Reflective Journaling to Assure Learning in the Affective Domain

Abstract

The case presents reflective journaling as an effective tool to assess higher-order learning outcomes. There are two predominant approaches to learning namely surface and deep learning. Surface learning stops with the acquisition, remembering, reproducing and using the knowledge whereas deep learning culminates in development or change by enabling the learner to evaluate and create. The case describes a challenge encountered in the course ‘Emotional Intelligence for Managers’, which is a part of the Master of Business Administration programme in a leading business school in South India. In this course, learning happens in the affective domain and should culminate in a change in attitude or behaviour of the learner, who in turn should be capable of applying the learning to different situations. Standardized assessment components such as quizzes, viva and written tests cannot be used to assess this higher conception of learning and, hence, the instructor chose journal writing to assure learning and attainment of higher-order learning outcomes. Journal writing is a process in which learners record events, their responses to those events, and their reflections on the responses. This facilitates critical thinking and motivates deep learning. The case demonstrates the use of reflective journaling as a tool to assess learning in the affective domain and also shares evidence of the positive outcomes of reflective journaling. The case also serves as a blueprint to foster and assess deep learning in the classrooms.

Keywords

Assurance of learning AOL affective domain deep learning journaling reflection

Introduction

Assurance of learning (AOL) is an effective mechanism that not only assures learning but also provides feedback for continuous improvement. AOL answers four important questions at the end of the course: What should the students learn? How should we teach them for learning to occur? How do we measure the attainment of learning outcomes? If the learning outcomes have not been attained, what are the corrective measures? (AACSB, 2007). The American Association for Higher Education and Accreditation (AAHEA) states that assessments should try to assess the manifestation of learning in terms of the performance of the students. They should also include the learners’ experiences that lead to the learning and the manifestation thereafter. AAHEA also emphasizes that AOL should be a continuous mechanism and, hence, should not be established using a single method (Astin et al., 1996). Hence, the business schools should ensure an effective AOL mechanism that satisfies the above-discussed criteria.

Ensuring that learning had happened is a significant motivator for faculty. Angelo (1999) opined that assessments should consider the students’ approach to learning. Marton and Säljö (1976) identified two predominant approaches to learning namely surface learning and deep learning. Within these two approaches, there are six conceptions of learning starting from enhancing knowledge, remembering through memorization, seeking to understand the meaning of things, acquiring facts that can be retained or put to practice, approaching the concept from different perspectives and developing or changing as a person or learn to see the world differently (Marton et al., 1993). Learners who use the surface learning approach stop with the acquisition, remembering, reproducing and using the knowledge. The learners who adopt a deep learning approach construct the meaning of the learned concept and use that for personal change (Purdie & Hattie, 2002). This case presents a challenge faced in the AOL in a course ‘Emotional Intelligence for Managers’, which is part of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum of a business school in South India and also demonstrates the use of an assessment tool to mitigate the challenge.

EIM is a course that aims to impart emotional intelligence (EI) skills to students. Krishnaveni and Ranganath (2010, p. 97) have defined EI as the ability of individuals to understand various emotional stimuli from their environment, process them and respond to them appropriately for better outcomes. The objective of this course is to enhance the EI skills (as defined by Krishnaveni & Ranganath, 2010) of students, thereby, enabling them to apply the skill for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. As this course deals with feelings and emotions, the course fits into the affective domain of learning. Learning in the affective domain has five levels namely receiving the content, responding, valuing what was received, organizing the received content and internalizing the same (Krathwohl et al., 1973). Learning in this domain should culminate in the application of the learned concepts, which in turn lead to a change in the behaviour or attitude of the learners. This objective pertains to the higher-order conceptions of learning (Marton et al., 1993; Purdie & Hattie, 2002) and, hence, warrants a deep learning approach from the students. Kasilingam and colleagues (Kasilingam et al., 2014) stated that AOL in the affective domain should capture not only the competencies acquired but also the extent to which the competencies were utilized to change the attitude or behaviour of the learner. Conrad (1995) stated that an authentic assessment focuses on the application of learning to appropriate situations. The standardized assessment methods provide a way to quantify observable behaviours but do not reveal how the students learned and how the learning would be used to solve problems (Garfield, 1994). The acquisition of competencies can be captured using tests, assignments, quizzes and case studies, to name a few. The course was first offered in 2015 with five-course outcomes. The effectiveness of the course was ascertained using experimental and control groups (Deepa & Arulrajan, 2020). The attainment of course outcomes was ascertained using tests, quizzes, case studies, assignments, research reviews and a final written exam. However, the deep learning happening in the course and the extent of application of EI skills resulting in a change in attitude or behaviour was difficult to ascertain. This was the challenge faced by the instructor and warranted an innovative assessment mechanism that should come in the form of students’ experiences of applying the learned concepts in their day-to-day life. It is in this context that the instructor chose to use reflective journaling as an assessment tool.

