Learning as a Meaning-Making Process in Blog: Based on the Case Studies of Korean Adult Bloggers

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Learning as a Meaning-Making Process in Blog
Based on the Case Studies of Korean Adult
Bloggers

• Young Park, Ed.D.
• HaniEdu, USA
• Gyeong Mi Heo, Ph.D. candidate
• McGill University
• Romee Lee, Ph.D.
• University of British Columbia

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Agenda

• What is a Blog?
• Background
• Cyworld in Korea
• Conceptual framework
• Research Questions
• Methodology
• Findings / Discussion
• Conclusion / Implications

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What is a Blog?

• A user-generated website where entries are made
  in journal style and displayed in a reverse
  chronological order
• Blog (Web Log) combines text, images, and links
  to other blogs, web pages, and other media
  related to its topic.

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Background

• A growing number of people make use of weblogs
  to successfully support their own learning
  outside any institutionally organised system of
  instruction (Efimova, Fiedler, Verwijs, Boyd,
  2004).
• How can blogging be an informal learning
  activity for adults?

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Internet Technology (IT) in Korea (I)

• South Korea rests in 7th place in number of
  Internet users. The number of Internet users aged
  6 or older is estimated to be 33 million (72.8
  of the Korean population (as of 2005). Of these
  users, 48.2 of Korean Internet users access the
  Internet to use a homepage and/or blog.

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Cyworld in Korea

• Cyworld is an advanced blogging site which
  interconnects personal homepages, encouraging
  users to form a network with friends or
  colleagues (Russo Watkins, 2005).
• Cy world Relationship world (Social network)
• The number of users Almost one third of the
  total Korean population (about 15 millions).
• Global Cyworld China, Japan, Taiwan, and the
  United States

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Conceptual Framework (I)

• Informal Learning (IL)
• IL is free from curriculum or institutional
  components.
• IL occurs either intentionally or incidentally.
• A learner is a central agency in IL.
• IL is a social phenomenon.
• (Livingstone, 2001 Marsick Watkins, 2001)

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Conceptual Framework (II)

• Learning as Shared Meaning-Making(SMM)
• learning as reflection
• Social activity that is conducted jointly -
  collaboratively -- by a community, rather than
  individuals

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Research Questions

1. What kinds of benefits, in terms of learning, do
   the users expect and actually gain in these
   social networks and blogging?
2. More specifically, what does meaning-m aking
   imply to support online users informal learning
   experiences?

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Methodology

• Exploratory qualitative approach
• Target Participants Cyworld users over 20 years
  of age
• Data Collection
• (a) Online Survey (n100)
• (b) Online interviews (n15)
• Data Analysis

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Findings (I)

• Reasons for Using Cyworld

Maintain Social Relationships 86
Develop Inter-personal Communication 46
Self-expression and Self reflection 40
Observing Others Lives 25
Sharing Information 19
Others 5
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Findings (II)

• Experiences of Learning in Blogging

Question Y/N N Reasons for the Response
Do participants connect blogging to learning? Yes 62 Self-Reflecting
Do participants connect blogging to learning? Yes 62 Sustaining Social Bonding
Do participants connect blogging to learning? Yes 62 Acquiring Specific Knowledge
Do participants connect blogging to learning? Yes 62 Cultivating a Constructive Life
Do participants connect blogging to learning? No 38 Only for Maintaining Relationships
Do participants connect blogging to learning? No 38 Not for Seeking Tangible Information
Do participants connect blogging to learning? No 38 Merely for fun
Do participants connect blogging to learning? No 38 Showing myself to others
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Findings (III)

• Using a place for writing is beneficial for us to
  share our lives that we hardly could do before. I
  think that these in-direct experiences and
  understanding accumulated by communication can be
  seen as learning (92).
• Observing other peoples blogs, I learn how to
  live, how others live, how to deal with others,
  what others think on a particular subject, and
  why they think differently from me ( 65).

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Findings (IV)
Definitions of learning Numbers Do Participants See Blogging Activities as Related to Learning? Number()
Learning as Reflection 32 (33) Yes 25 (78)
Learning as Reflection 32 (33) No 22 (36)
Learning as Acquisition 65 (67) Yes 36 (55 )
Learning as Acquisition 65 (67) no 29 (45 )
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Discussion (I)

• Most bloggers conceived that they have learned
  something through blogging activities.
• These users were more self-regulative and active
  to have blogging experiences more constructive.
  Especially, having a primary goal was important.

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Discussion (II)

• The way of how learning is defined (either
  learning as acquisition or learning as
  reflection) seemed to be an important
  pre-requisite for a meaningful blogging
  experience. Identifying learning as a reflective
  process, therefore, helped users classify a
  certain activity more meaningful.

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Conclusion

• Given the full potential of virtual space for
  adult informal learning, the blog could be the
  most significant space and tool.
• One concern is how to sustain adult learners
  motivation and self-regulation.

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Implications

• Blogging can be productively utilized to enrich
  adults lives by bringing meaningful experiences.
  
• The difference learning theories (c.f.,
  self-regulated learning) can be considered as an
  applicable framework in blogging activities for
  informal learning process.

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• If you have any further questions,
• Contact Young Park, yp85_at_tcalumni.columbia.edu

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• Park, Y., Heo, G. M., Lee, R. (in press).
  Cyworld is my world Korean adult experiences in
  an online community for learning. International
  Journal of Web Based Communities.
• Heo, G. M., Lee, R., Park, Y. (2007).
  Learning experiences of adult bloggers as
  self-regulated learners. Andragogy Today
  International Journal of Adult Continuing
  Education, 10(1), 249-279.
• Young Park, Ed.D.
• HaniEdu, MA, USA
• Yp85_at_tcalumni.columbia.edu
• Gyeong Mi Heo, Ph.D. Candidate
• McGill University
• Montreal, QC, Canada
• gyeongmi.heo_at_mail.mcgill.ca
• Romee Lee, Ph.D.
• University of British Columbia
• Vancouver, BC, Canada
• romeelee_at_interchange.ubc.ca

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