Lecture_Diary

Aim and purpose Commenting on the lectures Requirements

Aim and purpose

The aim in writing a lecture diary is to offer support for oneÕs learning process. The aim of the diary is to help you to structure what you have read and heard. The aim is also to exercise your ability to think carefully and critically, and to absorb new information.
These instructions were edited by Saila Poutiainen based on the research diary instructions presented by Riikka Niemi (University of Jyväskylä), Simo Aho (University of Tampere), Marjatta Rahikainen (University of Helsinki) and Historiaa opiskelevan opas (University of Tampere).
Index

Commenting on the lectures

It is advisable to write your diary through out the lecture series, not after the lecture series is over.
The lecture diary consists of A) a short summary of the lecture, and B) comments on each lecture. The emphasis is on the commentary.
It should be stated clearly on the diary which lectures are commented at each time. Each lecture should get at least one comment.
A comment could be for example,
- an observation or a thought related to the main content of the lecture,
- critical towards the information or interpretations presented at the lecture,
- presenting a point of view which was not presented at the lecture, but would have been worth of attention,
- containing your own thoughts, or ideas from other sources, which were not referred to during the lecture (newspaper articles, other mass media productions, comic strips),
- connected to the lecture series a whole or in general,
- connected to some detail (an argument, concept, interpretation presented at the lecture),
- contain feedback for the lecturer,
- presenting further questions,
- a well argued disagreement,
- describing the most relevant new aspect or issue that your learned (explain why the issue is relevant), and/or
- a description of the way(s) in which something presented at the lecture (an argument, a concept, a thought) gave you a new idea related to your work in process (unfinished project, dissertation, seminar paper, an article, a conference presentation)
Index

Requirements

A lecture diary entry is not only repetition or a summary of what was said at the lecture. A lecture diary is neither a so called tradition diary containing Òhow I feelÓ outpourings about the state of the world, Finnish education system, or your own research work. Those are definitely valid, important, and acceptable themes for comments, but they should be presented analytically and thoughtfully.
Lecture diary should contain short summary and sharp commentary of at least eight (8) lectures out of ten (10).
The length of one lecture diary entry is about 1 page/lecture (typed, 1.5 spaced). The lecture diary is concluded with about one page final summary, in which you should evaluate the lecture series and your own learning process as a whole. Thus, in total, the minimum length of lecture diary is nine (9) pages.
Lecture diaries are graded on a scale passed-good-excellent.
Index

	The aim in writing a lecture diary is to offer support for oneÕs learning process. The aim of the diary is to help you to structure what you have read and heard. The aim is also to exercise your ability to think carefully and critically, and to absorb new information.
	These instructions were edited by Saila Poutiainen based on the research diary instructions presented by Riikka Niemi (University of Jyväskylä), Simo Aho (University of Tampere), Marjatta Rahikainen (University of Helsinki) and Historiaa opiskelevan opas (University of Tampere).
		Index

	It is advisable to write your diary through out the lecture series, not after the lecture series is over.
	The lecture diary consists of A) a short summary of the lecture, and B) comments on each lecture. The emphasis is on the commentary.
	It should be stated clearly on the diary which lectures are commented at each time. Each lecture should get at least one comment.
	A comment could be for example,
	- an observation or a thought related to the main content of the lecture,
	- critical towards the information or interpretations presented at the lecture,
	- presenting a point of view which was not presented at the lecture, but would have been worth of attention,
	- containing your own thoughts, or ideas from other sources, which were not referred to during the lecture (newspaper articles, other mass media productions, comic strips),
	- connected to the lecture series a whole or in general,
	- connected to some detail (an argument, concept, interpretation presented at the lecture),
	- contain feedback for the lecturer,
	- presenting further questions,
	- a well argued disagreement,
	- describing the most relevant new aspect or issue that your learned (explain why the issue is relevant), and/or
	- a description of the way(s) in which something presented at the lecture (an argument, a concept, a thought) gave you a new idea related to your work in process (unfinished project, dissertation, seminar paper, an article, a conference presentation)
		Index

	A lecture diary entry is not only repetition or a summary of what was said at the lecture. A lecture diary is neither a so called tradition diary containing Òhow I feelÓ outpourings about the state of the world, Finnish education system, or your own research work. Those are definitely valid, important, and acceptable themes for comments, but they should be presented analytically and thoughtfully.
	Lecture diary should contain short summary and sharp commentary of at least eight (8) lectures out of ten (10).
	The length of one lecture diary entry is about 1 page/lecture (typed, 1.5 spaced). The lecture diary is concluded with about one page final summary, in which you should evaluate the lecture series and your own learning process as a whole. Thus, in total, the minimum length of lecture diary is nine (9) pages.
	Lecture diaries are graded on a scale passed-good-excellent.
		Index