Dyment and O’Connell (2003) define journal writing as the ‘recording of daily events, personal reflections, questions about the environment, and reactions to experiences’. Writing a journal promotes critical thinking thereby facilitating deep learning. The UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority define that ‘Critical reflection is taken to mean a deliberate process when the candidate takes time, within the course of their work, to focus on their performance and think carefully about the thinking that led to particular actions, what happened and what they are learning from the experience, to inform what they might do in the future’ (QCA, 2001, as cited in King, 2002). Journal writing warrants active participation from the learners and shifts the onus of learning onto the learners. It also provides an opportunity for both teachers and students to assess learning (Boud, 2001; Hettich, 1990).

The practice of journaling has been used in nursing education (Thorpe, 2004), psychology (McGrath, 2014), teacher education (Goker, 2016), communication courses (Farrah, 2012) and in an 8th-grade music classroom (Williams, 2018). However, it has been sparsely used in management education in the context of AOL. To address the lacuna, this case demonstrates the use of reflective journaling as an assessment tool to assess learning in the affective domain. This case will serve as a blueprint for faculty who wish to assess learning in the affective domain and ascertain the attainment of higher-order learning outcomes.

Theoretical Anchoring

Students approach learning in different ways based on the motivation they derive from both internal and external factors. A learning approach is nothing but the strategies used by the learners to succeed in learning. Until 1976, there were no theories that outlined the different approaches to learning. In the year 1976, Marton and Säljö identified two predominant approaches to learning namely surface learning and deep learning. Learners who adopt the deep approach are motivated to learn by self-interest and also by an interest in the subject being learned. In the process of learning, deep learners will strive to relate the learning with prior experiences (Emilia et al., 2012) and synthesize the newly acquired knowledge to form wider perspectives (Sulaiman et al., 2013). On the contrary, a surface learning approach is driven by the desire to complete the course or by the fear of failure (Emilia et al., 2012), or the desire to acquire marks. The strategic learning approach encompasses the intention to score high marks using appropriate cues and strategies. This approach when combined with the deep learning approach is likely to facilitate engagement with the subject and success in the subject (Lublin, 2003). The students adopt different approaches to learning in different situations based on the teaching approach, the student’s capability and motivation (Gebresillassie, 2018). Within these approaches to learning, there are six conceptions of learning (Marton et al., 1993; Säljö, 1979) depicted in Table 1.

Table 1.

Conceptions of Learning

S: No	Conception	Description
1	Increase of knowledge	Increase the amount of information that constitutes our knowledge base.
2	Memorizing	Record information repeatedly to remind us of it if necessary.
3	The application	Acquire facts, methods, etc. that can be retained and/or used in practice if necessary.
4	The abstraction of meaning	Seek to understand the hidden meaning of things.
5	An interpretative process aimed at the understanding reality	Approach a concept from different perspectives.
6	Changing as a person	Develop or change as an individual as a result of new understandings or appreciations, see the world differently.

Source: Marton et al. (1993) and Säljö (1979).

Surface learning is likely to facilitate the increase of knowledge, memorization and application. Deep learning leads to higher conceptions of learning, resulting in the learner changing as an individual as a result of the acquired knowledge. This approach (deep learning) is warranted from the learners of the EIM course in which learning happens in the affective domain. Trigwell and Prosser (1991) reported that the quality of learning outcomes is determined by the students’ approach to learning and that deep learning helps achieve higher-order learning outcomes, such as approaching concepts learned from different perspectives and developing as an individual as a result of learning. When students achieve the higher-order learning outcomes, they develop as individuals or change for the better, making the learning effective. Studies (Leung & Kember, 2003; Mahasneh, 2013) have shown a positive correlation between understanding, reflection and critical reflection and the deep learning approach. Young (2018) has empirically proven that reflection plays a significant role in encouraging deep learning. Thus, it is evident that to promote deep learning and attain higher-order learning outcomes, instructors have to encourage and create space for reflective thinking in the curriculum.

