English Literature

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2010, Vol. 6, Issue 3, pp. 73-87.

Blogging in teacher professional development: Its role in building computer-assisted language teaching skills

ABSTRACT

Teaching in today’s classroom is technology-driven. For language teachers, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is exciting yet challenging as they are required to possess appropriate skills and knowledge to teach in such an environment. Both technical skills and pedagogical knowledge are crucial for teaching and learning in a technologically-enhanced classroom (Hubbard & Levy 2006). Consequently, teachers must be provided opportunities to learn and develop these skills. Online interactive platforms like blogs and Facebook can expose teachers to this. Through interaction with peers, teachers are not only made aware of the skills but also learn how to integrate the skills in their instruction. This paper attempts to demonstrate that teacher involvement in a community of practice can assist them in this endeavour. It is based on a study involving Malaysian Smart School English language teachers who shared their knowledge and experiences with other members in their community of practice through blogging. The findings suggest that teacher collaboration via blogs can expose teachers to skills that are critical for computer-assisted teaching and help them to enhance existing competences.

Keywords: computer-assisted language learning (CALL); blogging; community of practice;

teacher collaboration; technology-based language teaching skills

INTRODUCTION

Teachers play a central role in ensuring the successful implementation of educational policies in schools. In fact, they play multiple roles. They work in multi-faceted and complex environments where they are constantly negotiating classroom decisions on content and pedagogical issues and balancing many other duties. Even more challenging is the demand for them to be well equipped with the latest technological and pedagogical skills that would inform their teaching practice. They must meet the numerous expectations of students, administrators and community. It is expected of them to be well-versed in computer-mediated instruction, especially the use of Web technologies in their practice. Online learning featuring email, discussion boards, blogs and wikis are becoming increasingly common in today’s technologically-enabled schools. Teachers are required to possess appropriate skills and pedagogical knowledge to teach in such an environment. This article aims to shed light on how Smart School English language teachers are exposed to and can build on technical skills and pedagogical knowledge required to teach in technology- enriched schools through blog interactions in an English community of practice.74 IJEDICT

SMART SCHOOL REFORM

Information technology has been viewed by many developing nations including Malaysia, as a tool capable to modernise and transform them into developed nations (Warschauer 2001). To encourage the development of information and communications technology (ICT) in Malaysian education, the smart school initiative was launched. It is anticipated that smart schools can capitalise on leading current ICT technology (Frost & Sullivan 2006) and transform Malaysian schools into technology enablers (Ministry of Education 1997a). There are five main goals for the establishment of smart schools: (1) to provide all-round development of the individual, (2) to provide opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities, (3) to produce a thinking and technology-literate workforce, (4) to democratise education, and (5) to increase participation of stakeholders such as teachers, principals, Ministry of Education (MoE) officers, support staff and parents (Ministry of Education 1997b: p.22). Fundamentally, according to Baylor and Ritchie (2002), technology will not affect transformations in the classroom if teachers do not have the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to infuse it into the curriculum. Thus the success of smart schools depends on key players such as teachers and administrators. According to the Ministry of Education’s roll-out plan, by 2010, 100,000 teachers nationwide must be trained professionally in the knowledge, skills and perceptions necessary to fulfil their roles. However, despite the training provided to equip teachers with the relevant skills, it has been found that the smart school initiative is still facing numerous challenges that hinder its progress. Several local studies have revealed that teachers in these schools are not prepared for the implementation of this reform mainly due to the lack of ICT integration in their teaching. Nawawi et al (2005) investigating utilisation of ICT in teaching among the mathematics teachers in smart schools found that knowledge about, and skills in, using computers are closely related to teachers’ participation in the decision-making process to integrate computers in their

teaching. They emphasised that: without the proper knowledge and skills to use the technology, mathematics teachers may be reluctant to do so or perhaps discontinue using it (ibid, p.94). This condition should be of concern as insufficient training or lack of ICT skills is the most common reason for non-adoption or discontinuance of an innovation according to Ellsworth (2000). Meanwhile Razak and Embi (2004) in their study on an IT competency framework for English language teachers, asserted the need for a regular review of teachers’ competencies to ensure there are effective teachers in computer-based classrooms in the smart schools. Samuel and Bakar (2006) concur with them. They reiterated the need for a computer skills training on an ongoing basis to keep teachers up to date with the advancements in educational technology. Thus, not only is it imperative to ensure that the teachers possess technological knowledge and

skills, it is more important to put in place a continual skills development programme to ensure that these skills are further upgraded and enhanced. Taking cognisance of these concerns, a continuing professional development programme known as the eCPDelT project was developed to provide smart school teachers with the means to continually increase their technological knowledge and skills and integrate them in their instructional practices, through a supportive and collaborative learning environment created by a community of practice (CoP). This paper goes on to describe how an online continuing professional development programme can assist English language teachers in learning about and building on skills essential for computer-assisted instruction.

Blogging in teacher professional development 75

THE eCPDelT VISION 2020 PROJECT

The Online Continuing Professional Development of Teachers (eCPDelT) project is a university school partnership to build an online system for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for twenty teachers from five Smart Schools. The team members were from the National University of Malaysia (UKM), University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and University of Nottingham, U.K.. The project aims to develop three communities of practice (CoPs) among English, Mathematics and Science teachers to help them in improving their practice and ICT skills necessary for a technologically-enriched teaching environment. A CoP is generally a group of practitioners who gather to share ideas and solve problems with the aim of improving their practice. As they collaborate with one another and discuss the issues at hand, they learn as well as develop relationships with other members (Wenger 1998). With the development of CoPs, it is anticipated

that smart school teachers involved in this project can share experiences, knowledge and skills that would assist them in their practice. They can improve the use of ICT in their teaching practice as well as get the continuous support they need to cope with challenges of a technology-driven educational reform (Thang et al. 2010a; 2010b). As the project aimed to develop communities of practice, teachers were divided into three

cohorts: English, Mathematics and Science. Each community is assigned three research team members who also act as moderators to monitor the CoPs’ progress. They facilitate teacher interactions, provide feedback when necessary and help to overcome problems faced by the teachers. Teacher collaboration was made possible through two online tools: blogs and the virtual interactive platform (ViP). A blogsite was created for the project and each community was assigned a specific blogsite within the eCPDelT site. In other words, there were three blogsites within the eCPDelT blogsite. The ViP, on the other hand, is an online platform that allows participants to discuss issues online based on videos regarding practice that are uploaded into it.

This paper highlights only one of the CoPs, namely the English cohort, whose online engagement through blogging will be analysed to detect current competences and uptake of newly shared learning through the professional social interactions constructed online.

RELEVANT LITERATURE

It is obvious from the available body of work on teacher learning that the concept of teacher learning has changed with time. McLaughlin and Oberman (1996) rightly pointed out that a teacher who learns gains an understanding of new concepts of content and pedagogy as well as the new role of educator that he plays. Shulman (1986) proposed the concept of ‘pedagogical content knowledge’ (PCK). In this framework, teachers’ subject knowledge is transformed by practice, so that the content area of their knowledge is developed into ‘pedagogical knowledge’ (BECTA 2009). This entails understanding and how ideas and content are adjusted for learning and become meaningful to learners. Today, teachers are inundated with varied demands due to globalisation and technological advancements. Knowledge of ICT is paramount. Mishra and Koehler (2006) included ICT in their framework of teacher knowledge. They created the term technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). According to them, knowledge of subject content, pedagogy and the role of technology are inter-related. Thus, teacher learning is a holistic process by which teachers continually integrate the development of subject knowledge, application of technologies and understanding of effective pedagogy (BECTA 2009). One key challenge teachers face currently is the use of technology. The current proliferation of technological tools offers the possibility of enhancing teaching and learning experience for both teachers and learners. Teaching with such tools is exciting yet challenging. Language teaching is no exception. 76 IJEDICT

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) provides teachers the opportunity to incorporate PowerPoint presentations, photos and slide shows, audio and video resources in their teaching, making their lessons attractive. Hyperlinks and social networking sites give language teachers much-needed support for creating effective computer-mediated teaching activities. Teachers can design tasks appropriate for a computer-based teaching environment. Furthermore, these resources, if exploited appropriately, can ease teaching as learners are provided with additional aids which can be integrated into their studies (Hampel 2009). The multi-potentiality of these tools can only be manifested if teachers possess the skills and integrate them in their

teaching. The onus, therefore, is on teachers to create a meaningful context for their use within the language learning classroom (Murray & Hourigan 2008). They need to learn to improve their knowledge and professional growth. With learners having more opportunities to utilise web-based learning, it is mandatory (Carlson 2003). Blogs present a platform for teachers to improve themselves through interaction with others. They are unique in that they serve as a platform for scaffolding, student-centered learning, the incorporation of multiple perspectives, and the development of communities (Yang 2009). According to Barlett-Bragg (cited in Muwanga-Zake et al, 2010), they provide an opportunity to engage in and scaffold knowledge construction. In fact, blogging has the potential to boost constructivist cognition and metacognition (higher order thinking skills). Members, through selfreflection, are able to explore their knowledge and exchange information, enhancing both individual knowledge construction and group knowledge sharing (Liaw et al 2008). Farmer (2007) pointed out that although as a group users connect with one another by expressing and sharing their views and feelings in the blog space, they exercise their personal assertion and empowerment in doing so. Furthermore, knowledge is gained from multiple perspectives because participants who may be of diverse nationalities, backgrounds and character can share opinions and express ideas by using a language they all understand. This enriches the collaborative learning process. Moreover, blogs promote community building as they are constructed by people who share mutual interests to collaboratively discuss common issues. In fact, a blog denotes a small learning community (Efimova & Fiedler 2003). A sense of community is established when participants reflect as a group and comment on each other’s viewpoints to improve practice.

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FRAMEWORK

A community of practice (CoP) is a model that is based on the social constructivism perspective, which involves learning by sharing practice. Members interact with one another and share experiences that relate to an area of knowledge or activity that is of interest to them (Carroll 2008). They solve problems, share ideas, build strategies and develop relationships with other members (Snyder & Briggs 2003). The CoP concept is increasingly popular in the professional development of teachers. It has been found that it provides support for teachers and helps them in their professional growth. With the advent of Web technologies, online communities are booming. Barab et al (2004) described an online community as: a persistent, sustained [socio-technical] network of individuals who share and develop an overlapping knowledge base, set of beliefs, values, history and experiences focused on a common practice and/or mutual enterprise (p.23).

Many computer applications that promote interactive learning, especially asynchronous computer-mediated communication such as email and electronic bulletin boards, are tools used for online collaboration. Currently blogs have gained popularity as an interactive tool in online communities of practice. A number of studies have affirmed the ability of blogs to support both reflection and collaboration, processes that are vital in a community (Swan & Shea 2005; Hawkes 2000; Lord & Lomicka 2004; Ahern et al 2006).

Blogging in teacher professional development 77

FRAMEWORK OF STUDY

As mentioned earlier, this study is based on the eCPDelT project which uses the CoP approach. Teachers share ideas and experiences not only to improve practice in general but also to enhance their ICT knowledge and skills. What are the skills that are crucial for technology-based language teaching? Hampel and Stickler (2005) identified seven skills, presented in the form of a pyramid that online language teachers need (Figure 1). Figure 1: Skills pyramid (Hampel & Stickler 2005)

Level 1, the lowest level, represents the most general skills while Level 7, the highest, offers individual styles. One needs to master the lower levels before proceeding to the next.
The most basic skill involving being competent in common computer applications like word processing and the Internet is represented in Level 1. In Level 2, one must possess skills to use specific software. There are many forms of educational software that are available such as the Blackboard and Activeboard. Teachers must know how to apply any software before using it. In Level 3, online teachers must be able to deal with constraints and possibilities of the medium they use. They have to make the best of a programme by adapting their teaching materials and content to it. This includes the ability to deal with learners’ negative emotions (for example, disappointment and frustration) as well as positive emotional states (for example, high expectations of the possibilities of the new media) when engaging with technology. 78 IJEDICT

At Level 4, teachers are required to possess skills to create a sense of community in the online classroom. It involves online protocols or nettiquette that online users must adhere to. Facilitating communicative competence is the next level in the pyramid. Here, teachers must be able to encourage learners to communicate and socialise as a group. This can be achieved through task design and teacher-intervention. Level 5 represents skills associated with creativity and choice.Online teachers must be able to select materials that are appropriate for their learners from the numerous resources available online. They can be creative by adapting materials or tasks to their classroom context or design their own online activities. At Level 7, the highest level or the apex of the pyramid, the teacher would have created her own teaching style by using the resources creatively and building a close rapport with her students.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The e-CPDelT project comprised twenty teachers from five smart schools located in the Klang Valley and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The English language community of practice in the e-CPDelT project consisted of five female teachers. Their teaching experience ranged from 5 to 18 years, four of whom have more than 10 years of experience. Since these teachers do not know each other, two meetings were organised prior to the blogging activity, where they were introduced to other team members and briefed on their roles in the tasks prepared for them, especially the blogging activity. It is imperative to note that even though the size of an online CoP is generally large (more than a hundred), it is normal to have small-sized CoPs (5-8 members). A natural, voluntary and purely virtual community can be large-scaled. Nonetheless, one which is designed, pre-planned with pre-determined aims can be small (Lewis & Allen 2005). Such a

