Purpose: The reading journal should do two things. First, it will encourage you to stay on top of the reading assignments. Second, by thinking and writing about the reading material, you should have a much better grasp of the ideas, concepts, and principles of management in dietetics than you otherwise would.
Audience: You are really writing to and for yourself, but I will look at your entries, and your question section might be written to me or to yourself. Occasionally, you will share and compare entries with your classmates.
Format: A template is provided for you in the syllabus and you can download the template from the Web. Diagrams may be neatly done by hand, but please type other parts of your entry.
Volume: You will need at least one page per week. Sometimes the reading assignments for the week are closely related and can be put on one form. Some weeks, however, the reading topics are different enough to warrant two forms.
Due Dates: Journal entries are due, generally at the beginning of the class period, when “RJ” is shown on the schedule.
Evaluation: Journal entries will be five (5) points each. An entry displaying obvious lack of thought (which includes looking too much like a classmate’s entry) will result in the loss of three (3) points. Journal entries will not be accepted after the class period ends—they must be turned in when called for in class.
*Nora Nyland, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science, BYU.