Reflection is an intentional consideration of an experience concerning a learning objective (Hatcher & Bringle, 1997). It is through reflection that the synthesis of knowledge happens by ‘association, integration, validation and appropriation’ (Boud et al., 1985). It was found that reflection can be stimulated via interactions with peers and instructors or through writing (Lincoln et al., 1997). The theoretical anchoring shows that a deep learning approach can lead to the achievement of higher-order learning outcomes and result in a change in behaviour or attitude. It was also noted that reflective thinking can facilitate deep learning. Based on this, the case demonstrates the use of ‘reflective journaling’ to encourage deep learning and facilitate the achievement of higher-order learning outcomes like the development or change in the learners.

Methodology

The case explains the usage of ‘journaling’ as an assessment tool in a leading business school in South India. The tool was used in the course ‘Emotional Intelligence for Managers’ and, hence, all the 115 students enrolled in the course formed the sample. The delivery of the course from the creation of course outcomes to AOL is represented in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Source: The authors.

The 3-credit EIM course of 45 hours (Exhibit 1) was offered to the students as part of the choice-based credit system from December 2020 to March 2021. The course had 5-course outcomes that mapped to the various levels of the affective domain, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2.

EIM Course Outcomes

CO#	Description	Category of Affective Domain
CO1	After completing the course the student will be able to describe the process of emotion generation and the biological connection of emotions.	Receiving and responding to phenomena
CO2	After completing the course the student will be able to identify the constituents and label the antecedents and precedents of EI.	Receiving and responding to phenomena
CO3	After completing the course the student will be able to demonstrate the ability to tune into feelings and be aware of their actions.	Valuing
CO4	After completing the course the student will be able to relate to others’ emotions and display empathy.	Organization
CO5	After completing the course the student will be able to display the ability to regulate their emotions for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes.	Characterization

Source: Course outcomes (syllabi of business school); levels of affective domain (Anderson et al., 2001; Krathwohl et al., 1973).

The course had five units. The first two units were to introduce the concept, its constituents, factors influencing EI and the importance of EI. The third unit focused on self-awareness, the fourth on understanding others and the last unit on the application of EI skills for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. A pre-assessment was done at the start of the course and based on the EI levels, students were advised to form individual development plans (Exhibit 2), which were reviewed by the instructor. The course was introduced to the students and all the assessment components, such as mini-cases, assignments, activities, reviews of research and quizzes, were explained. The instructor also introduced the journaling activity to the students. Journaling is similar to writing a diary. However, only significant emotional experiences are to be recorded in this journal. A template (Exhibit 3) was provided as a guideline for the students, and they were informed that they have to reflect on the journal entries and share their experiences through two journal sharing sessions which are to be scheduled as part of the course. The course was delivered with the support of live examples, videos and case discussions as shown in Figure 2. The reception and retention of concepts in the first four units were ascertained using the quizzes. A quiz is a test with multiple-choice questions and a few concept questions to test the understanding of the students. The fifth unit deals with the application of the learned concepts for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. So a mini-case was used in the fifth unit to test if the students can apply the concepts of EI to solve issues concerning interpersonal relationships in the case. The journaling activity was used to ascertain the attainment of higher outcomes, such as valuing, organizing and internalizing (see Table 2). The third unit focuses on improving the self-awareness of students and also equipping them with tools to manage their minds. To see if they had retained the concepts, a quiz was used. However, to ensure that the learned concepts were applied by the students in their day-to-day life, the journaling activity was used. Similarly in the fourth and fifth units also journaling were used to test if the learning was valued, internalized and applied, resulting in a change in the attitude or behaviour of the learner.

Figure 2.

Source: The authors.

The course had an internal assessment component for 50 marks and a final exam for 50 marks. The internal assessment components included an assignment (10 marks), case (10 marks), journaling (15 marks) and a quiz (15 marks). The attainment levels (ALs) for this batch of students were set based on the reference from Sargaon and Mahesh (2016).

If 60% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 1

If 70% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 2

If 80% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 3

The instructor designed a workbook for this course with notes, activities and assessment tools. Various experiential activities were designed and implemented as part of the course. For example, students were asked to explain the process of emotion generation using pictures; they were instructed to review research papers on EI to understand the meaning and importance of EI; they indulged in self-awareness activities and take-home activities with guidance and support of the instructor. Sessions on fear management, anger management and stress management were delivered, through which students were able to understand their fears, their anger management styles and their stress levels. They also experienced a few relaxation activities during the course.

