Weblogs

Weblogs, or blogs as they are more commonly known, were originally developed as a “personal journaling tools” (Wang & Hsua, 2008, p. 81). They are characterized by content that is usually listed in reverse chronological order, are web-based, and can be linked to other websites and blogs (Du & Wagner, 2006, p. 790).

Constructivism centers on the premise that learning is “a process of knowledge construction by an individual (Du & Wagner, 2007, p. 3). “Deep understanding, not imitative behavior is the goal” (Brooks & Brooks, 1999, p. 16). In their research on the use of weblogs as a reflective writing tool, Du and Wagner (2007) assert “keeping a log of learning experiences, insights, and reflections has long been accepted by educators as an effective pedagogical practice to enhance students’ learning” (p. 3). They contend that the use of blogs as a medium for presenting learning supports knowledge construction by requiring students to be actively engaged in organizing their thoughts and building meaning, promoting ongoing and continuous learning, and by encouraging improvement through self-reflection (Du & Wagner, 2007, p. 4).

When blogs are used to support discussion, Wang and Hsua (2008) suggest, “interacting on the blog may help to stimulate the cognitive conflict among participants and provide participants with opportunities to express different perspectives” (p. 82). Although blog access can be restricted, there is the potential for global interaction to occur and students may receive feedback from individuals in another class, another school or even another country. On the basis of the collaborative constructivism model, interaction and collaboration become significant because “learning is achieved more effectively through social interaction and collaboration with others than through individual effort alone” (Du & Wagner, 2007, p. 4).

Perhaps the greatest asset in using blogs is the ability for students to become part of a community of practice; an “interactive social learning environment, as students learn from the ideas of others, as they share knowledge resources, and compare/compete with the work of each other” (Du & Wagner, 2007, p.4). Community of practice theory regards learning as a social activity where individuals share their knowledge and learn from each other (Wenger, 2003). Anderson (2005) believes tools such as RSS feeds contribute to the success of blogs since “contributing to a learning community and not receiving feedback or acknowledgment of that contribution quickly discourages and tends to extinguish further participation” (p. 5). RSS feeds allow blog readers to subscribe to sites that contain information and articles of interest to them. In that way, “readers can gain insights regarding a topic and build dialogue with other bloggers and ... develop a deep understanding of and take more responsibility for their own knowledge” (Kim, 2008, p. 265). Subscribing to blogs through RSS feeds allow learners to become part of a larger community of practice.

References

Anderson, T. (2005). Distance learning – Social software’s killer ap? Paper presented at the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Breaking the boundaries: The international experience in open, distance and flexible education. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from www.unisa.edu.au/odlaaconference/PPDF2s/13%20odlaa%20-%20Anderson.pdf

Brooks, J., & Brooks, M., (1999). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Du, H., & Wagner, C. (2006). Weblog success: Exploring the role of technology. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 64(9), pp. 789-798.

Du, H., & Wagner, C. (2007). Learning with weblogs: Enhancing cognitive and social knowledge construction. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 50(1), pp. 1-16.

Kim, H. (2008). The phenomenon of blogs and theoretical model of blog use in educational contexts. Computers & Education, 51(3), pp. 1342-1352.

Wang, S. & Hsua, H. (2008). Reflections on using blogs to expand in-class discussion. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 52(3), pp. 81-85.

Wenger, E. (2003). Communities of practice and social learning systems. In Nicolini, D., Gherardi, S., & Yanow, D., Knowing in Organizations: A Practice-based Approach (pp. 76-100). New York: M.E. Sharpe.

Additional Readings on Weblogs

Ferdig, R., & Trammell, K. (2004). Content delivery in the Blogosphere. T.H.E. Journal, 31(7).

Kajder, S., Bull, G., & Van Noy, E. (2004). A space for writing without writing blogs in the language arts classroom. Mining the Internet. Learning and Leading with Technology, 31(6), pp. 32-35.

Leslie, P., & Murphy, E. (2008). Post-Secondary students' purposes for blogging. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3), pp. 1-17.

McGee, P., & Diaz, V. (2007). Wikis and Podcasts and Blogs! Oh, my! What is a faculty member supposed to do?. EDUCAUSE Review, 42(5), pp. 28-30. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/WikisandPodcastsandBlogsO/44993.

Witte, S. (2007). That's online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), pp. 92-96.