Blogging and discussion boards have many similarities for
adult learners. They both provide
interactivity and open communication between multiple users. Facilitators of these learning platforms may
start and stimulate the discussion, while learners are allowed to develop
critical thoughts on the topics and contribute with insights from their own
experience (Carter, 2011; Oravec, 2002).
In today’s modern world, many people communicate through
technology. Face-to-face interaction is
becoming less of a priority. For adult
learners in formal, nonformal, and informal settings online learning is often
the platform. Blogging is a unique tool
for moving beyond discussion boards and taking on a more personalized,
organized approach. It easily allows
users to incorporate links, photos, and videos into their blogs, all sensibly
mapped out with their topic of the moment.
Viewers can leave comments to further conversation and also be directed
to additional information through the links provided (Carter, 2011; Oravec,
2002). Although these tools are
available to a certain extent through discussion boards, they tend to get lost
in the jumble of messages and I personally feel that we can sometimes neglect
to utilize them. Part of what blogging
is all about is sharing ideas and resources (Carter, 2011; Oravec, 2002).
Blogs can be more individualized and allow the creator to
take control of the content. They are
basically online journals or diaries (http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g). Blogs are more personal than discussion boards,
but, both allow users to collect their thoughts and gather resources to support
their ideas as well as create a sense of community; both are very participatory
and interactive in nature (Carter, 2011; Oravec, 2002). However, according to Santos’ (2011) we need
to carefully plan where and when blogs are incorporated into education so they
do not, “interfere with the existing standard and become a hindrance rather
than a facilitator of learning” (Santos, 2011, p. 16).
All in all, blogging activities are a unique tool for adult
learners to reflect and construct knowledge while also giving them the ability to
express themselves on a personal and professional level in a socially and
technologically grounded format (Carter, 2011).
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Hi Janel:
ReplyDeleteYou address a great comparison of discussion boards versus blogging concerning the opportunity to think critically and for learners to share and reflect on their own experiences. I personally enjoy the opportunity to reflect on my own personal experiences with my education and in the workplace while I am furthering my education. Additionally, I find it valuable to learn from the experiences of other adults. While I was working on my master’s degree, I did not have prior work experience in the field; therefore, learning from the experiences of my peers was very helpful for me and opened my mind to multiple positions.
Do you have personal experience in developing or utilizing blogs to communicate aside from this course? If so, please explain. What did you find to be the most and least valuable in the development of your blog(s)?
In general, what do you find to be the most and least valuable aspect of blogging and why? Do you think blogging will fade in coming years with other forms of technology or do you see benefits of blogging that may be different than what other methods of technology might have to offer in the near future?
In regards to your comment on “face-to-face interaction becoming less of a priority,” I too have made this observation among various situations and environments. In today’s society, many meetings and interviews are transferring to virtual or telecommunication interaction. While I was unemployed for several years, I noticed that even some “local” organizations conducted interviews with me over the phone. I think this made me more uncomfortable than being in person for the interview! I have a friend who was hired for an out-of-state position via Skype without attending a face-to-face meeting. I believe I have even heard of the possibility of some face-to-face classes going to the use of tablets or iPads for learning in the classroom.
I agree that the use of blogging can be more personal than discussion boards. You address an excellent point concerning the issue of content possibly interfering with the subject matter intended to learn in a particular formal educational environment. Although, learning through personal reflection and experiences can be valuable, it is important that blogs do not become the sole purpose for learning, as they can sometimes be opinion based versus statistical information. Merriam and Brockett (2007) explain experience is important for adults in the learning process; however, the accretion of experience is not as vital as how the adult learners utilize the information they are reflecting on, as this is what enhances their learning and growth.
References
Merriam, S.B. and Brockett, R.G. (2007). The profession and practice of adult education. San Francisco, CA.: Jossey-Bass.
I have never used blogs before this course besides a brief stint with a personal blog I created. I stopped doing it when they started charging for it. I actually started looking at blogs through my mother-in-law’s blog which slowly led to the exploration of other personal blogs (mainly by her promptings).
