After reading a recent article in Campus Technology, “Why Blogging is Key to the Future of Higher Ed”, I recalled that we have been using something similar in our EDUC 346 Instructional Technology course. Students post to a class blog reflecting on their learning using the DIEP format.
Some students struggled with the format at first, but in the end they got the hang of it and for some, their writing improved. How might you use this for your courses?
What is DIEP?
DIEP (RMIT University, 2010) is a writing format that will assist you in thinking about and understanding your learning experiences. Although written as a series of questions, you will not post responses in a question and answer format. Rather, you will use the following questions to write a reflective narrative.
D – Describe objectively what happened.
- What did I do in class over the past couple of weeks?
- What did I read, see, hear?
I – Interpret the events.
- What new insights did I develop?
- What connections can I make with other learning and/or your my own personal experience?
E – Evaluate the experience.
- What is my opinion about what I learned?
- Why do I think this?
P – Plan how this information will be useful to you.
- In what ways might this learning experience serve me in this course, my program, my future career, or life generally?
RMIT University. (2010, July). Reflective writing: DIEP. Retrieved from https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_assessmenttasks/assess_pdf/Reflective%20journal.pdf
