On blogging

E-learning incorporating Web 2.0 is being increasingly used in tertiary institutions by students and teachers. Students are authoring using blogs, wikis, podcasting and social networking and utilizing the affordances brought about through Web 2.0 is becoming a legitimate academic activity at graduate and post graduate levels. Melville et al., 2009, argues that where the process (and not only content) is considered important then students can become self-directed and independent learners and that active learning is facilitated through student engagement in Web 2.0.

However the challenge for me is to assess your use of blogging as a formal part of this paper. Using social networking sites such as google and bloggs has the potential to alter the rules and standards of academic writing in higher education. So what may be acceptable in a blog may not be acceptable in an academic essay. The writing genre is different in each context. My challenge as the facilitator of the paper to write the marking rubric to reflect this. If you examine the marking criteria for Assessment 2 you will see I have included engagement with other member's blogs as well as referencing in APA 6th. In this way I aim to incorporate Web 2.0 affordances as well as academic writing genre rigour. If you are having difficulty making comments 'stay' on a student's blog then you can if you wish also publish them in the Learning Space so that your fellow student will benefit from your comments.

For some interesting questions on blogging the following link is to a utube on blogging by Ike Shibley associate Professor of Chemistry at Penn State Watch a brief clip of the seminar »

Melville, D., Allan, C., Crampton, J., Fothergill, J., Godfrey, A., & Harloe, M. (2009). Higher
Education in a Web 2.0 world: Report of an independent committee of inquiry into the impact
on higher education of students' widespread use of Web.20 technologies. Retrieved March
15, 2012, from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/generalpublications/2009/heweb2.aspx