Blogs: Collaborative Learning for the Next Generation

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Blogs Collaborative Learning for the Next
Generation

• Rosanne Birney, Mary Barry, Dr. Mícheál o
  hÉigeartaigh
• Department of Computing, Mathematics Physics
• Waterford Institute of Technology
• Ireland

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Introduction

• This research aims to demonstrate that weblogs
  have the potential to be valuable learning tools
  that support collaborative learning.
• With a focus on technology students in
  third-level institutions.

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What is a weblog?

• A weblog (or blog) is a website that contains
  dated entries (or posts) in reverse chronological
  order, and is easy to publish to using blogging
  software
• Features of weblogs include
• Permalinks
• Trackbacks
• Comments
• RSS (Rich Site Summary)
• There are now over 27m blogs (Sifry, 2006)

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Collaborative Learning

• Piaget (1928) identified collaborative
  argumentation as one of the key ways in which
  learners develop their cognitive processes.
• Vygotsky (1978) also believed in the importance
  of human interaction for learners, and proposed
  that social interaction profoundly influences
  cognitive development

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Collaborative Learning

• The collaborative aspects of weblogs provide
  opportunities for interaction with peers
  (Williams Jacobs, 2004)
• Efimova and de Moor (2005) stated that weblogs
  serve as a true conversation tool, supporting
  fast and meaningful reactions, exchange of
  multiple perspectives and joint development of
  ideas.

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Salmons Five-Stage Model of Online Learning

• Originally designed with computer-mediated-confere
  ncing (CMC) in mind
• However, Ferdig and Trammell (2004) suggest that
  many of the research-based findings with regard
  to CMC could hypothetically be applied to weblogs
  

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Salmons Five-Stage Model of Online Learning
Reproduced from Salmon, 2000
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Pilot Study

• An initial, exploratory study was conducted
• Over a 10-week period
• With a group of technology students in the 2nd
  year of their degree course
• The Five-Stage Model of Online Learning (Salmon,
  2000) was used a basis for the pilot study

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Pilot Study

• Students completed the following tasks
• 1. Set up and access weblog
• 2. Comment on other student weblogs
• 3. Personalise weblog, edit settings
• 4. Peer Review class presentations
• Provide feedback to other students
• Create links to information
• 5. Use blogs to share answers to sample exam
  questions

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Data Collection

• Data collected from weblogs
• Quantitative
• Number of comments, hyperlinks, trackbacks
• Qualitative
• Content of weblog posts
• Questionnaire administered at the end of the
  pilot study
• This paper focuses on the analysis of the
  quantitative data (as above)

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Results (Interaction with own weblog)

• There is a positive correlation between total
  number of posts and attendance at sessions
• .723 Pearsons Correlation, significant at 0.01
  level
• However, there is a stronger correlation between
  class-related postings and attendance at sessions
• .826 Pearson Correlation, significant at 0.01
  level

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Results (interaction with peers)

• Most of the interaction on weblogs was peer-peer,
  rather than peer-tutor
• Also, there is a correlation between the number
  of comments a student received and the number of
  comments they left for others

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Conclusions

• The level of interaction a student has with their
  own weblog depends on their levels of attendance
  at class sessions
• There was a higher level of peer-peer interaction
  on the weblogs than peer-tutor interaction, which
  suggests that weblogs are a suitable tool for
  groupwork
• Also, results show that the more a student
  interacted with others, the more feedback they
  received in return

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Future Plans

• A further study will be conducted
• With a distance-learning group, as higher levels
  of interaction may occur in this setting
• Analysis of the initial study will also continue
• Text taken from weblog posts will be analysed for
  evidence of learning

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References

• Efimova, L., de Moor, A. (2005). Beyond
  personal webpublishing An exploratory study of
  conversational blogging practices. Paper
  presented at the 38th International Conference on
  System Sciences, Hawaii.
• Ferdig, R. E., Trammell, K. D. (2004). Content
  delivery in the 'blogosphere', Technological
  Horizons in Education Journal.
• Piaget, J. (1928). The judgement and reasoning in
  children. London Routledge and Kegan.
• Salmon, G. (2000). E-moderating The key to
  teaching and learning online. London Kogan Page.
• Sifry, D. (2006, February 6th). State of the
  blogosphere, February 2006 part 1 On blogosphere
  growth. Retrieved May 26th, 2006, from
  http//www.technorati.com/weblog/2006/02/81.html
  
• Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind and society The
  development of higher mental processes.
  Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press.
• Williams, J. B., Jacobs, J. (2004). Exploring
  the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher
  education sector. Australasian Journal of
  Educational Technology, 20(2), 232-247.

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• Any Questions?
• For further information on this research, please
  contact rbirney_at_wit.ie