Learning journals allow students to reflect on the learning process and write about what they learned, what they struggled with and how to improve the course. Learning journals give students the opportunity to write about the writing process and their insights into narrative writing as well as why and how they came up with characters, plots and settings. Teachers can gain valuable information by reading learning journals as a full explanation of the writing process. Teachers may also opt to create an Internet version of the learning journal in the form of a blog allowing the whole class to read the insights of their peers. For younger writers, learning journals also give them practice.
Using surveys in assessment allows teachers to develop a list of questions based on the goals and objectives of the assignment or the course. Teachers can tightly control the outcome of these assessments based on the questions they ask and can also use them to get very specific information. Students answer those questions on a numbered scale, and then the teacher can review them and process the information, even putting it into a database. While surveys provide quick feedback, they lack depth; teachers and students can't ask follow-up questions, and the wording of questions can sometimes create awkward or untruthful answers.
Portfolios allow students to show the writing process from beginning to end, with brainstorming ideas, rough drafts and the final product to display how they grew as a writer. Writers can also include sections where they explain the decisions they made in developing their narrative work, including character backgrounds, why they chose the particular settings and plots and influences of each. Portfolios help writers collect their work for job possibilities or to meet with agents about professional writing projects.
Interviewing students about writing narratives allows instant feedback on the writing process and allows educators to ask a variety of questions -- both short and in-depth -- about the writing process. Teachers can also ask follow-up questions if they don't get the answers they want and can ask writers to clarify points about their narratives. The interview process also lets teachers watch for body language and assess pauses, long and confusing answers and tone from the students about their work.