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What Are Blogs and Journals?
A blog, short for “Web log,” is a website where an individual can post their thoughts. Entries are dated and displayed with the most recent post first. Readers are provided with a mechanism to post comments on the original post, and the original author may write replies to those comments. The tone is informal, much like an online journal.
Journals are used for personal communication between individual students and the instructor.
Why Use Blogs and Journals?
Young and Sullivan (1984) make a case for the act of writing as that which “enables us to think in ways that are otherwise improbable, or difficult, or even impossible” (p. 216). Blogs are an effective means of gaining insight into students' activities and provide a way to share the knowledge and materials collected. Blogs and journals provide an opportunity for interaction between students and/or the instructor.
Best Ways to Use Blogs and Journals?
Blog learning activities include journaling (perhaps as 1-minute reflections on the reading or more detailed reflections during a major project that spreads across an entire course or program), internship logs, discussions with subject-matter experts in the discipline, sharing resources and current affairs, as well as peer sharing of and commenting on writing assignments. Students can also use a blog to share their thoughts through a vlog (video blog entry) recorded on a smartphone.
Blog, Journal, or Discussion?
While the LMS does not have a built-in tool for blogs and journals, students do have access to Google tools like Google Sites to create their own blogs. The site link, then, can be made limited viewing for purposes of the class and the link shared in an assignment submission. Journals are typically private between student and instructor, so some faculty like to use Google Docs or the assignment function in the LMS for activities that take journal form. All of these options allow for instructor feedback when grading.
Planning for Blogs and Journals
Planning a blog or journal activity should begin by considering its purpose in helping students achieve one or more learning objectives. Blogs tend to be used for formative rather than summative assessments, although the latter is still feasible. Rather than asking for factual, conceptual, or procedural knowledge, blogs and journals are well suited to student writing on a metacognitive level. To advance the learning process, "Learners must be able to reflect upon what they currently know and consider how the new information is applicable to them or the task they are completing." (Clapper, 2012)
Designing for Blogs and Journals
Richard Paul (cited in Online Classroom, 2007) suggests discussion prompts may also apply when designing blog assignments:
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Bloom’s Taxonomy Guide to Writing Questions
- A list of possible question prompts for each of the six levels of cognitive skills, by the World Wide Interactive Learning Design team from the University of Georgia
7 Things You Should Know About Blogs
- A 2-page document from EDUCAUSE that outlines considerations for using blogs for personal learning experiences
How Are Blogs Used in Online Education?
- An article by Melissa Venable on OnlineCollege.org
(56:07 mins.) - A workshop posted to YouTube by Jason Rhode of Northern Illinois University. (Note: You can use your cursor to skim through the screens if desired.)
References
Clapper, Timothy. (2012). Metacognition: Are Your Learners Really Thinking About The Content? Retrieved from https://evolllution.com/opinions/metacognition-are-your-learners-really-thinking-about-the-content/
Commoncraft. (2013a). Blogs in plain English. [Video file] Retrieved from http://www.commoncraft.com/video/blogs
EDUCAUSE. (2005). 7 things you should know about blogs. [PDF] Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7006.pdf
FacDev (Producer). (2012, December 9). Tips for Teaching with Blogs. [Video file] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WozZO7heYGU
OnlineClassroom. (2007). A plan for effective discussion boards. Retrieved from http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/newsletters_archive/OC0705.pdf
Reiss, D. (2003). Educational weblogs and resources/acknowledgments. Retrieved from http://www.wordsworth2.net/writing/weblogresource.htm
University of Georgia. (n.d.) Bloom’s taxonomy guide to writing questions. [PDF] Retrieved from http://wwild.coe.uga.edu/pptgames/resources/bloom_questions.pdf
University of Liverpool. (n.d). University student blog. Retrieved from http://www.university-liverpool-online.com/online-learning/student-blog
Venable, M. (2012a). Academic blogging. Retrieved from http://www.scoop.it/t/academic-blogging
Venable, M. (2012b). How are blogs used in online education. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/03/27/how-are-blogs-used-in-online-education/
Examples of Blogs and Journals
Example Journal Assignment
Course Reading Journal Assignment from UF100 Intellectual Foundations Course at Boise State University
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Journal entries will contribute up to 20% of your final grade.
Examples of Blog Assignments
(2:48 min.) - A video by the Common Craft Show on what a blog is and why you would use it
- A collection of blogs by online students at the University of Liverpool
Educational Weblogs and Resources
- A site by Donna Reiss, with links to examples in a variety of disciplines
- A collection of blogs and about blogs, curated by Melissa Venable