The intent of this class undertaking is to formalize educational blogging ( edublogging ) as an effectual agencies of distance acquisition.
Blogging is the act of composing or updating your web log. Stated in another manner, from the instructional design point of position, blogging refers to the design and redaction of a web log. Edublogging is blogging used as an educational tool and scheme. ( Edublogging and Distributed Expertise in Music Teaching, 2007 )
Web logs are an of import component of the Internet ‘s Web 2.0 societal media and collaborative communities. Web 2.0 is a grouping of interrelated Web applications that facilitate interactiveA information sharing, A interoperability, A user-centered design, and collaborationA on theA World Wide Web. ( Core Features of Web 2.0 Services, 2008 ) Edublogging is turn outing to be a major promotion for networked instructors and pupils as they harness this tool for common collaborative acquisition.
Edublogging will be analyzed and assessed from the vantage points of the networked instructor and networked pupil. The three rules 1 ) networked acquisition, 2 ) constructivism and 3 ) connectivism will organize the survey of this class undertaking. The decision and survey recommendations for future research will be based upon these three rules as they are represented in the Edublogging: a quantitative survey of preparation and development bloggers study. ( Schneider, 2009 )
Introduction
It ‘s ne’er been a more interesting or possibly ambitious clip to be an teacher in Internet acquisition circles. The function of the “ Networked Teacher ” as depicted by Alec Couros ( unfastened thought, 2008 ) represents the myriad of Web 2.0 coaction solutions an teacher interacts with to present effectual distance instruction consequences.
The focal point of this class undertaking is to analyze how the bipartisan interaction between the networked instructor and web logs enriches the scholar and the ensuing learning experience. A web log is an easy created, easy updateable Web site that allows an writer to print immediately to the Internet from any Internet connexion. An educational web log can besides be synergistic, leting instructors and pupils to get down conversations or add to the information published at that place. ( Richardson, 2010, p.10 ) .
This class undertaking will analyze edublogging, its assorted functions, tools, schemes and direct consequences in distance instruction. This paper will turn to the credibleness of edublogging which is the topic of changeless argument in professional educational journalistic circles. This paper will besides supply concrete working illustrations of edublogging to grounds the effectivity of blogging in distance educational pattern.
Why Do We Blog?
There are several grounds why people blog. The primary ground to web log is to print thoughts and portion information. Blogging is a signifier of written look which facilitates effectual communicating. Blogging is good suited to the instructor-student interaction.
Our ability to easy print content online and to link to huge webs of passionate scholars forces us to rethink the manner we communicate with our components, the manner we deliver our course of study, and the outlooks we have of our pupils. ( 2010 ) .
We are making what writer Douglas Rushkoff calls “ a society of writing ” where every instructor and every pupil, every individual with entree, will hold the ability to lend thoughts and experiences to the larger organic structure of cognition that is the Internet. And in making so Rushkoff says, we will be composing the human narrative, in existent clip, together, a vision that asks each of us to take part. ( Rushkoff, 2004 ) .
A really of import measure is for a instructor is to do a conjunct attempt to utilize blogging in their ain acquisition pattern. If we make these connexions in our ain pattern foremost we can so more exhaustively understand the pedagogical deductions for the schoolroom and its pupils.
The Networked Teacher
Couros ( Open Thinking, 2008 ) developed a theoretical account of the networked instructor which represents an educator professional ‘s personal acquisition environment. Personal acquisition environments are systems that aid scholars take control of and pull off their ain acquisition. ( Downes, 2007, p. 24 )
Figure 1. JPEG image, progressively more instructors are developing rich personal acquisition webs through the usage of societal media.A
A instructor is better equipped to ease networked acquisition if she or he has experienced the building of this web theoretical account first manus. ( Drexel, 2010 ) . The instructor adopts the function of the societal constructivist. Constructivism is a doctrine of larning founded on the premiss that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our ain apprehension of the universe we live in. Each of us generates our ain “ regulations ” and “ mental theoretical accounts, ” which we use to do sense of our experiences. Learning, hence, is merely the procedure of seting our mental theoretical accounts to suit new experiences. ( Funderstanding, 2008 ) The topic of constructivism will be visited once more in the networked pupil subdivision.
Why Blogs in Education?
