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Year 2019, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 10 - 24, 01.06.2019

Abstract

References

  • Al-Fadda, H., & Al-Yahya, M. (2010). Using Web Blogs as a Tool to Encourage Pre-Class Reading, Post-Class Reflections and Collaboration in Higher Education. Online Submission, 7(7), 100-106.
  • Ardichvili, A., Page, V., & Wentling, T. (2003). Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice. Journal of knowledge management, 7(1), 64-77.
  • Bennett, S., Bishop, A., Dalgarno, B., Waycott, J., & Kennedy, G. (2012). Implementing Web 2.0 technologies in higher education: A collective case study. Computers & Education, 59(2), 524-534.
  • Brandes, U. (2001). A faster algorithm for betweenness centrality. Journal of mathematical sociology, 25(2), 163-177.
  • Calhoun, C. J. (Ed.). (1992). Habermas and the public sphere. MIT press.
  • Churchill, D. (2009). Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning. British journal of educational technology, 40(1), 179-183.
  • Dennen, V. P. (2009). Constructing academic alter-egos: identity issues in a blog-based community. Identity in the Information Society, 2(1), 23-38.
  • Downes, S. (2004). Educational blogging. Educause review, 39(5), 14-26.
  • Downes, S (2005). E-Learning 2.0.eLeaning magazine (10/15). Retrieved from http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1
  • Farmer, B., Yue, A., & Brooks, C. (2008). Using blogging for higher order learning in large cohort university teaching: A case study. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(2).
  • Fruchterman, T. M., & Reingold, E. M. (1991). Graph drawing by force‐directed placement. Software: Practice and experience, 21(11), 1129-1164.
  • Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T., & Spence, M. (2010). To blog or not to blog: Student perceptions of blog effectiveness for learning in a college-level course. The Internet and higher education, 13(4), 206-213.
  • Hemmi, A., Bayne, S., & Land, R. (2009). The appropriation and repurposing of social technologies in higher education. Journal of computer assisted learning, 25(1), 19-30.
  • Herrington, A., Herrington, J., Kervin, L., & Ferry, B. (2006). The design of an online community of practice for beginning teachers. Contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 6(1), 120-132.
  • Hughes, A. (2009). Higher education in a Web 2.0 world. JISC report.
  • Kang, I., Bonk, C. J., & Kim, M. C. (2011). A case study of blog-based learning in Korea: Technology becomes pedagogy. The Internet and Higher Education, 14(4), 227-235.
  • Kerawalla, L., Minocha, S., Kirkup, G., & Conole, G. (2009). An empirically grounded framework to guide blogging in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(1), 31-42.
  • King, A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College teaching, 41(1), 30-35.
  • Kirkwood, A., & Price, L. (2014). Technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: what is ‘enhanced’and how do we know? A critical literature review. Learning, media and technology, 39(1), 6-36.
  • Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning as the science of learning and development.
  • Lambiotte, R., Delvenne, J. C., & Barahona, M. (2008). Laplacian dynamics and multiscale modular structure in networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:0812.1770.
  • Lave, J., Wenger, E., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation (Vol. 521423740). Cambridge: Cambridge university press.
  • Meyer, K. A. (2010). A comparison of Web 2.0 tools in a doctoral course. The internet and higher education, 13(4), 226-232.
  • Moon, J. A. (2013). Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice. Routledge.
  • O’Reilly, T. (2004). Open source paradigm shift. DiBona, C.
  • Stone, M., Cooper, D.: Open Sources, 2, 253-272.
  • Osman, G., & Koh, J. H. L. (2013). Understanding management students' reflective practice through blogging. The Internet and Higher Education, 16, 23-31.
  • Pavo, M. Á. H., & Rodrigo, J. C. (2015). Interaction analysis of a blog/journal of teaching practice. The Internet and Higher Education, 27, 32-43.
  • Richmond, V. P., Gorham, J. S., & McCroskey, J. C. (1987). The relationship between selected immediacy behaviors and cognitive learning. Annals of the International Communication Association, 10(1), 574-590.
  • Robertson, J. (2011). The educational affordances of blogs for self-directed learning. Computers & Education, 57(2), 1628-1644.
  • Sim, J. W. S., & Hew, K. F. (2010). The use of weblogs in higher education settings: A review of empirical research. Educational Research Review, 5(2), 151-163.
  • Stiler, G. M., & Philleo, T. (2003). Blogging and blogspots: An alternative format for encouraging reflective practice among preservice teachers. Education, 123(4).
  • Tang, E., & Lam, C. (2014). Building an effective online learning community (OLC) in blog-based teaching portfolios. The Internet and Higher Education, 20, 79-85.
  • Trafford, P. (2005). Mobile Blogs, Personal Reflections and Learning Environments: The RAMBLE Project. Ariadne, (44).
  • Udell, J. (2001). Tangled In The Threads. Byte, N-PAG.
  • Vurdien, R. (2013). Enhancing writing skills through blogging in an advanced English as a Foreign Language class in Spain. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 26(2), 126-143.
  • Williams, J. B., & Jacobs, J. S. (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian journal of educational technology, 20(2), 232-247.
  • Yang, S. H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(2).
  • Zhan, Z., Xu, F., & Ye, H. (2011). Effects of an online learning community on active and reflective learners’ learning performance and attitudes in a face-to-face undergraduate course. Computers & Education, 56(4), 961-968.

