Building a Group Blog Building a Group Blog for Learning for Learning Chua Guat Kheng Chua Guat Kheng Educational Educational Tan Yuh Huann Tan Yuh Huann Technology Technology Division Division Ministry of Ministry of Education Education Singapore Singapore APERA 2006 APERA 2006 28 Nov 2006 28 Nov 2006 1
Objective G G R R O O To understand the benefits of U U using group blogs for learning P P B B L L O O G G 2
The Study G G • Students experiences with group R blogging over 3 months in the National National R Interschool Blogging Championship Interschool Blogging Championship O O 2005 . 2005 U U • The analysis is based on students’ P P responses to the survey questions: 1. How is group blogging different from B B blogging in personal blogs? 2. Does having themes helped in group L L blogging? O O • 115 student responded G G 3
National Interschool G G Blogging Championship R R O O (NIBC) U U P P 1 June to 3 1 August 2 0 0 5 B B L L O O http://www.campusmoblog.com.sg/ G G 4
Objective of NI BC G G R R To raise the aw areness of To raise the aw areness of O O blogging as an emerging blogging as an emerging U U technology to both technology to both P P students and teachers students and teachers B B L L O O G G 5
Voices of Voices of Them e Singapore Teenagers Singapore Teenagers G G R R Final Prelim inary Final Prelim inary O O Round Round Round Round U U P P 1 June 2005 9 August 2005 Sub-Them e Sub-Them e to to B B My Teenage Years: Technology 31 July 2005 31 August 2005 L L Pet Peeves and and m e O O I nspirations G G 6
URL: http:/ / cam pusm oblog.com .sg/ G G R R O O U U P P B B L L O O G G 7
Results Results (1) How is group blogging different (1) How is group blogging different from blogging in personal blogs? from blogging in personal blogs? G G R R • Students’ perspective of group blog • Students’ perspective of group blog O O • Blogging in a community • Blogging in a community U U P P • A ready audience • A ready audience • Interacting with audience • Interacting with audience B B • Responsibilities • Responsibilities L L O O • Challenges • Challenges G G 8
Students’ perspective of Students’ perspective of Students’ perspective of Students’ perspective of group blog group blog group blog group blog “Like a book G G being written by R R many people” A space which O O “allows different and the ideas people to post U “just flow” U “More like a on the same site P P forum than a blog” “Sort of like a B B chat room with the posts” L L There is “an O O Gives a feeling objective to G G of “community, achieve”. almost like fellowship” 9
Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Group blog is able to create an environment where members G G R R • find a sense of belonging O O • can share views together, learn and U U support each other P P • find many opinions and views B B L L In my personal blog I O O did not learn anything G since there was only G my postings. 10
Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Blogging in a community Group blog is able to create an environment where members G G R R • help to maintain the blog O O • work together as a group not individually U U • blog on issues pertaining to the group and P P less on personal issues B • learn to understand how others feel B L L Group blog helps to O O build up and enhance G G their relationship as they blog together. 11
A ready audience A ready audience A ready audience A ready audience … A pool of readers … A pool of readers … A pool of writers … A pool of writers G G • Motivation to write – “sure a lot of people R R to read” O O U U • Support of readers with similar views – P P agreement & encouragement • Enjoyable to read – “different opinions & B B views” L L Posting with O O different view are G G more complicated to read 12
Interacting w ith audience Interacting w ith audience Interacting w ith audience Interacting w ith audience G G • Opportunities to interact with others R R • More interactions and more views than in O O personal blogs U U • Wider perceptions of views – provide P P ideas to blog • Comments on postings B B L L If we do not agree on O O certain topics, we’re G G able to post out point of view onto similar blog. 13
Responsibilities Responsibilities .. Understands .. Understands G G • the blog belongs to the group R R O O • they have a shared responsibility U U • the importance of respecting and P P be sensitive to others • they want to present a good B B L L image of self O O think first before blogging G G 14
Challenges Challenges Challenges Challenges • Time factor G G Time � too many posts to read R R Consuming O O � difficult to find time to read U U • Stagnation due to themes P P � run out of ideas for discussion � interest is lost B B L L • Constraints of ideas O O � restricts freedom However, others find G G there are “more topics to chat about” 15
Results Results (2) Does having themes help in (2) Does having themes help in group blogging? group blogging? G G R R • Defining theme for blogging is • Defining theme for blogging is O O helpful (58%) helpful (58%) U U • Themes restricted their thoughts for P • Themes restricted their thoughts for P blogging (22%) blogging (22%) B B • Themes are both helpful as well as • Themes are both helpful as well as L L restrictive (23%) restrictive (23%) O O G G 16
Themes helped students to Themes helped students to • suggest topics to blog. suggest topics to blog. • G G • generate ideas to post. generate ideas to post. • R R • have a head start on what to blog. have a head start on what to blog. • O O • write in depth the details about the topic. write in depth the details about the topic. • U U • research on the topics. research on the topics. • P P • post ideas to the different topics. post ideas to the different topics. • B B • categorise and organise the entries. categorise and organise the entries. • L L • read and follow the ideas through the read and follow the ideas through the • O O posts. posts. G G • search for the topics. search for the topics. • • have a purpose to work towards. have a purpose to work towards. • 17
Themes restrict students because Themes restrict students because G G • they want to blog on topics of personal R R interest. O O • they need to think whether an idea was U U relevant before posting. P P • it limits creativity when they have to write within the theme. B B • there were not enough topics to allow L L exploration of ideas. O O G G • it controls their thoughts and comments. 18
Ideas for Themes Ideas for Themes G G • provide a theme with a wider scope. provide a theme with a wider scope. • R R • avoid theme which is too specific. avoid theme which is too specific. • O O U U • have a theme which can enable have a theme which can enable • P P discussion to sustain. discussion to sustain. • have more than one theme at a time. have more than one theme at a time. • B B L • allow students to blog on topics of their allow students to blog on topics of their L • O O choice. choice. G G 19
Benefits of Group Blog for Benefits of Group Blog for learning learning G G • A platform for formation of learning R R community O O U U • A platform with a ready audience for P P collaborative learning • A platform that encourage sensitivity B B to others L L O O G G 20
Practical considerations G G • More time is needed for reading and R R interacting O O • Allow negotiation and interpretation U U P P of main theme • Monitoring of interest level B B L L O O G G 21
Conclusion Conclusion G G Group blog has the potential to R R become a 21 st century tool that O O moves both teachers and U U P P students into learning for the 21 st century. B B L L O O G G 22
Q & A G G R R O O This set of slides and the paper can be downloaded via http://eduBlog.NET U U P P B B Emails: L L chua_guat_kheng@moe.gov.sg O O tan.yuh.huann@gmail.com G G 23
G G R R Thank you O O U U P P ☺ B B L L O O G G 24
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