There are several grounds why edublogs serve a necessary function in distance instruction. The two chief types of edublogs in usage in distance instruction today are 1 ) the pupil web log and 2 ) the teacher web log. The teacher creates an edublog to ease acquisition. The teacher ‘s edublog serves as the accelerator for fostering the edublogging experience. The pupil is encouraged in bend to make an edublog to increase their effectual written communicating accomplishments
Benefits
Edublogging is educationally sound for learning pupils because:
Blogs aid scholars to see cognition every bit interconnected as opposed to a set of distinct facts.
Blogging provides the possibility of linking with experts on the subject pupils are composing.
The synergistic nature of blogging creates enthusiasm for authorship and communicating.
Blogging engages pupils in conversation and acquisition.
Restrictions
These are some of the disadvantages of edublogging:
Regular authorship may give rise to the usage of slang and sloppy ways of composing botching the quality of proper use of linguistic communication.
Blogging can non be imposed upon pupils who are barely interested in reading and answering to the station.
There is no confidentiality as it is a public forum.
The minute pupils open to the web ; it is non merely the blogging site that they can hold entree to. The whole universe of information is before them, therefore there is every opportunity that they may acquire diverted off from the treatment. ( OnLine Edublogs )
Let ‘s get down analyzing edublogging from the vantage point of the “ Typical Teacher ” . Alec Couros ‘s illustration ( Open Thinking, 2008 ) typifies what an teacher ‘s field of vision informants in their function as present province practician of the Instructor Led Training Model.
Figure 2. JPEG Image, This diagram attempts to visualise the typical web of instructors.
The Effect of Social and Physical Environment on Edublogging
An interesting position occurs when the physical schoolroom is examined in relationship to the content and visual aspect of an edublog Web site. The learning landscape displacements from a face forepart schoolroom where the pupil faces the teacher to listen, larn, take notes, ask inquiries, etc. The societal interaction takes topographic point between the pupil and their computing machine screen, the edublog page they are reading, composing or construing.
An edublog can be a subdivision of a learning direction system such as BlackBoard. The communicating kineticss can be better represented in a practical schoolroom such as BlackBoard larning direction system. An edublog nevertheless is a more textural, communicating medium, it represents a flatter dimensionality than a practical schoolroom. An edublog can stand for multimedia reading with rich artworks, figure illustration illustrations, picture and life. However an edublog lacks the direct interaction a practical schoolroom offers with practical schoolroom direct engagement.
Edublogs
Edublogs is a blog-hosting Web portal designed specifically for instructors and schoolrooms. The site characteristics extended support forums, picture tutorials, and helpful certification to help a instructor in puting up a web log community for their schoolroom. One of the best facets of this site is the blog-management characteristics ( i.e. , redacting and monitoring of all content and remarks ) for instructors.
A alone characteristic of Edublogs is the ability to import preexisting web logs from sites such as
Blogger, TypePad, or LiveJournal to the Edublogs waiter. The contrary, exporting web logs from Edublogs to other hosting sites, is besides possible. ( Edublogs )
Edublogs serves as a platform for an teacher blogger ‘s single preparation and development so they may hone their trade, determine its manner, and mature information content consequences.
The Blog as a Professional Development Resource
Professional development is a ageless, ongoing undertaking in the calling of a instructor. Staying in conference with engineering, happening ways to integrate blogging into the lesson program and class bringing requires a nucleus competence with blogging tools.
A personal development program assists in making autonomous independent scholars who are more likely to come on to higher degrees of academic attainment. It makes entire sense those instructors as facilitators should hold a personal development program underway in order to better place with and to assist actuate pupils in the networked journey through instruction.
A cardinal manner to better an person ‘s professional pattern is to prosecute in shared enquiry and larning with people who have a common end. This is called a community of pattern. Communities of pattern Foster chumminess and increase the sharing of lessons learned and best patterns for pedagogues.
Credibility of Web logs
The figure of web logs has grown extensively on the Internet. Harmonizing to its 2007 State of the Live Web, Technorati.com identified more than 70 million web logs and estimated that 120,000 web logs a twenty-four hours are created daily in the Blogosphere. ( Sifry, 2006 ) . With more than 70 million web logs, the quality of content is bound to be varied. In the instance of web logs, which are chiefly used for informal acquisition, the readers set up their ain aims ( quality of content ) and they will chiefly concentrate on the utility of the information and its credibleness.
