The creation and use of Web blogs, or put simply, "Blogging" has been increasing in popularity as a mode of instruction in higher education. However, as with any other pedagogical strategy, there are pros and cons associated with this teaching technique. A central tenet of adult learning theory focuses on the premise that adults typically are self-directed learners. "Knowles asserted that adults have a deeply embedded need to be self-directing through learning that addresses real-life problems or situations encountered at home or on the job. Today, these motivations can become the subject matter for bloggers as they reach out to others as resources, situating their learning in the context of life experiences." (King & Cox, 2011 p. 91). Blogs can serve as a more robust, self-reflective form of the standard discussion forums utilized by many instructors. "Educators can use weblogs in discussion forums as examples of the evolution of a new mode of communication. Today's weblogs are comparable to journals in their styles, providing matter-of-fact personal reflections along with related hyperlinks." (Oravec, 2002 p. 619). Blogs can also allow instructors to deviate from traditional methods of instruction that may allow the educator to serve more as a facilitator of learning or "guide on the side". "This technique allows the educator to teach outside the box and give a refreshing new image to the role of instructor. Knowledge is not spoon-fed to students but rather it is now students and instructors collaborating." (Santos, 2011 p. 15-16).
If an educator chooses to use this method of instruction, he/she should take into consideration the fact that this method is likely to be new for many learners. "When attempting to introduce blogging into the classroom experience, and educator needs to consider how to make this transition as seamless as possible for learners. " (King & Cox, 2011 p. 91). Due to the technical requirements associated with this teaching strategy, educators will need to ensure that all learners understand how to use and access the technology associated with this technique. "In reality, many adult learners of all ages have scant exposure to the use of technology for educational purposes; teaching the use of these tools is necessary." (King & Cox, 2011 p. 95-96)
References:
King, K.P. & Cox,T.D. (2011). The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing
Oravec, J.A. (2002). Bookmarking the world: Weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(7), 616-621
Santos, A.. (2011). Blogs As A Learning Space: Creating Text Of Talks. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 4(6), 15-19
Additional Resources:
Using Blogs and Wikis in Higher Education Video
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteNice blog!
I enjoyed watching the youtube link at the end of the blog. After all the reading on the computer, it was a nice variation to watch a brief video about technology. The video clip was both a great review of blogs, but also a great precursor to our next assignment, the wiki. What is that term used in adult education when you drop hints or briefly announce what is coming up next? I remember in Characteristics it is a technique to stimulate the brain and begin creating a space in the brain for upcoming knowledge? I can’t believe I remember what this is called? Did you do that on purpose? Regardless, great job of getting your readers ready for the next assignment.
You mention that an instructor should recognize that for many learners, the blog is a brand new experience. What strategies or activities might you suggest to an adult educator to help create a positive experience and guide the learners through any anxiety?
Thanks,
E.Wilde
Elizabeth,
DeleteThank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it. The term you are referring to is scaffolding. I did this on purpose. Actually, this decision and design supported two kinds of scaffolding; conceptual and strategic. "Conceptual scaffolding guides learners about what to consider and supports them as they engage in complex concepts and problems. Strategic scaffolding is a significant tool because it provides just-in time support to help learners reach higher levels of understanding." (Stavredes, 2011 p. 100-101).
I think it is important to have procedural scaffolds to assist learners with new experiences and technologies. For example, maybe design a some kind of an orientation to help guide students through new processes. I would also strongly suggest following up the orientation with metacognitive scaffolding. Some suggestions may include designing a "course road map", or in this case a "blog road map". Lastly, online educators need to maintain a social presence in order to gauge, monitor, and respond to student learning, understanding, and comprehension.
Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective Online Teaching Strategies: Foundations and Strategies for Student Success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tom & Liz:
DeleteWhat a wonderful discussion on scaffolding. I am a firm believer in conceptual scaffolding; especially for very theoretical, abstract concepts and frameworks. In face-to-face and online platforms, I find that professor often present course content information predominantly in lecture and text-based formats with needed diverse scaffolding support not provided.
In regards to presence, I believe an online instructor should be visible in all three of the domains: Teaching, Social and Cognitive (2011, CoI). If this is in a regular and consistent manner, feelings of frustration and isolation would be minimized substantially in the e-learning course environment.
Community of Inquiry. (2011). CoI Model. Retrieved from http://communitiesofinquiry.com/model
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that much of the new internet self-publishing technology that is coming out these days, such as blogs, is great for adult learners from what Knowles asserted. It seems that if there is a strive to be heard and a good idea is presented, a blog can help boost discussion based around the publisher, as well as increase knowledge for visitors and whoever comments on the blog. While blogs are much less strict than journal articles, the allowance of personal experiences really adds the 'human' aspect into the writings. From what I have seen, it is a rarity to include cited material (as we do) in blogs. Most things are either plagiarized from other web-based content or plainly personal experiences. As users of blogs, it is our duty to make sure that we differentiate between the facts and opinions in blogs. While writing in my blog, I kept having to make sure that the reader would know what is a cited fact and what was my opinion so there would be minimal confusion.
I agree with how you talk about blogging as most likely being new for many learners. Luckily, blogging is relatively simple compared to other web-based self-publications. I think if a teacher would open a blog first - as an example, it would be very beneficial to students. As Dr.Kang did, providing other media explaining how to use blogs can also be a solution to not understanding or wanting to learn more about the technology.