Responding to Student Learning Records

Here is how I generally respond to the Learning Record. Rather than criticizing the shortcomings of the student’s work, we are always conveying our confidence in their capacities, and explaining the next aspect of the work they could focus on, for an assignment, a paper, or the course. It’s a developmental view, not n a punitive one.

Comments for: [student's name]

Absences:

1. Content of the Learning Record: Is the LR complete?

Part A.1 & A.2: Are they complete? Do they give readers a good sense of students' experience coming into the class?

Observations: Are there enough observations to give a sense of the student's development over time? Are they properly dated? Do they describe an activity related to the class? Do they focus on actual observations of what the student knows or can do, rather than on interpretations, opinions, evaluations, or on what hasn't been done or what should have been done?

Samples of work: Are there enough samples of work to represent the student's development? Is the selection of samples appropriate? What other examples might have been provided? Does the selection of samples give readers a sense of development over time?

Part B Summary interpretation: Is the interpretation supported by observations and samples of work? Does it refer to the dimensions of learning and the course strands (learning objectives established by the teacher) for the course? Does it represent the student's activity and accomplishments well?

Part C Grade estimate: Does the grade estimate match the criteria for the grade as explained by the instructor, or at the LR web site (www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~syverson/olr/grades.html)? Is the grade estimate supported by the evidence in the Learning Record?

2. Format

Does the student's Learning Record follow the Learning Record format? Is the Learning Record itself in one text document, in a folder which includes the samples of work as separate files? Is the LR and its author properly identified in its file name?

3. Comments

Comments about the Learning Record and suggestions for the student's next stages of development: