What is a blog?
Blogs, short for web logs, are web pages that contain entries about a particular topic and can be accessed from anywhere people have web access ( O’Brien, et al. 2011), and are excellent tools for communicating with potentially large numbers of people. The blog entries appear in reverse chronological order (that is the most recent first) and authors can embed information such as hyperlinks, images, videos and podcasts and can leave a section at the bottom of each post open for readers’ comments.
Why are blogs useful for assessment?
Blogs involve students in the learning process by allowing them to post their own content online, enhancing students’ engagement in participative and collaborative learning (Revere & Kovach, 2011).
Blogging places students in an ideal place to be able to reach out and interact with and/or build knowledge communities (Oravec, 2003, in Kerawall et al. 2008), encouraging students to read posts, comment on the work of others and reflect on their learning as it develops throughout a course.
Examples of use
1. A third year sports coaching class are asked to produce a blog to document their activities and development over the duration of a coaching placement. The students are required to write one new blog post after each session (approx. 250 words) that demonstrates high-level reflective practice. Students are also encouraged to engage with the blog posts produced by their peers, especially those undertaking similar placements.
2. Please feel free to share any scenarios in which you’ve used blogs for assessment (by leaving a comment below).
Popular tools
- WordPress (The most widely used free online resource with comprehensive online guides)
- Blog.com (Free online resource)
- Blogger (Free online resource)
- Tumblr (Free online resource)
References
Please see the shared list under Resources.