Credibility is a quality attributed to information that is considered credible or trusty and can change in grade. The authorization and repute of the beginning of information will act upon the grade of credibleness of information. Writers of web logs have become a beginning of authorization, whose end it is to accomplish “ sentiment leading ” in the intended community of pattern where they are an active member. Thought leading is a direct consequence of the authorization of the content. A notable end for a professional blogger is to draw a bead on to the function of a capable affair authorization in the sea of capable affair experts.
Credibility is an issue widely raised in the field of news media and it is a shared concern in the heads of bloggers in the field of preparation and development. Kristina Schneider based her Master ‘s thesis on the qualitative survey of preparation and development bloggers. The edublogging and distance instruction class undertaking will leverage that survey and utilize its findings to farther form sentiment and idea on the credibleness and importance of edublogging. ( 2009 )
Significance of Study
The organic structure of literature on web logs and blogging has been chiefly focused on journalistic and pedagogical utilizations of web logs. The research Kristina Schneider conducted for her survey is based on the position of the blogger within the range of the professional community.
The survey explores the procedure bloggers go through when make up one’s minding what to blog, when and why they blog, every bit good as their relationship with their readership. ( 2009 ) The survey fortifies the premiss of the networked instructor ‘s necessity to develop and keep a personal acquisition environment where the web log and edublogging go the following coevals larning ecosystem.
Methodology
The position of the publishing house, instead than that of the audience for the web log were chosen for this survey. The survey sought to understand the phenomenon of blogging for the intent of supplying preparation and development professionals with professional development chances. The qualitative research method was utilized with a phenomenological attack. A phenomenological attack describes “ the significance of the lived experiences for several persons about the construct or phenomenon. A phenomenologist explores the construction of consciousness in human experiences. ” ( Polkinghorne, quoted to Creswell 1998, p. 15 )
The phenomenon that was studied was the usage of web logs for professional development. An increasing figure of larning professional every bit good as preparation and development governments have a web log that complements and, at times, is the centrepiece of their publications and organisations.
Standards for Choosing Participants
A tabular array was created to put out the standards in an orderly and structured manner. These standards helped with the finding and choice of the blogger survey participants. ( 2009 )
Criteria ( Importance order )
Flexibility
Rating
Blogger available for interview
No
Educational engineering blogger
No
Blogger entirely focused on expertness country
3 platinums: Highly focused
2pts: Reasonably focused
Posts are made on a regular basis and with asperity
Higher # stations = higher ranking
3 platinums: 3+ stations a hebdomad
2pts: 1-2 stations a hebdomad
1 platinum: 1 station a hebdomad
Blog exhibits big readership ( based on figure of remarks )
Higher # remarks = higher ranking
3 platinums: 5+ remarks per station
2pts: 2-4 remarks per station
1 platinum: 1-2 remarks per station
Posts = confidence of authorization of topic
Initial perceptual experience
Table 1: Standards for Choosing Participants
Participant Selection and Blogs to Analyze
The specific web logs and bloggers were selected based upon how representative as possible they were of the scope of web logs available for preparation and development. Using the standards in the tabular array mentioned above five bloggers of note were selected and agreed to take part in the survey. The tabular array on the following page exhibits two of the five participants as a sampling of who was selected and how they met the choice standards for the survey.
Professional Blogger
How Professional Blogger Met Criteria Sought
Jeff is an independent adviser, U.S. based who blogs about informal acquisition.
Jeff has been blogging since 2000. Posts on a regular basis ( 41 times over a 4 month period ) . His remarks level averaged 2.24 remarks per station. Technorati grants his web log an authorization of 113. ( figure of web logs associating to Jeff ‘s web log site ) . Alexa studies that 43 sites link to Jeff ‘s web log site for a sum of 408 links.
Jill is a preparation and development research worker in the U.S. who blogs about Web based preparation.
Jill has been blogging since 2007. She blogged 47 times over a 4 months period. She averaged 7.51 remarks per station. Technorati grants her web log an Authority of 53. Alexa studies that 149 site nexus into her web log for a sum of 455 links.
Beginnings Used:
Technorati measures a site ‘s standing and influence in the blogosphere. ( Alexa, 2010 )
Alexa provides Web site traffic and statistical ranking information.
Table 2: Participants in the Study ( 2009 )
The Networked Student
Figure 3: The Networked Student four primary classs include academic societal contacts, synchronal communicating, information direction, and truly simple syndication.
