis. For example, it often seemed to lessen the stress if I wrote that I was stressed. In addition, writing something at the end of the day was always a reminder that I was working hard and that I shouldn’t be too severe on myself if things didn’t always appear to be going well. Although it can be seen that many of the comments are negative, I also wrote down many instances when things were going well. I feel that these positive comments were important for boosting my confidence.

· One area which is not properly covered in the diary, and which I feel would have been helpful, is come comment on how I solved problems. Although I wrote problems in the diary, I only referred to them again if they continued to be a problem. However, comments on how they were solved would have been useful for future reference.

· One unexpected benefit of keeping the Diary was that because I carried the notebook around with me at all times, it became a useful place to keep lists of references to books, journals, web sites, etc., and also a ‘to-do’ list. This latter list has been useful in helping me to manage my time more effectively, particularly when it comes to prioritising tasks. Even though I no longer add diary entries, I still keep the notebook with me for these purposes.

· When I discover an effective way of learning and/or working, I tend to put it into practice straight away. This way, it becomes part of my natural behaviour, so I benefit from the technique immediately. For example, some years ago, I realised that I worked more effectively in near silence than in a noisy environment. Ever since then, I have tended to switch off the stereo/radio etc. before starting work in my room, or gone to a ‘silent study’ section of the library when working there. For similar reasons, I do not even own a TV set, which I have also found very distracting. Similarly, more recently I noticed that I work less effectively after a large meal, so when I plan to work in the evening, I tend to have a lighter meal than I might otherwise have.

· One of my learning methods is the use of Post-it notes. If I am trying to learn something abstract or precise such as a mathematical formula or a formal definition, I write it out on a Post-it note and stick it to the wall above my desk. This way, I can see the fact at a glance when I need to refer to it, rather than leafing through a textbook or my own written notes. It has the added advantage that my eyes will often fall on the notes when I am doing other things, allowing me to learn the facts by ‘osmosis’. When a Post-it note fact is no longer needed, for example when I have learned the fact satisfactorily or when it becomes irrelevant, I remove it, making room for more notes. Because the note is hand-written, it also becomes easier to recall later, as I can remember the details of the writing, such as which words were underlined, which were crossed out and re-written, and so on. While this information is superficial to the actual fact, it does make recollection easier.

· One learning method that I have only recently developed, is learning in groups. I was a member of an informal study-group, which met approximately once a week during October and November. We would individually study a chosen paper or a chapter from a book, and then at the meeting give a brief presentation and provide handouts to the other group members. I found this focused my mind very effectively, forcing me to read the paper or book without delay, and in enough depth to explain its contents to others, rather than put off the reading, or to only skim read it without taking in the details.

· The use of learning diary until now has motivated me enough to try new systems, more suited to my own style of functioning. I think I realise now, when I am expected to work more independently with little guidance, the importance of having a system to organise my work. Also, I think it introduces a certain discipline to organise my work within, which until now has been quite haphazard.

Updated: 6/11/00