Journals

The Journals tool provides a personal space for students to communicate privately with their lecturer or reflect individually on their own learning. Usually, journals are private and can only be viewed and commented on by the student author and their lecturer.

Managing Journals

As an instructor, you can create one Journal or multiple Journals for your students. You can choose where to place the Journal in the content area.

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Both you and your students can create journal entries. Only teaching staff in the course can comment on students' private entries. For staff and students, a blue icon appears next to the title to indicate new activity (see below). Students can make multiple entries for one journal topic. You can also allow them to comment on journal entries after you comment on an entry to continue the conversation.

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Setting up a Journal

Instructions

1. If you wish to add a journal, navigate to the area of your course in which you would like the Journal to appear.

2. Click on the (purple) + icon and then create.

3. Select the Journal option.

4. To name the Journal, edit the title at the top of the page.

4. On the journal page, provide a prompt with the instructions and files the student will need to begin.

The text in journal entries can be formatted in the text editor, images and video content can be embedded and files can be attached.

4. By default, the Journal is hidden. You need to change this to visible or set release conditions that students are required to meet to make it available to your students.

Graded journals

Journal entries can be assessed or used solely for communication. When used for assessment, grades can be awarded for individual entries or for the overall journal in its entirety. By default, journals are ‘not marked’.

1. Select the settings (cog icon) at the top right of the journal screen to modify the grading settings.

2. If you wish the Journal to contribute to the student’s grade, you can tick Grade journal.

3. You can give graded Journals a due date.

4. You should also indicate whether the grade is displayed as points or percentage.

2. You can allow students to edit and delete entries or edit and delete comments.

3. You can prevent them from doing this by unticking the relevant options.

4. If you add a rubric for grading to a journal, students can view it before and after starting their submission.

Watch a 2.5min video on setting up journals

Related Articles

Useful Links

• Blackboard Ultra help Journals