Writing or speaking? The role of the production medium in the effectiveness of learning journals

Learning journals are a powerful tool to foster deep comprehension and lasting learning. However, the effectiveness of prompts in supporting high-school students’ learning journals is understudied. Similarly, the role of the production medium needs to be addressed. We investigated the effects of cognitive and metacognitive prompts on learning strategy use and learning outcomes as well as the influence of the medium (written vs. spoken journals). High school students ( N = 163) from social science academic track schools in Germany participated. Participants watched a video-lecture on cognitive load theory and generated either a written or a spoken learning journal entry with or without prompts. A control group engaged in repeated reading and underlining of the lecture text. Participants’ comprehension was tested one day later and their retention seven days later. Learning journals were analyzed for cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies. Spoken journals yielded larger learning outcomes than written journals both in the post-test and the repeated post-test. Spoken journals were four times longer than written journals. Facilitated text production through spoken journals boosted the application of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Metacognitive prompts boosted metacognitive strategy use, but cognitive prompts failed to improve cognitive strategy use. Cognitive strategies improved learning outcomes directly, but metacognitive strategies only indirectly via cognitive strategies. Evidently, the oral medium is a powerful strategy activator that can be combined with other strategy activators, such as prompts, to facilitate learning strategy use in learning journals and thereby improve deep comprehension and lasting learning. • Spoken learning journals yielded better comprehension than written ones. • Oral medium significantly boosted the application of learning strategies. • Learning strategies mediated the impact of medium on learning outcomes. • Oral medium's effectiveness may be due to lower production and formulation costs. • Prompts improved use of metacognitive strategies especially in spoken journals.