The networked pupil follows a constructivist attack to acquisition. He or she constructs cognition based on experiences and societal interactions. Constructivism encourages greater engagement by pupils in their appropriation of scholarly cognition. ( Drexel, 2010 ) .
Blogging is a cardinal constituent of the personal acquisition environment through which the web pupil responds to and collects the sentiments of others. Network pupils identify web logs that target a specific unit of survey, and they have the option to react with sentiments of their ain. ( 2010 )
Edublogging ‘s Capabilities as a Distance Learning Platform
Indicating out by instance illustration how West Texas A & A ; M University utilized a pilot survey to find pupils ‘ usage and perceived value of an edublog designed to back up and spread out studio art direction. This pilot survey substantiates how distance instruction in the signifier of an educational web log enhanced motive, increased visual image, provided interaction and valued individualisation.
Student usage and rating of an edublog
West Texas A & A ; M University developed an educational web log designed to back up and spread out studio art direction. The studio art class was a ceramics category. The edublog contained an initial course of study for the first three class undertakings, ( slab, pinch and spiral ) . The sample finished undertakings were available for position. Students commented in their feedback that seeing a undertaking in stairss and so being able to see the finished consequence was a major motive.
The art teacher was able to utilize effectual written communicating and station that information for a pupil ‘s reappraisal. Each class undertaking, slab, pinch and spiral etc. became its ain web log page. The pupil feedback on how the content was structured and delivered via the web log was assessed as being between helpful and really helpful. Video presentations allowed pupils to see, reappraisal ( intermission ) and play back the ceramics undertaking ‘s stairss. Students were able to better visualise how to build a ceramics undertaking. The ability to present the art teacher inquiries and offer remarks allowed for an extra degree of interaction ( in add-on to art teacher and pupil art room interaction ) . While the ceramics class progressed each pupil had to make and complete 13 ceramic undertakings. Individualization was achieved and validated farther by positive pupil feedback. There was direct grounds that the edublog helped pupils go more articulate ceramic craftsmans. This was chiefly due to larn by illustration web log attack, assisted by picture and written instructions. ( Jan Ray, 2006 )
Edublogging Working Examples
High School Level
The teacher and pupil edublogs are designed and developed by Paul Turtola, English Teacher. The web logs are hosted and maintained on Edublogs Weblog hosting site. Mr. Turtola ‘s CyberEnglish Blog is the web log name and mention point for Mr. Turtola ‘s bookmans at Joseph A. Foran High School in Milford, CT. A Mr. Turtola ‘s quotation marks from the Edublogs Web site underscore the effectivity and pupil credence of edublogging.
“ This is my 2nd twelvemonth utilizing Edublogs as my English category web site, and I feel that its importance as a acquisition tool for my bookmans grows in springs and bounds each month. Each of them now has their ain web log so that they may print work and have valuable feedback from equals and others that belong to the web log community. Edublogs allows for my bookmans to be more careful and consider when composing essays and smaller assignments. They tend to take better attention of their work because they are more considerate of an unknown audience and it ‘s non the same old modus operandi between themselves and a individual reader, the instructor. ” ( Edublogs, Paul Turtola, Joseph A. Foran H.S. )
University Level
Assistant Professor Charles Blattman has created an educational web log that serves as the chief instructional communicating beginning for the class he teaches with Yale University ‘s Department of Political Science & A ; Economics. The educational web log is really comprehensive in range and intent. The Africa Poverty and Western Aid edublog Web site contains 1 ) Course overview, 2 ) Requirements, 3 ) Critical book reappraisals, 4 ) Weekly assignments, 5 ) Instructor/Teaching Fellows contact information, 6 ) Lecture/section information ( scaling, enrollment ) , 8 ) The full talk slide set and 9 ) Syllabus. ( Yale University, 2010 )
Since this is a composing class the airing of information for professor-student interaction is outlined on the edublog in a good structured, easy to follow mode.
