Blogging and Education

 

For better or for worse, blogging is becoming another tool for education in today’s classrooms.  Blogging is allowing students from all around the world to connect in ways that were previously unavailable and is being used as both a communication and a collaboration tool.   A teacher that uses a blog to convey information now has the ability to reach a student or students literally anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection.  In addition to the benefits of the teacher/student relationship there are also other benefits that are gained in the student/student relationship.  Students using a blog can use it to share ideas and thoughts, review their peer’s work and offer their own insight.

 

For all of its benefits blogging is not without its pitfalls.  First off is making sure that the information that’s being displayed on someone’s blog, or a response from someone to your blog, is as accurate as possible.  Proper referencing of materials is just as important as accurate information otherwise one could be accused of plagiarism.   One other thing to be aware with your blog is cyber vandalism or bullying.  It can be very easy for someone to go onto your blog and post inappropriate remarks or purposefully post inaccurate information.

 

Listed below are some articles and links on how blogs can be used in education.

 

Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector

This article discusses the use of blogging in a higher education setting such as a college or university.   While it is a little outdated being from 2004 it is interesting to read about the first weblog Harvard University had for its law program.  This article also contains a sample questionnaire that the BGSB issued for an MBA blog along with the results of that questionnaire.  One of the more interesting aspects is that it addresses the concept of “lurking”, that is reading a blog but actively participating in it, and how some people feel that lurking is a legitimate form of participation.

 

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education

This web article discusses how blogging has helped the medical field of education.  While it does focus on medicine the concepts are still very much the same.  This article addresses not only the benefits of being connected with their peers and instructors but also the difficulties in maintaining an accurate and useful blog.

 

The use of blogs, wikis and RSS in education: A conversation of possibilities

This PDF documents address what a blog is, what the benefits of an educational blog are, and the uses of an educational blog.  It also contains questions an educator could as their students as to what types of electronic communication they currently use and how they feel they can incorporate a blog into their learning experience.

 

Blogging For Enhanced Teaching and Learning

The last PDF article in this list discusses whether a blog is just a fad or does it have a higher purpose.  It also contains examples as to how students were using blogs as a communication and collaboration tool on their projects and how, over time, the students writing styles improved thanks to the active use of a blog.

Examples of Blogs in Education

This website contains many examples of educational blogs and how some people are using them.  It has direct links to educational blogs and free blogging websites that people can use.