As this course happened during the pandemic, students were under a lot of stress. The relaxation activities helped them to mitigate their stress. The students also learned ways and means to apply EI in interpersonal communication and conflict resolution. As the course progressed, the students were reminded to record their significant emotional experiences in their journals. They were encouraged to reflect on those experiences and share their insights in the class. In the first session, students shared their experiences in the online class. For those who had experiences that were too personal, there were instructions to e-mail their journal entries to the instructor. In the second journal sharing session, Google Sheets were used to capture the journal experiences of the students. The journal experiences were assessed for 15 marks based on the extent of reception and application of the learned concepts. The journal experiences of students were analysed to assure the higher-order outcomes namely CO3, CO4 and CO5 (see Table 2). At the end of the course, EI skills were assessed again. The comparative results and the achievement of the individual EI development plan were discussed. An end-semester exam was also conducted for the course. The journal entries were analysed and mapped with the levels of learning of the affective domain (Anderson et al., 2001; Krathwohl et al., 1973). The description of the various learning levels was used as a basis, and the journal experiences of students were examined to map them with the same (see Exhibit 5).

Findings

As a first step, the internal marks secured by the students were analysed to check their ALs (Table 3).

Table 3.

Attainment of Course Outcomes

Assessment Component	Criteria of Assessment	Students Who Scored > 75% of Max Marks		AL
Assessment Component	Criteria of Assessment	Number (Total 115)	Percentage	AL
Assignment (10)	1. If 60% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 1 2. If 70% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 2 If 80% of students score more than 75% of the maximum marks—AL 3	77	67	1
Quiz (15)		110	96	3
Journaling (15)		102	89	3
Case (10)		80	70	2
Total Internals (50)		84	73	2

Source: The authors.

It is evident from Table 3 that in the assignment component, only 67% of the students had scored 75% of the maximum marks yielding a lower AL. This is an important input for the faculty to relook into the assignments and revise them to fit with the course outcomes. The AL in the quiz was high, meaning the students were able to receive and retain the concepts. The case assignment tested the application of EI skills in real-world scenarios represented by mini-cases and showed a good AL. The journaling component showed an AL of 3, which bears testimony to the fact that the students were engaged in journal writing and were able to reflect on the same. Apart from the marks, the journal entries were analysed (see Exhibit 5) to map them to the attainment of the higher-order outcomes of the course namely CO3, CO4 and CO5. The attainment of course outcomes is explained below. A consolidated mapping of the assessment components is presented in Exhibit 4.

Course Outcome 1: After completing the course the student will be able to describe the process of emotion generation and the biological connection of emotions.

The first outcome pertains to first unit of the course and states that after completion of the first unit, the students should be able to understand the biological connection of emotions and the process of emotion generation. The students learned the different perspectives on emotions, intelligence and the neurological basis of emotions through lectures substantiated by videos. For example, the four theories of emotion namely James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory, Schachter-Singer theory and Richard Lazarus appraisal theory (Cherry, 2022) were explained in the class with videos. The acquisition and memorization of the concepts were tested using a quiz and an assignment. The quiz had multiple-choice questions to test the retention of concepts. Students also worked in teams on an assignment, wherein, they had to pictorially depict the theories of emotion. The Richard Lazarus theory states that individuals appraise emotions in two stages. In the primary stage, the question ‘Is the stimuli significant to me?’ is asked. If the stimuli are significant they move to the secondary appraisal where the question ‘Can I cope with this stimuli?’ is asked. Based on the answer to the second question, an emotion is experienced. The students were asked to depict this theory in the pictorial form (see Exhibit 4). Based on the depictions, they were awarded marks. This assignment showed that the students had learned the theories and were able to depict them pictorially (reception and retention). A collaborative environment was created for group assignments using the breakout room feature in the Zoom platform. Prompt feedback was also provided on all assignments, soon after submission

Course Outcome 2: After completing the course the student will be able to identify the constituents and label the antecedents and precedents of emotional intelligence.

To attain this course outcome the ability of students to identify the constituents of EI and to understand the importance of EI has to be tested. The reception of content was tested through a quiz. To make the students understand the importance of EI, the instructor used a research review assignment. Students were put into groups of six, and each group was assigned to a profession namely doctors, lawyers, police officers, journalists and media personnel. Each student was asked to collect six research papers on EI in the profession allotted. The research papers had to be discussed by the students and a consolidation of research had to be submitted. Each group had to discuss 30 (6 students × 5 papers each) research papers related to their allotted profession. Thus, they were able to understand the factors influencing EI and the beneficial outcomes of EI in different professions (Exhibit 4). The students were given a template to record details, such as the country of research, sample, variables considered and the outcome. Each team presented a consolidated review of 30 papers. They were asked to form a mind map as to what are the factors that influence EI, and what are the aspects that are impacted by EI. They were assessed based on the quality of the literature they had collected and their review of the same. Thus, by reading and discussing research papers the students were able to gain insights regarding the future scope of research on EI.

