Logbook and record

Logbooks have their origin in maritime navigation. This centuries old practice of recording listed miles traveled, changes in the weather and other significant events over the course of a boat’s or ship’s journey. The idea of recording the various stages of a course was incorporated into teaching practices, which establishes in the homonymous methodology a record for educators and students to make self-assessments or to evaluate a project. 

In the Project Based Learning (or PBL) methodology, the record accompanies all stages of the creation of a prototype or solution, through empathy, definition, ideation and even the development of the prototype itself, and then afterwards building a solid learning balance, which covers not only for the details of the course, but also the growth of the group of students during this journey. 

This methodology is a tool for self-assessment, awareness and self-management. For educators, it reveals the powers and the possibility for improving a project, highlighting the point within the path at which it is possible to fine-tune not just the prototype, but also the teaching practice. For the student, this record is a tool for evaluating their growth and learning. 

In addition to a technical record, the logbook serves as a space for clarifying the feelings that students experience during the course, contextualizing affections, conflicts, doubts and frustrations. For this sensible record to be possible, it is essential that a project’s creative environment is welcoming, with plenty of room for different opinions and reflections.

There are a number of ways to develop a logbook, and the educator’s guidance and assistance is essential. If a physical logbook is the option selected, notebooks, binders and folders are good tools in which students can record observations, reflections and comments. Images, photos, schematics, diagrams and other visual resources help to provide illustrations of the journey. In the case of a digital logbook, the students can use digital tools that facilitate the visual recording of the process, with photos and videos, for example. A sound general rule, for both physical logbooks and digital ones, is to avoid making large edits in the content. Even if they appear somewhat confusing, the notes need to be an honest reflection of the journey . If there is a bibliographic collage or internet content, it is important to cite the sources. 

Among the information that cannot be missing: headers with dates of annotation, details of where the activities took place, who did what during the project stages, along with references to images, photos, diagrams and videos. In the records of their feelings, a description of how the students felt at each stage, as well as questions as well any feelings of frustration that occurred in the more challenging phases, such as prototype’s assembly or its testing. But it should be borne in mind that each logbook is different , and the methodology created must meet the group’s specific characteristics.