Using weblogs in scholarship and teaching

Abstract

he web has become an important resource for teaching and learning (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2003). One reason the web is such a vital resource is that it allows almost anyone to contribute to its "holdings." Tools like HTML editors and FTP clients have made web publishing available to many teachers and students. However, the challenge of learning to use these tools has been a barrier to web publishing for many. Weblogs reduce the technical barriers to effective web publishing significantly. Defining a weblog (also known as a "blog") is somewhat of a challenge. The genre began to emerge around 1997, when a number ofwebsites appeared that were akin to travelogues, pointing users to new and interesting locations on the Internet. At that time the Internet was still largely non-commercial, and could be characterized as an uncharted frontier. These new travelogue websites consisted of links to and commentary on websites their authors found interesting. Barger was probably the first to suggest the term "web log" (Barger, 1999). Barger offered this definition of the term: A weblog (sometimes called a blog or a news page or a filter) is a webpage where a weblogger (sometimes called a blogger, or a pre~surfer) 'logs' all the other Web pages she finds interesting. The format is normally to add the newest entry at the top of the page, so that repeat visitors can catch up by simply reading down the page until they reach a link they saw on their last visit (Barger, 1999). Dave Winer, probably the most recognized pioneer of the blogging movement, offers this alternative definition: Weblogs are often-updated sites that point to articles elsewhere on the web, often with comments, and to on-site articles. A weblog is kind of a continual tour, with a human guide whom you get to know. There are many guides to choose from, each develops an audience, and there's also camaraderie and politics between the people who run weblogs-they point to each other in all kinds of structures, graphs, loops, etc. (Winer, 2002). A weblog is therefore a website with a certain collection of distinctive features. In 2005 these features generally include: 9 Automatic formatting of content in the form of "headlines;' followed by "entries" or "stories" 9 Time-and date-stamp of entries 9 Archiving of past entries 9 A search function to search through all entries 9 A "blogroll"-a list of other blogs read by the author(s) of the current blog

Active Learning as a New Technology: Examining the Effects of Blogging in the Teaching of Writing

“…Again, it appears that blogging does just that. Blogs provide a means for empowering writers, and they give students the ability and the resources to become published authors from the comfort of their own classrooms [12]. Clearly, this study is consistent with findings that blogging affords students the opportunity for authentic learning and the freedom to develop and publish their own ideas to a real audience; thus producing more solid writers over time [13].…”

Trainee teachers’ use of blogs as private reflections for professional development

“…More frequent blogging was probably most beneficial because writing more posts gave those trainees a chance to review previous posts, receive comments from the tutor, and become familiar with writing and the blogs (Martindale and Wiley 2005). It may be, as other studies have found, that more academic guidance is needed to ensure that trainees, including those with high ICT skills, can use the technology effectively for independent learning (Deepwell and Malik 2008).…”

“…Examples include uses such as improving communication from the classroom/school to parents and the community (Catalano 2005), students practicing writing skills online and keeping a portfolio of accomplishments and reflections (Bonk and Zhang 2006), communicating internationally and cross-culturally (Oravec 2003), and fostering student interaction online (Beldarrain 2006). Martindale and Wiley (2005) reported that blogs were an effective tool for promoting student writing skills, as learners' blog posts became longer and more thoughtful throughout the course. Research from Australia has examined using blogs as the primary mechanism for online learning at Master's level (Hoven 2006) and for management development programs (Instone 2005).…”

Assumptions and challenges of open scholarship

“…By maintaining a web presence, scholars may express their opinions, solicit feedback, reflect, share information pertaining to their professional practice, network with colleagues, reach multiple audiences, and cultivate their identity as scholars (Veletsianos, 2012;Kjellberg, 2010;Martindale & Wiley, 2005;Nardi, Schiano, & Gumbrecht, 2004).…”