Course Outcome 3: After completing the course the student will be able to demonstrate the ability to tune into feelings and be aware of their actions.

The third unit focuses on self-awareness and imparting the skills required to manage the mind. The instructor had designed take-home activities on self-awareness, which helped the students improve their self-awareness. They were also equipped with a few tools to change the state of mind from an unfavourable state to a favourable state. The course outcome of this unit maps to the higher order of the affective domain. To ascertain the attainment of course outcome 3, the journal entries were examined.

19ADX1: Apart from the journaling experience, the self-awareness activity was an eye-opener, as I got to know more about myself. It showed me how my words affected others, and how my body language and voice is changing depending on my mood. As a result, I started owning my mistakes and am trying not to repeat them in the future.

19ACX2: The first exercise you gave about self-awareness was fun and made me think about who I am and more importantly how I want to be. This was the exercise when we were supposed to create an adjective acronym with our name. When I started thinking of apt adjectives I realized that I wanted certain adjectives to describe me, especially sociable, and I have ever since started working on it.

It is evident from the above excerpts that the students valued the taught concepts which in turn motivated them to change their behaviour for better outcomes. The students were also able to understand and be aware of their state of mind and were able to use the tools to change their state of mind from an unfavourable one to a favourable one. The following excerpt bears testimony to the attainment of higher-level outcomes in the affective domain.

19ACX3: I have an interview tomorrow and all I was doing was worrying about the event. I knew that I should prepare for it instead of panicking. But my negative thoughts were not very helpful. I tried to stop those thoughts but it seemed impossible. So I figured that if I wasn’t able to stop my thoughts let me at least make them positive. So, I started telling myself positive things and said them again out loud and kept mindfully repeating them until my brain somehow rewired to positivity. It was surprising because I heard my little voice tell me ‘What is the worse that could happen? They (the interviewer) won’t want you. That is alright because there will be more opportunities coming and this will be a learning experience. So either way, you got this!’ Eventually, I stopped fearing and started preparing with newfound positive motivation.

Update: I didn’t make it through the interview. I did feel sad but then I talked myself out of the feeling and am happy that I got an experience that I can learn from and improve.

The students had retained the concepts learned (the course had a session on quick action tools, such as sensory inputs, breathing and self-talk, which can be used to change the state of mind from an unfavourable one to a favourable one) and have put them to use. Thus, it is evident that students had used a deep learning approach.

Course Outcome 4: After completing the course the student will be able to relate to others’ emotions and display empathy.

The fourth unit imparts tips to the students on understanding others, empathizing and being able to relate well with others. They learned about the differences in perspectives among people and were able to relate well with others, in turn creating and sustaining meaningful relationships.

19ACX4: I usually don’t speak with my uncle who is deaf and dumb since I couldn’t understand his language but whenever he tries to make a conversation with me, I just ignore him and do my job but then I realized that I should not behave like this and from the next time when I saw him, I started to communicate with him in the way I know and I could see him very happy and he’s more enthusiastic in sharing things.

19ADX5: I am also trying to empathize with others when they are in a difficult situation and trying to help them as far as I could. I went to the gym yesterday. As I was leaving, I saw a girl who was feeling dizzy, sitting in a corner. I went and asked her if she was okay and offered her some water. I was able to relate and empathize with her and I felt the same way before.

The excerpts from the journals show that the students were able to help others compassionately. This is a change in attitude or behaviour which happened as a result of the students valuing, organizing, internalizing and applying the learned concepts for better outcomes. This is evidence of the adoption of the deep learning approach and attainment of the highest conception of learning (Marton et al., 1993).

Course Outcome 5: After completing the course the student will be able to display the ability to regulate their emotions for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes.

The last unit focuses on the application of EI to manage anger, fear and stress to attain better outcomes both personally and professionally. The students had applied the management techniques and were able to manage their anger, fear and stress. Fear of darkness, fear of lizards and fear of riding a bike were a few fears that were faced and managed well. The students were also able to understand their anger management styles through the self-assessments given and had changed their way of managing anger for better outcomes, as evident from the excerpts below.