The Issue of Blogging: Using Visual Network Analysis to go Beyond Self-reporting Studies of Blogging

Year 2019, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 10 - 24, 01.06.2019

Abstract

Given the increasingly prominent position of digital technologies in the Higher Education classroom, this paper uses a mixed method approach to explore the ways in which blogging might be used to support student learning through a large MA dissertation module, comprising students from five courses. Taking as it impetuous the idea that blogging can create a community to support students in the writing of their own dissertation. The research saw 179 students invited to undertake blogging over a 10-week period, with proscribed activities for eight of these weeks. The networks built by students were modelled through Gephi, and this data was supplemented with two surveys carried out before and following the module. The results showed a mild trend towards the blogs not producing a community, nor creating an environment in which self-reflective practice was forthcoming. The role of the teacher also appeared to become solidified as the sole motivating factor, leading to a low uptake in posting on the blog, and even lower in commenting. The work also highlights the two-fold issue of students being fearful of giving negative, coupled with the sense that peer feedback was not worth as much as staff feedback, significantly reduced the development of the community, and of critical thinking. The work concludes that while blogs might have some potential, this case demonstrates that they need to be more deeply embedded within the pedagogy of the course, and not used as an ‘add-on’.

References

  • Al-Fadda, H., & Al-Yahya, M. (2010). Using Web Blogs as a Tool to Encourage Pre-Class Reading, Post-Class Reflections and Collaboration in Higher Education. Online Submission, 7(7), 100-106.
  • Ardichvili, A., Page, V., & Wentling, T. (2003). Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice. Journal of knowledge management, 7(1), 64-77.
  • Bennett, S., Bishop, A., Dalgarno, B., Waycott, J., & Kennedy, G. (2012). Implementing Web 2.0 technologies in higher education: A collective case study. Computers & Education, 59(2), 524-534.
  • Brandes, U. (2001). A faster algorithm for betweenness centrality. Journal of mathematical sociology, 25(2), 163-177.
  • Calhoun, C. J. (Ed.). (1992). Habermas and the public sphere. MIT press.
  • Churchill, D. (2009). Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning. British journal of educational technology, 40(1), 179-183.
  • Dennen, V. P. (2009). Constructing academic alter-egos: identity issues in a blog-based community. Identity in the Information Society, 2(1), 23-38.
  • Downes, S. (2004). Educational blogging. Educause review, 39(5), 14-26.
  • Downes, S (2005). E-Learning 2.0.eLeaning magazine (10/15). Retrieved from http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1
  • Farmer, B., Yue, A., & Brooks, C. (2008). Using blogging for higher order learning in large cohort university teaching: A case study. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(2).
  • Fruchterman, T. M., & Reingold, E. M. (1991). Graph drawing by force‐directed placement. Software: Practice and experience, 21(11), 1129-1164.
  • Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T., & Spence, M. (2010). To blog or not to blog: Student perceptions of blog effectiveness for learning in a college-level course. The Internet and higher education, 13(4), 206-213.
  • Hemmi, A., Bayne, S., & Land, R. (2009). The appropriation and repurposing of social technologies in higher education. Journal of computer assisted learning, 25(1), 19-30.
  • Herrington, A., Herrington, J., Kervin, L., & Ferry, B. (2006). The design of an online community of practice for beginning teachers. Contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 6(1), 120-132.
