Double-Entry Journal
A Double-Entry Journal is a reading comprehension technique used to improve active reading and critical thinking among students. It can also be a springboard to a more in-depth discussion during class (Hermida, 2009; Hughes et al., 1997) and for more extensive program assessment (Woodward, 1998).
One of the purposes for using this strategy is to explicitly lead students to reflect on what they are learning (Hermida, 2009). This strategy works well for weeks with long reading assignments (L’Allier & Elish‐Piper, 2007). A more recently published strategy, Double Entry Notes, has been shown to improve critical reading practices among students in aviation and engineering classes (Ives et al., 2020). It is similar enough that we won’t differentiate between them here.
Creating a Double-Entry Journal
Have students either fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise or create a two-column table in a word processing document. As students read, they should write quotes (with page numbers) from the text or jot down main ideas in the left column. On the right column students should make connections with personal experience, prior knowledge, cross references, or questions to aid understanding (Hughes et al., 1997; Nist & Simpson, 1987). Instructions of how to use this column can be guided by professional practice for the given area of study (Hermida, 2009).
Ives, Mitchell and Hübl (2020) recommend providing students with some additional questions to answer in the right column such as “How does this quote or paraphrase relate to your research question? Does it back up information from another source? Contradict it? Present a different angle? Does this quote make you think about your topic differently than you did before” (2020, p. 20)? These questions can be adjusted to help students think like professionals in your content area.
Since class time will be spent discussing the reading, there is a payoff for students’ preparation before class. During the next class, have students share some of their entries and insights from their journal (Bowens, 2023; L’Allier & Elish‐Piper, 2007). This could be done initially in small groups where groups are asked to summarize the insights from the group, identify a question that wasn’t answered through the group discussion, reflect on the group discussion, etc. (Hughes et al., 1997, p. 189). Then, a representative of each group might be called on to share with the whole class.
| " " | ? |
If the class is larger than 40 students, it will likely take too much class time to hear from the groups. You might consider having students contribute their ideas to an interactive online word cloud creator (like Slido, Poll Everywhere, or Mentimeter) to see salient ideas among the class and maybe talk about concepts that may be missing. Conceptual and application-oriented quiz questions might also be helpful to determine if the majority of the class understands the concepts prior to moving on.
Teaching Format Modifications
The common way to apply a double-entry journal is with an in-person teaching format. Below are ways that this method can be modified to fit the other teaching formats.
Connect
Have students complete their journals in a digital format. Students should submit their journals soon enough before class that you have time to review them and get a sense of student understanding before class. Use their questions as talking points for discussion during the in-class discussion. An interactive online word cloud creator (like Slido, Poll Everywhere, or Mentimeter) would also be helpful in this context.
Online
Have students submit their journal as evidence of reading completion for the week. Or, break students into small groups and have them share at least one quote and their insights about it on a discussion board.
References
Bowens, D. C. (2023). The Double Entry Journal. CUNY Academic Works. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bm_oers/37
Hermida, Dr. J. (2009). The Importance of Teaching Academic Reading Skills In First-Year University Courses. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1419247
Hughes, H. W., Kooy, M., & Kanevsky, L. (1997). Dialogic Reflection and Journaling. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 70(4), 187–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.1997.10544193
Ives, L., Mitchell, T. J., & Hübl, H. (2020). Promoting Critical Reading with Double-Entry Notes: A Pilot Study. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 15, 13–32. https://doi.org/10.46504/15202001iv
L’Allier, S. K., & Elish‐Piper, L. (2007). “Walking the Walk” With Teacher Education Candidates: Strategies for Promoting Active Engagement With Assigned Readings. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(5), 338–353. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.50.5.2
Nist, S. L., & Simpson, M. L. (1987). Facilitating Transfer in College Reading Programs. Journal of Reading, 30(7), 620–625.
Woodward, H. (1998). Reflective Journals and Portfolios: Learning through assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 23(4), 415–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293980230408