19ADX6: Fear Management—I am so scared of lizards that I always scream and run away but yesterday I controlled my fear and remained calm in my place and saw that it doesn’t disturb me. Anger management—I usually drink water and move away if I get angry with someone but never tried to explain calmly my point of view to that person. Recently, I had a fight with my project partner about preparing PowerPoint but this time I clearly explained my point of view and convinced him that a few things are necessary to be added to PowerPoint.

19ADX7: Your session on anger management helped me a lot in handling my emotions. Whenever I get angry I started to follow the tip that you gave to delay the response and counting 10 has greatly helped me to stabilize my anger. My girlfriend is very happy with this change in me.

Students were also able to understand their stressful environment and as instructed in the class used appropriate techniques to mitigate stress. They were able to understand others from their perspective, empathize with their fellow entities, and thereby were able to create and sustain meaningful relationships. The following excerpts show that reception, response, valuing, organizing and internalizing had occurred in the affective domain of learning.

19AAX8: The stress management session gave me a wonderful insight into how to handle stress. Last semester, I used to do a time audit for 30 minutes and do activities that are close to my heart which was quite relaxing and I was able to perform better. From then, I started to realize my capabilities and understood that stress is something that originates within oneself. If we are stressed, the solution to relieve the stress we are undergoing is something we need to find out by ourselves and manage the same. Thank you so much, ma’am. It was a fantastic takeaway that I had from your session.

19AAX9: As I got recently married, I found it difficult to express something which is not received correctly during a particular situation. After I learned about the **BEAR model, whenever there is a conversation between us, I started observing my husband’s behavior and emotions behind it quietly and started reflecting on my opinion or feedback later when the situation is quite approachable. I see a lot of change in the way he receives those feedback and acknowledge them with his changed behavior which eventually made me happy and quite comfortable.

(** BEAR is Behavior, Effect, Alternate, and Result and signifies a model of giving feedback to others)

The journal entries also revealed that the learnings from this course were shared with friends and family members, which in turn resulted in better outcomes for them too. As the students progressed through the course, they were able to understand themselves better, were able to empathize with others and become better persons in the process.

19ABY1: After attending the anger and stress management class, I took meditation seriously and it did work out for me. So, every morning before starting my day, I have started meditating for at least 15 min and have also asked my dad to start meditation as he undergoes a lot of stress in his workplace. Now I feel vibrant and energized as if I have had a calming potion. I also shared the **ACTS technique with one of my cousins who often gets annoyed and angry. My aunt felt happy as she observed him working on it.

(**ACTS—is an acronym denoting an anger management style—Aware, Control, Talk, Solve)

The students liked the way they had changed for the better and expressed gratitude to the instructor. They were also motivated to sustain these changes resulting in continuous improvement. The substantiating excerpts are presented below:

19ADY2: Thank you, Mam. Your inputs were so impactful and these things would be so much helpful. As you said, EI is a lifetime of learning and you’ll be an important part of my journey with it

19ADY3: Every one of your classes has provided me with valuable input mam. I am not sure if anyone can take an emotional intelligence class better than you. Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. You’ve made me a better person by motivating me to bring small changes in my life. I will carry these values throughout my life mam.

The course had internal assessment components and a final examination through which the attainment of course outcomes was ascertained. However, those components were not able to show the application of learned concepts leading to a change in attitude and/or behaviour. That lacuna was filled by the journaling activity which showed not only the receipt and response but also the application of learned concepts. The journal experiences bore testimony to the fact that the course had changed the students to become better individuals in the process of learning. Based on this convincing evidence, the business school had made EIM a mandatory course for all the MBA students enrolled with them.