  • Hughes, A. (2009). Higher education in a Web 2.0 world. JISC report.
  • Kang, I., Bonk, C. J., & Kim, M. C. (2011). A case study of blog-based learning in Korea: Technology becomes pedagogy. The Internet and Higher Education, 14(4), 227-235.
  • Kerawalla, L., Minocha, S., Kirkup, G., & Conole, G. (2009). An empirically grounded framework to guide blogging in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(1), 31-42.
  • King, A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College teaching, 41(1), 30-35.
  • Kirkwood, A., & Price, L. (2014). Technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: what is ‘enhanced’and how do we know? A critical literature review. Learning, media and technology, 39(1), 6-36.
  • Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning as the science of learning and development.
  • Lambiotte, R., Delvenne, J. C., & Barahona, M. (2008). Laplacian dynamics and multiscale modular structure in networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:0812.1770.
  • Lave, J., Wenger, E., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation (Vol. 521423740). Cambridge: Cambridge university press.
  • Meyer, K. A. (2010). A comparison of Web 2.0 tools in a doctoral course. The internet and higher education, 13(4), 226-232.
  • Moon, J. A. (2013). Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice. Routledge.
  • O’Reilly, T. (2004). Open source paradigm shift. DiBona, C.
  • Stone, M., Cooper, D.: Open Sources, 2, 253-272.
  • Osman, G., & Koh, J. H. L. (2013). Understanding management students' reflective practice through blogging. The Internet and Higher Education, 16, 23-31.
  • Pavo, M. Á. H., & Rodrigo, J. C. (2015). Interaction analysis of a blog/journal of teaching practice. The Internet and Higher Education, 27, 32-43.
  • Richmond, V. P., Gorham, J. S., & McCroskey, J. C. (1987). The relationship between selected immediacy behaviors and cognitive learning. Annals of the International Communication Association, 10(1), 574-590.
  • Robertson, J. (2011). The educational affordances of blogs for self-directed learning. Computers & Education, 57(2), 1628-1644.
  • Sim, J. W. S., & Hew, K. F. (2010). The use of weblogs in higher education settings: A review of empirical research. Educational Research Review, 5(2), 151-163.
  • Stiler, G. M., & Philleo, T. (2003). Blogging and blogspots: An alternative format for encouraging reflective practice among preservice teachers. Education, 123(4).
  • Tang, E., & Lam, C. (2014). Building an effective online learning community (OLC) in blog-based teaching portfolios. The Internet and Higher Education, 20, 79-85.
  • Trafford, P. (2005). Mobile Blogs, Personal Reflections and Learning Environments: The RAMBLE Project. Ariadne, (44).
  • Udell, J. (2001). Tangled In The Threads. Byte, N-PAG.
  • Vurdien, R. (2013). Enhancing writing skills through blogging in an advanced English as a Foreign Language class in Spain. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 26(2), 126-143.
  • Williams, J. B., & Jacobs, J. S. (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian journal of educational technology, 20(2), 232-247.
  • Yang, S. H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(2).
  • Zhan, Z., Xu, F., & Ye, H. (2011). Effects of an online learning community on active and reflective learners’ learning performance and attitudes in a face-to-face undergraduate course. Computers & Education, 56(4), 961-968.
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Doug Specht This is me

Publication Date June 1, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2019 Volume: 4 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Specht, D. (2019). The Issue of Blogging: Using Visual Network Analysis to go Beyond Self-reporting Studies of Blogging. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age, 4(2), 10-24.

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