Because of technology's influence on education in recent years, I think we've seen a shift to the right in philosophy (from classicalism and behavioralism to pragmatism and humanism). Malcolm Knowles said adult learners were self directed, built knowledge based on previous experiences, had to see an application or reason to learn something so they could apply the new knowledge right away (forgive my paraphrasing).
These are characteristics of humanism and align with the shift in focus of the student from passive to active, the focus of the teacher from sage on the stage to facilitator, and the growing awareness that students have different learning styles and strategies and are there is more than one appropriate way for students to learn. Humanism also points to learning that is social and constructed.
I've been working on my prospectus and the literature points to growing acceptance of a learner-centered approach to education. Simply put, students who are more actively engaged in the learning process (whether in the classroom or online or somewhere in between) tend to have better learning outcomes. Reflective journals are a good example of a learning component that engages the learner.
Having said that, one criticism of humanism is that it can become permissive. The focus is on learning rather than teaching and concepts such as assessments must be clearly communicated or students can become disoriented and disengage.Thus the pros and cons (or cautions) of learning components such as reflective journals.
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