Discussions

The case presented a challenge encountered in assessing the deep learning approach of students and ascertaining the attainment of the higher-order conceptions of learning (Marton et al., 1993). It demonstrated the use of reflective journaling to mitigate the challenge. The journaling activity provided ample opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences, analyse and learn from their own experiences. The EIM course plan had components, such as videos, real-life examples, collaborative activities and insightful discussions through which reception and response of concepts were facilitated. Apart from this, based on the pre-assessments, the students had formulated individual development plans at the start of the course. They were also assessed at the end of the course to check if their goals were attained. Emilia et al. (2012) stated that the deep learning approach is driven by the self-interest of the learners or an interest in the subject. In this course, the instructor was able to motivate the students to adopt the deep learning approach by incorporating individual development plans. Though there was a final exam, the impetus on the development plans was one of the drivers for the deep learning approach. Reflection can be stimulated through writing and it facilitates the synthesis of knowledge by association, integration, validation and appropriation. The case shows that by incorporating reflective journaling as an assessment, the instructor was able to facilitate the synthesis of knowledge. Reflection plays a significant role in encouraging deep learning (Leung & Kember, 2003; Mahasneh, 2013; Young, 2018), which in turn helps achieve higher-order learning outcomes (Trigwell & Prosser, 1991). The analysis (Exhibit 5) shows that reflection had resulted in achieving the higher levels of the affective domain namely valuing, organization and characterization. Deep learners strive to relate the learning with prior experiences and synthesize the newly acquired knowledge to form wider perspectives. The analysis of journal entries (see Exhibit 5) shows that by journaling their experiences, the students were encouraged to relate and synthesize the acquired knowledge, resulting in changes in their behaviour or attitude. Studies (Gijbels et al., 2005; Trigwell & Prosser, 1991) have reported a positive correlation between the deep learning approach and attainment of higher-order learning outcomes. The attainment of higher learning outcomes in the EIM course is a testimonial that the students were motivated to adopt the deep learning approach. The course had a few other assessment components, such as cases, assignments, review of research, quizzes and a final exam. However, the journaling activity ensured that the learning, its internalization and change in attitude or behaviour of the learners were captured throughout the course and facilitated continuous assessment (Astin et al., 1996). Thus reflective journaling had helped the instructor mitigate the challenge of assuring learning in the affective domain.

Conclusion

Reflection is critical to learning, and it also fosters deep learning. AOL is an important part of outcome-based education. An authentic assessment captures the application of learning to appropriate situations. Standardized assessment methods, such as tests, quizzes and case studies, can be used to assess the acquisition of knowledge. However, assessing the application of learning and the resultant change or development of the learner warrants an innovative and experiential assessment method. This case demonstrated the use of reflective journaling in the EIM course and reported the effectiveness of reflective journaling in assessing the attainment of the higher-order learning outcomes of the affective domain. This method can be used in any course to assure higher conceptions of learning. The inclusion of reflective journaling will not bring in major changes in the teaching plan and, hence, this can be easily introduced in any course. Journal writing also shifts the ownership of learning to the learners and, hence, elicits active participation from them. This gains importance in the present scenario where the educators are moving from teacher-centric teaching to student-centric learning. The case serves as a blueprint for the implementation of reflective journaling as a tool to assess deep learning.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Exhibit 1.

18GC08	Emotional Intelligence for Managers	3 0 0 3
UNIT I. THE WORLD OF EMOTIONS, INTELLIGENCE AND THE CONNECT:
Perspectives on emotions—Perspectives on intelligence—Neurological basis of emotions—Process of emotion generation		(8)
UNIT II. PERSPECTIVES ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
Evolution of Emotional Intelligence (EI)—Defining EI—Components of EI—Individual differences in EI—Factors influencing EI—Importance of EI		(6)
UNIT III. DEVELOPING THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND SELF:
Self-Awareness—Developing Self-Awareness—Making accurate appraisals—Tuning into one’s own senses—Getting in touch with one’s feelings—Being aware of one’s actions—Factors that influence our mind		(8)
UNIT IV. DEVELOPING THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS:
Developing the ability to understand others’ emotions—Understanding individual differences—Developing empathy		(8)
UNIT V. APPLYING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR INTRAPERSONAL & INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES:
Emotion Regulation—Four steps to EI—Managing Anger—Managing Fear—Managing Stress– Emotional Intelligence and Communication—Developing Interpersonal Expertise—Managing conflicts with EI		(15)
	TOTAL	(45)

Action Plan for Developing Emotional Intelligence

Roll#: 19ABXX

Action Plan

I will work on improving my emotional maturity and competency.

To do this, I will

Improve my self-awareness

Learn to manage emotional exhaustion, such as stress and negative emotions

Improve my ability to yield tactful responses to emotional stimuli

Excerpts from Journal:

I have begun to control my feelings constructively after attending your classes, mam. After listening to your opinions and the emotions of others in the class, *I noticed that everyone has a lot of issues in life and they are still choosing to be happy. So, this pushed me to look at the bright side of life. Now I keep a gratitude journal, which is helpful for me in a lot of ways. The anger management session made me realize that, unknowingly, I shout at people without understanding their perception. Now, instead of reacting instantly I am taking a few minutes to calm myself and think about it from their point of view. I am glad that I chose this subject at this time in my life. Thank you, mam!

*Student has become self-aware and has changed the way he/she looks at life.

