Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Blogs have the general web 2.0 advantages of encouraging individual ownership,
responsibility and identity (Godwin-Jones, 2003). and ease of use (Downes, 2004).
Blogs are also lightweight and cost-efficient (Fiedler & Cantoni, 2004), versatile
and flexible (Nardi, Shiano, Gumbrecht, & Swartz, 2004), interactive (Williams &
Jacobs, 2004), and RSS equipped (O'Reilly, 2007). Blogs combine self-expression
with social interaction (Richardson, 2006) and support both individualistic and
collaborative activities (Huffaker, 2005). Blogging motivates users by providing
them with a forum in which to express oneself online by documenting one's life,
articulating ideas and opinions, expressing feelings and emotions while forming
and maintaining community bonds (Brooks, Nichols, & Priebe, 2003; Nardi et al.,
2004).
Blogs were originally used to promote communication, information sharing, and
entertainment. Recently, they have been extended to academic, educational, and
research settings to promote the sharing of opinions, to facilitate teaching and
learning, and to support collaborative learning. Blogging provides learners with
opportunities to write for readers beyond their immediate classmates. The oppor-
tunity to participate in discussion forums and to self-publish one work fosters a
sense of ownership and responsibility among learners, who may focus more atten-
tion on what they say and how they say it when “they know they are writing for a
real audience. This same degree of personal responsibility is lacking in discussion
forums.” (Godwin-Jones, 2003, p. 13). Moreover, by allowing for the confronta-
tion of thoughts and ideas contributed by collaborating learners, blogging fosters
higher levels of feedback, comment, and reflection among participants (Huffaker,
2005; Richardson, 2006). Blogs have been found to be effective in getting teach-
ers to reflect on their own practice (Ray & Coulter, 2008; Stiler & Philleo, 2003).
Blogs have also been found to increase levels of meaningful intellectual exchange
among MBA students (Williams & Jacobs, 2004) and to support learning commu-
nities though sharing resources and ideas, reflecting on personal experiences and
networking with others (Loving, Schroeder, Kang, Shimek, & Herbert, 2007). In
addition to cognitive applications, blogs also serve social and emotional purposes.
Blogs are often forums in which users engage in emotional projection (Farmer,
2004; Nardi et al., 2004) or can serve as outlets for venting and releasing stress
(Brescia & Miller, 2006).
Learning science theories connecting blogging with knowledge building include
social constructivism and communities of practice. Social constructivism empha-
sizes the construction of knowledge through the interactions among knowledge
workers, tools, and other artifacts. Social interactions and cognitive conflicts are
essential components of cognitive development, and blogging expands the oppor-
tunities for strangers to interact in relevant ways. Blogging involves sharing
information, providing comments, and suggesting resources. Blogs are far more
accessible and easy to use than earlier bounded learning technologies which need
specific access rights. Diverse ideas, critiques, and questions can lead to cognitive
conflicts which inspire further exploration and inquiry.
Blogs and blogging promote the formation of communities of practice or blog-
ging communities. Blogging is inherently interactive and blogging communities
Search WWH ::




Custom Search