Professor Chris Blattman is a capable affair expert in public policy, economic development, civil war, and political engagement. He utilizes study and statistical methods to get at his consequences. Professor Blattman isA a adviser and advisor to the World Bank ( Human Development Group ) , the UN Peacebuilding Fund, Uganda ‘s Office of the Prime Minister, and Liberia ‘s Ministry of Internal Affairs. ( Chris Blattman )
Figure 3 African Poverty and Western Aid edublog hypertext transfer protocol: //wordpress.commons.yale.edu/plsc170_spring2010/
Summary and Conclusions
The class undertaking provided more than merely anecdotal information about the subject of educational blogging and its function in distance instruction. The significance of the networked instructor, developing a personal development acquisition program provided insight into the concern and proficient justifications for why edublogging is going so widely embraced across the preparation and development spectrum.
The Schneider survey analyzed what it means to be a focussed professional blogger in the field of preparation and development. In add-on, the credibleness of web logs intended for the preparation community were examined closely for mensurable consequences. The edublogger was further determined to be a individual with a interest in instruction who writes a web log about education-related subjects.
Reaching a decision on Edublogging and Distance Education is non an easy undertaking. The changeless wane and flow of the blogosphere coupled with major alterations in educational waies makes this a formidable determination. Mention to the hereafter survey of Edublogging and Distance Education at the terminal of this class undertaking to acquire a better thought of how much more attempt will be required to efficaciously mensurate the present province inexact scientific discipline of finding the consequences of educational blogging.
Recommendations for Further Research
This class undertaking has several recommendations for hereafter survey which follows this empirical survey. Further research in the field of distance instruction is guided by the empirical survey by Olaf Zawacki-Richter summarized in the following two based chiefly upon the Delphi survey conducted by Olaf Zawacki-Richter, at FernUniversitat, in Hagen, Germany ( Research Areas in Distance Education: A Delphi Study, 2009 ) . What is appreciated most about his survey was the balanced principle he utilized between the most of import countries of research in apposition with the most ignored countries of research in distance instruction. This research method derived three wide degrees of positions with 15 research countries that organize a organic structure of cognition in distance instruction.
The three wide degrees of positions of distance instruction research harmonizing to Zawacki-Richter are:
Macro degree: Distance Education and Theories
Meso degree: Management, Organization and Technology
Micro degree: Teaching and Learning in Distance Education
The tabular array on the following page shows the three degrees along with the 15 research countries.
Zawacki-Richter reached two of import decisions about distance instruction. ( 2009 )
The field has been dominated by research in the countries of engineering, increased interactivity through new media, and instructional design issues.
The consequences suggest that there is a displacement from technology-centered research to countries that focus on direction and alteration in distance instruction establishments. It can be concluded that all facets related to educational direction are turning in importance ( scheme and leading, alteration direction, quality confidence, costs etc. ) . ( Zawacki-Richter, 2009 )
Edublogging Future Study
There are six emerging inquiries and recommendations for future survey as it relates to Edublogging and Distance Education, 1 ) Blogger Evolution and Self-Directed Learning, 2 ) Gender and Social Media, 3 ) Reader Engagement and Contribution, 4 ) Qualitative Assessment of Blog Content, 5 ) Duty to Verify Facts and 6 ) Value Judgments about Media and Copyright.
A survey on how a blogger hones their accomplishments would be valuable. The development of the professional blogger and how they can turn their readership base is a changeless beginning of chase in the blogosphere. This could bring forth a hereafter survey that investigates the correlativity between autonomous scholars and bloggers.
The 2nd set of inquiries relates to gender and how it influences the usage and acceptance of societal media. Female bloggers seemed more concerned about community. They besides interacted more with readers that left remarks on their web logs. Some research is required to determine facets of societal media and gender in order to cognize how this difference is manifested.
The 3rd set of inquiries relates to how and when readers chose to post remarks. What motivates a reader to compose a remark against a web log station? The behaviours of web log readers require farther survey and analysis.
The 4th country of future survey relates to blog content appraisal and quality appraisal tools. Work is underway as it relates to linguistics, manner and form of address, how is intelligence communicated and interacted upon.
The 5th hereafter survey correlates to duty. Confirmation of the cogency of information is the bloggers duty. This job is presently seen with Wikipedia. Anyone can redact a Wikipedia page. Who is the mention proof point for a web log if it is n’t the blogger, the reader?
The 6th hereafter survey relates to copyright and how is information value perceived and measured. A Creative Commons licence on a web log page makes a strong statement about right of first publication but what fortifies and strengthens that ascription? Future survey is needed to larn how
netizens make differentiations on the value of media beginnings.
