I blog, therefore I : Using blogs to aid student and staff inquiry

Sabine LittleLearning Development & Research Associate (Networked Learning)Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences

www.shef.ac.uk/cilass

am

reflectcollaborate learn

teachdisseminate

personalise

IBL involves

• Students and/or tutors establishing question/problem etc

• Students pursuing lines of inquiry (often in groups)

• Drawing on existing knowledge• Identifying new learning and

information needs• Seeking information, evidence, e.g.

interacting with (digital) resources, datasets, archives

• Discussing, receiving feedback, synthesising information, constructing knowledge

• Analysing and communicating ideas and results

• Working with staff as partners, participating in a research community

Blogs for reflection• Can be kept private or public

• Layout of blog encourages narrative writing – ‘continuing the story’

• Easy to link to resources, attach other materials

• Searchable on various levels (time stamp, key words, phrases, sub-categories)

• …

I blog, therefore I … reflect.

Blogs for collaboration• Easily accessible (across countries/continents)

• Grouping possible through ‘pages’

• Processes, paths and reflections remain visible

• Easy to use

• ‘Product’ can be made visible to the world

• …

I blog, therefore I … collaborate.

Blogs for learning/teaching• Individuals can bring learning components

to the group, providing a ‘bigger picture’• Staff can model ‘good’ writing, reflexivity,

facilitation• Accessible (more easily than institutional

virtual learning environments (VLEs)?)• Personal (unlike institutional VLEs?)• …

I blog, therefore I … learn/teach.

The Soup Blog

I blog, therefore I … learn/teach.

Blogs for dissemination• Sharing good practice• Raising the profile of learning and teaching

in the institution• One-stop-shop for events announcements,

reports, and reflections• Comments function facilitates discussion• Notification/RSS Feeds• Creating a community of practice?

Blogs for dissemination

Blogs for personalisation• Choice of templates – customisation

• Inclusion of sound, video, images

• Links

• Blogroll

• …

I blog, therefore I … personalise.

I blog, therefore I …am• Personalisation

• Integrating podcasts, videos

• Self-publication

• Space for sharing reflections, work & CV

• Identification through blog?

I blog, therefore I…am.

Discussion• What can blogs do that other tools

can’t?

• What can’t they do?

• What are personalisation issues?

• What other uses might new technologies open up?