Jun 27, 2008
Module 2 Reflection
Module 2 provided a chance for hands-on practice with creating a blog.
From the article "7 Things You Should Know About Blogs", I learned that it is important to set aside a regular time for blogging. I think the practice of blogging reinforces critical thinking skills and helps develop reflective writing strategies. Moreover, the feedback received in a blog is an effective way to assess learning. According to the article “Students often learn as much from each other as from instructors or textbooks, and blogs offer another mechanism for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and acquisition”.
The paper "Edublogs as an Online Assessment Tool" by Judy Lee and Kay Allen provided insight as to how blogs can be used for not only formative and summative assessment but for self-assessment as well. The study found that “Blogs enable learning from self-reflection, from others, and provokes complex thinking skills and strategies.” The element of peer review comes into play. The most important element for me about blogging is the accessibility factor.
From the article "7 Things You Should Know About Blogs", I learned that it is important to set aside a regular time for blogging. I think the practice of blogging reinforces critical thinking skills and helps develop reflective writing strategies. Moreover, the feedback received in a blog is an effective way to assess learning. According to the article “Students often learn as much from each other as from instructors or textbooks, and blogs offer another mechanism for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and acquisition”.
The paper "Edublogs as an Online Assessment Tool" by Judy Lee and Kay Allen provided insight as to how blogs can be used for not only formative and summative assessment but for self-assessment as well. The study found that “Blogs enable learning from self-reflection, from others, and provokes complex thinking skills and strategies.” The element of peer review comes into play. The most important element for me about blogging is the accessibility factor.
Question
Article Title: Defining Tools for a New Learning Space: Writing and Reading Class Blogs
Author: Sarah Hurlburt
In Sarah Hurlburt's article "Defining Tools for a New Learning Space: Writing and Reading Class Blogs" she mentions that blogs are discourse communities and that "a class blogosphere clearly meets all of the basic criteria for a discourse community and thus potentially experiences many of the same patterns as those studied in the context of composition courses". I had always viewed blogs as more conversational and not made the connection that they can be used as a tool for improving writing ability.
Do you think we will be seeing blogs in college freshman comp courses?
Author: Sarah Hurlburt
In Sarah Hurlburt's article "Defining Tools for a New Learning Space: Writing and Reading Class Blogs" she mentions that blogs are discourse communities and that "a class blogosphere clearly meets all of the basic criteria for a discourse community and thus potentially experiences many of the same patterns as those studied in the context of composition courses". I had always viewed blogs as more conversational and not made the connection that they can be used as a tool for improving writing ability.
Do you think we will be seeing blogs in college freshman comp courses?
Assessment: Teacher-centered or Learner-centered?
Title: Assessment: Teacher-centered or Learner-centered?
Author: Terri Langan
This exercise helped me realize that instructors and students learn together and that students have a part in assessing their own learning. So often the emphasis is on the teacher as the expert. In a true learner-centered environment both the teacher and the students can switch roles from learner to expert and back again. I will also take away from this survey the idea that teaching and assessing are intertwined. This will help when writing learning objectives so that I can design my course objectives to effectively measure student learning.
Author: Terri Langan
This exercise helped me realize that instructors and students learn together and that students have a part in assessing their own learning. So often the emphasis is on the teacher as the expert. In a true learner-centered environment both the teacher and the students can switch roles from learner to expert and back again. I will also take away from this survey the idea that teaching and assessing are intertwined. This will help when writing learning objectives so that I can design my course objectives to effectively measure student learning.
Jun 24, 2008
Article Review
Article Title: Benefits of Cooperative Learning in Weblog Networks
Authors: Jenny Wang and Yuehchiu Fang; National Formosa University
The main advantage of educational blogging pointed out in this study is that it can be used as a vehicle for cooperative learning. The study found that “online communication (blogs) promoted autonomous learning among students (Wang & Fang)”. This speaks to the positive interdependence of cooperative learning.
Another advantage noted was that learners benefited from self-assessment and peer assessment and learning from each other in the transfer of knowledge. Also, they referenced students as active participants instead of passive listeners.
I was somewhat confused by the reference to “working with diversity via trust building”. I am not sure if they meant diversity of opinion or diversity of the make-up of the class.
One disadvantage of educational blogging was “the quality of interaction of online communication”. I am assuming this statement was in relationship to the style of writing being that the focus of the study was a Rhetoric and Writing class.
I tend to disagree with the finding that “face-to-face class interaction was also highly needed for fostering students’ learning”. From personal experience, I have been in many online courses and enjoyed rich learning experiences with cooperative learning groups. The summary did further state that if face-to-face learning is needed for fostering students’ learning then the instructor’s role takes on even more importance in “enhancing student learning”. I agree with the importance of creating a cooperative learning environment whether online or face-to-face.
Authors: Jenny Wang and Yuehchiu Fang; National Formosa University
The main advantage of educational blogging pointed out in this study is that it can be used as a vehicle for cooperative learning. The study found that “online communication (blogs) promoted autonomous learning among students (Wang & Fang)”. This speaks to the positive interdependence of cooperative learning.
Another advantage noted was that learners benefited from self-assessment and peer assessment and learning from each other in the transfer of knowledge. Also, they referenced students as active participants instead of passive listeners.
I was somewhat confused by the reference to “working with diversity via trust building”. I am not sure if they meant diversity of opinion or diversity of the make-up of the class.
One disadvantage of educational blogging was “the quality of interaction of online communication”. I am assuming this statement was in relationship to the style of writing being that the focus of the study was a Rhetoric and Writing class.
I tend to disagree with the finding that “face-to-face class interaction was also highly needed for fostering students’ learning”. From personal experience, I have been in many online courses and enjoyed rich learning experiences with cooperative learning groups. The summary did further state that if face-to-face learning is needed for fostering students’ learning then the instructor’s role takes on even more importance in “enhancing student learning”. I agree with the importance of creating a cooperative learning environment whether online or face-to-face.
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