Blogging in Higher Education

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Blogging in Higher Education

• Niall Watts
• Educational Technology Officer

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Blogging in Higher Education

• Blog Features
• Web 2.0
• Learning Tools
• Reflective Learning

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Blogging in Higher Education

• Blog Features
• Personal Publishing Space
• Posts Heading, Text, Images, Media, Links
• Reverse Chronological Order
• Comments
• Blogroll
• Permalink (Archived Post)
• Tags

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Blog Features
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Blogs in Web 2.0 Context

• Social software
• Passive websites ? Networking Conversations
• Mass publication discussion of ideas
• Links Blogroll, Comments ? Blogosphere
• Digital Natives Bebo Generation
• Technology
• Empower end-users
• Minimum technical skills
• Form with two fields

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A Blog for Every Student
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Blogging Learning

• How can blogging foster learning?
• Writing information literacy skills
• Reflection Critical thinking
• Communicating Collaborating with classmates
• Develop own voice
• How to support learning in edublogs
• Scaffolding (How much)
• Restrained by class rules?
• Assessment (Can we? / Should we?)

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Blogging Learning

• Writing, information literacy critical thinking
  
• Read, Reflect, Comment, Write

COMMENT
Develop
Reflect
READ
WRITE
Communicate
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Blogging Learning - UTS

• University of Technology, Sydney
• Masters in eLearning
• Scaffolding ? Independence
• Facts ? Insights
• Self ? Audience
• Coursework
• Blog posts not assessed
• Develop own voice over time

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Blogging Learning Tipp Inst

• Tipperary Institute
• BSc Multimedia Communications
• Minimal Scaffolding
• Not restrained by class rules
• Posts not assessed
• Develop critical thinking and writing skills
• Tool for creative thought perceived
  electronically

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Critical Writing Skills
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Blogging Learning

• Does blogging have the potential to encourage
  reflection?
• Time to think before posting
• Optional Comment
• Free Form
• Publication?
• Reflection
• Learners explore their experiences to gain a
  better understanding and appreciation of their
  learning.

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Summary - Edublogs

• Uses of Blogs in Education
• Learning diaries / Reflective journals/ Research
  Journal
• RUOCT University of Brighton
• Critical writing/ Media writing/ Creative Writing
• Tipperary Institute
• Collaborative, group work
• UCD Blogging Course
• Personal Opinion publishing
• Summa Cum Laude
• Professional Practice
• OReilly Radar, Weblogg-ed
• Muse/Personal Journal thinking out loud
• Federica Oradini
• Communications Tool
• UCD Science Research Librarians

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References

• Bartlett-Bragg, A (2003)
• Blogging to Learn, Knowledge Tree, Edition 4.
• Dron, J. (2003)
• The Blog and the Borg a Collective Approach to
  eLearning, Proceedings of World Conference in
  eLearning in Corporate, Government and Higher
  Education 2003.
• Richardson, W. (2007)
• Weblogg-Ed the Read/Write Web in the
  Classroom http//www.weblogg-ed.com/.