** Student is using techniques taught in the class to manage emotions.

Journaling Template

Describe the situation
What emotion did you feel and why?
Did you try regulating the emotion?
If not, why and what happened?
If yes, why and how?
What was the outcome?
Excerpts from Students’ Journals
19ABXX
Describe the situation	Before a week, a well-known family had asked my hand for marriage. I have always said to my family that I won’t get married before I attain my goals.
What emotion did you feel and why?	When they uttered about marriage to me, I got mad, and I was about to shout and scream.
Did you try regulating the emotion?	Yes
If not, why and what happened?	NA
If yes, why and how?	I realized that the matter of fact will be conveyed better if I speak and did not shout. I tried to calm down and then I explained to them my goals and how much I am not into seeking any alliance for now.
What was the outcome?	They understood and left the matter as such.

Samples of Assessment Components

CO#	Description
CO1	Describe the process of emotion generation and the biological connection of emotions
CO2	Identify the constituents of EI and understand the importance of emotional intelligence
CO3	Demonstrate the ability to tune into feelings and be aware of their actions
CO4	Relate with others’ emotions and display empathy
CO5	Display the ability to regulate their emotions for better intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes.

Analysis of Journal Entries

Level of Learning in Affective Domain	Excerpts from Students’ Journals	Description
Valuing: ‘Ability to judge the worth or value of something, including specific objects, phenomenon, or behaviors, or information and to express it clearly from simple acceptance to a more complex state of commitment.’ (Krathwohl et al., 1973)	1. 19ACX2: The first exercise you gave about self-awareness was fun and made me think about who I am and more importantly how I want to be. This was the exercise when we were supposed to create an adjective acronym with our name. When I started thinking of apt adjectives I realized that I wanted certain adjectives to describe me, especially sociable, and I have ever since started working on it.	1. The student was motivated to become sociable as a result of the self-awareness session. The student has valued the concept and has committed to it by stating ‘I have ever since started working on it.’
	2. 19ABX2: Since my teenage, my mom used to be behind my back asking me to meditate and do yoga. I initially ignored its importance. After attending the anger and stress management class, I took meditation seriously.	2. The stance of the student has changed from ignorance to acceptance and taking meditation seriously.
Organization: ‘Comparing and classifying values, resolving conflicts between them, and creating a unique value system along with a primary focus on comparison, relevance, and integrated values…accepting ethical standards, creating life plans that suit their abilities, interests, and beliefs, effectively prioritizing time to meet organization, family and self-needs.’ (Krathwohl et al., 1973)	1. 19ACX4: I usually don’t speak with my uncle who is deaf and dumb since I couldn’t understand his language but whenever he tries to make a conversation with me, I just ignore him and do my job but then I realized that I should not behave like this and from the next time when I saw him, I started to communicate with him in the way I know and I could see him very happy and he’s more enthusiastic in sharing things	1. Student compared ignoring the deaf and dumb uncle and talking to him and decided to talk thereby creating behaviour that suits his/her ability to meet the needs of a family member.
	2. 19ADX6: Fear Management - I am so scared of lizards that I always scream and run away but yesterday I controlled my fear and remained calm in my place and saw that it does n’t disturb me	2. The student decided to commit to facing the fear of lizards. Remaining calm was chosen against running away to meet self-needs of overcoming fear.
Characterization: ‘Establishment of a value system that controls learner behavior, which is universal, consistent, predictable, and the most important feature of learners… modifying beliefs and changing behavior based on some evidence.’ (Krathwohl et al., 1973)	1. 19ADX7: Your session on anger management helped me a lot in handling my emotions. Whenever I get angry I started to follow the tip that you gave to delay the response and counting 10 has greatly helped me to stabilize my anger. My girlfriend is very happy with this change in me.	1. The student had changed how he/she managed anger based on the tips given in the anger management session.
	2. 19AAX9: As I got recently married, I found it difficult to express something which is not received correctly during a particular situation. After I learned about the BEAR model, whenever there is a conversation between us, I started observing my husband’s behavior and emotions behind it quietly and started reflecting on my opinion or feedback later when the situation is quite approachable. I see a lot of change in the way he receives those feedback and acknowledge them with his changed behavior which eventually made me happy and quite comfortable ( BEAR is Behavior, Effect, Alternate, and Result and signifies a model of giving feedback to others)	2. The student has changed the way he/she conveys feedback to /her spouse using a technique taught in class. This is a change in behaviour for better interpersonal outcomes.

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