DeleteI don’t think I have decided yet what is most important or least valuable about blogs yet. I think they are very valuable for sharing personal experiences and hobbies. I can also see their potential value in education. As cited in King and Cox (2011), blogs as a learning platform can be transformative and go beyond the traditional classroom and even online learning setting. “...blogs provide autonomy and opportunities for expression of authentic voice, empowering and encouraging students to become more analytical in their thinking” (p. 97). However, right now I think I am struggling to get past what I am used to/comfortable with in the discussion board platform and make it a little more personal with blogging.
I believe personal spaces online will only continue to rise in the coming years (blogging and Wiki). We have seen this happening for quite some time. In fact, this was the original intent of the World Wide Web all along. We are becoming less passive in our consumption of information and making it more personal by participating, editing, and contributing information (as cited in West & West, 2009).
Thank you for your comments!
In K. P. King & T. D. Cox (Eds.), The professor’s guide to taming technology (pp. 89-104). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
West, J. A. & West, M. L. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
In 2002, I was introduced to online classes and the use of a discussion board. It seemed daunting at first because I did not totally understand its need or use. It seemed to me just like a way of venting and talking about anything students wanted to. I should have realized then that instructors would have guidelines that would be spelled out in a “rubric.” It aided students in developing new skills and to really hone their talents in referencing and research.
ReplyDeleteI can now see where we have advanced with blogging because it gives a student the ability to really contribute to a subject and to introduce students to even more in-depth critical thinking. I really like your statement of how blogs are more individualized and the creative control they give the author. They are very personal and as you state must be planned and how they are incorporated into education. My only misgiving is that they are totally public and anyone can see the information. I believe that educational institutions should eventually look into creating their own web-based, blogging app/area for students so that their information is only privy to their instructor and students.
A restricted educational blogging area may be a good idea! This could really be beneficial to high school students where privacy is a top concern (Witte, 2007). I think this was a little bit of my issue with blogging this week. Besides wanting to keep it structured and educationally formulated I also had that small feeling that others could see this information and I didn't want to get too personal.
DeleteWitte, S. (2007). "That's online writing, not boring school writing": Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51 (2), pp. 92-96.
Wow! I had no idea companies were interviewing or hiring virtually!! That seems to crazy to me, but it must work. I would think this would have to be some particular job and maybe not someone who is working in a building. Are/should we be preparing college students who are graduating for this type of interview and job hire? I totally agree that I am out of my comfort zone a little bit too and it is easy to want to discuss the way we always do, but I love learning new tech tools and trying to see how to or how others are utilizing this tools. Another issue besides privacy of our children while learning, is from a technical point of view. Many IT administrators are very restrictive with sites allowed on their network. There are many vulnerabilities with the world wide web and this can be a clean up night mare for an IT staff. So even if a teacher wanted to do something like this, the district may have rules about Internet usage and have firewalls set very restrictive!
ReplyDeleteI think virtual hiring is happening more often than we think. And yes, it is an excellent idea to prepare students for virtual and even phone interviews. In the field of online adult education for instance, I think virtual hiring will soon become the norm since so much is online anyway!! Faculty may not be this way for awhile, but I believe staff and administrators will soon go through much or all of the hiring process virtually.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to identify the difference between a blog and an educational discussion on sites such as Blackboard and LMS. As I read through the blogs of our classmates, the level of discussion is intense and explored. As I reviewed some of the public blogs, the content varied between researched subjects and objective opinions. This is something we as leaders and educators need to be aware of as we integrate these technological tools into our curriculum. Utilization of blogsites as a supplement to the traditional method of teaching is a welcome innovation for most students. The use of popular blogsite like facebook is familiar and very convenient for them that it makes leaning and complying to requirements an enjoyable task (Santos, June 2011, pg. 18). Learners need understand they have a responsibility to review the information presented and validate its credibility.
ReplyDeleteSantos, A.. (2011). Blogs As A Learning Space: Creating Text Of Talks. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 4(6), 15-19.
I agree with you completely on examining the validity of blogs! In fact, ever since high school I've had instructors telling me to avoid sites like Wikipedia altogether and not to use them as sources. I would have to agree, but soon it may be harder to determine where credible information is coming from.
ReplyDelete