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The Exeter Award

Enhance your employability


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Journal writingWhat is the journal or learning log?

  • A reflective and analytical paper-based or web blog journal for the period preparing for and during the work experience.
  • Entries can be written as frequently as you want. They will probably be written more frequently in the early stages of the work experience and then become less frequent as things settle down into a routine.
  • Approximately 6,000 words overall, but word length is not critical - write as much as you want.
  • You are encouraged to send draft entries to the module tutor (currently Mike Dobson) by email (e.g. as Word attachments) for feedback.
  • Submitted in completed form:
    • 30 and 15 credits - term 3, week 1
    • 120 credits - near the beginning of the first term of the academic year following the work experience.
  • Forms:
    • 40% - 30 and 120 credits
    • 60% - 15 credits

      of the overall mark for the work experience.

Why write one?

  • It encourages you to reflect on your work experience and what you can take forward from it in the form of transferable skills.
  • It helps you to track your progress during the work experience, and see how you gained from the experience.
  • It formalises a way for you to give us feedback on the work placements students are going to.
  • It ensures that we hear from you during your work experience, and helps to answer questions about the quality of the experience.
  • We like to make them available to future students doing work experience so that they can get an idea of what work placements are like. The journal gives information far beyond anything that we could hope to provide, on issues directly relevant to students.

How do you write 'reflectively'?

There is guidance for writing critically about your expereinces and expectations etc., in the handbook Reflective Writing by P. Watton et al. - available online as a PDF file.

Format

  • The journal can be either word processed or a web blog.
  • There are no rules about the layout, margin sizes, type size of style, etc. Present things in whatever way you think communicates the best.
  • Include as many photogaphs as you wish
  • Submissions can be entirely electronic (e.g. Word, PDF) or on paper. An electronic version will be required, if submitting on paper.

How is it marked?

  • The journal is marked as a single piece of work, regardless of how many entries there are or how long it is.
  • The markers will be looking for critical writing and the ability for reflection.

Past learning logs

  • forthcoming