community, such as the one developed in the eCPDelT project, features members who volunteered or were selected. They were invited to scheduled face-to-face meetings to form relationships and get to know each other well. After this initiation into the group, the participants are expected to continue to share and construct a collaborative community online via the blogs. Blogging was one of the avenues for teacher collaboration in the eCPDelT project. In this activity, participants were required to post blog entries on two tasks regarding their teaching practice; that is, reflecting on a lesson they deemed good and another which they considered poor. After posting their entries, they were required to comment on postings by other participants in the

discussion forum. There was no limit as to the frequency and number of postings although they were encouraged to post as often and as many as they could. Three research team members were the moderators for the CoP. They provided technical assistance and shared their views with the teachers in the blog. It created a rapport between the research team and the teachers. It was mutually agreed by both the teachers and moderators that the blog entries would be posted within a month after the task was given. Initially, the response from the teachers was poor. However, with the timely intervention of the moderators, teacher participation in the blog activity improved. The moderators provided support, particularly technical and emotional support. Some teachers could not access the blogsite while a few had problems posting their entries. As far as emotional support is concerned, the teachers were rather apprehensive at the beginning to post their views.

The moderators had to encourage and coax them to be active participants in the activity. After the initial hiccup, the teachers began to post their entries and comment on other postings. The blogging activity was conducted over a five-month duration. A textual analysis of the blog postings was conducted to reveal the teachers’ current CALL skills levels as described in the skills pyramid by Hampel and Stickler (2005). The interactions were also analysed to explore the extent to which the teachers’ sharing of experiences through the

blogging activity exposed teachers to the technical and pedagogical skills necessary for teaching in a technologically-driven teaching environment, as demonstrated in the skills pyramid (Hampel & Stickler 2005).Blogging in teacher professional development 79

LIMITATIONS

Over the period of five months, only six blog entries and twenty four comments by the five participants were recorded. The small number of entries is not unusual. In a study to examine the pedagogical use of ICT by university staff, Muwanga-Zake et al (2010) found that out of ten Australian universities they sampled, only three blogged. They implied that although there is evidence from research work on the success and potential of blogging in the education field, it does not mean that educationists, in their case the university staff, would take to it. Thang et al (2009; 2010a; 2010b) identified and discussed some of the problems that led to the low

participation rate in the eCPDelT project. They include problems related to ICT such as (1) unfamiliarity with the ICT resources provided, (2) institutional and administrative barriers such as lack of cooperation from head teachers (3) institutional and organisational barriers such as lack of access to online facilities and lack of time to be committed due to heavy workload, and (4) negative perception towards ICT use and fear of being embarrassed by their colleagues and students. Sociocultural and psychological problems were also identified. There was a possibility that this was because CoP was a novel concept and hence teachers had difficulty accepting and adapting to it. Other reasons include unfamiliarity to each other and fear of losing face and embarrassing others with their comments. Due to the small number of blog postings, this paper only provides a ‘flavour’ of the potentiality of blogs in enhancing CALL skills. Based on the findings, a conclusive deduction cannot be made. However, there were certainly indications that through blog discussions, teachers could learn and build on their CALL skills.

FINDINGS

Although the small number of blog entries is an issue, a general conclusion can still be drawn. The findings revealed the teachers were exposed not only to new skills, but they also enhanced their existing skills through the blogging activity. Furthermore, they could get peer support by sharing and collaborating with other members.

Exposure to Skills

Findings from the text analysis demonstrate that the teachers are exposed to all seven skills required for CALL instruction.

Level 1: Basic ICT Competence

CALL instructors should possess basic IT skills which include emailing and browsing the Internet for information. In the study, some teachers stated in the blog that they use basic IT skills in planning an activity.

N: …browse the internet to look for the image of a type of house that they would like to live in…copy and paste the image into a word document…send in their entries as attachment via e-mail to the teacher. C: …we (teacher and students) looked at information on a famous person in the

Level 2: Specific Technical Competence for the Software

Skills at this level are associated with knowledge of specific software. The English teachers posted in the blog that they planned for lessons that require students to use a software application that they would have demonstrated on how to use. At the same time they also indicated that they possessed the knowledge and skill on how to use specific software such as the Publisher and Photoshop. For example: SH: In this lesson, students were required to produce an itinerary of a place that they would like to visit… use the Publisher programme to produce an itinerary. S: The final few photos were superimposed. I did some editing with adobe photoshop to make them look slightly older, darker, with long hair etc.

Level 3: Dealing with Constraints and Possibilities of the Medium

At this level teachers demonstrate the ability to deal with constraints and possibilities with the medium. One teacher shared her experience of dealing with the possibilities of educational tools that brought about positive emotions among her students: S: The topic was about people and it was a lesson (to enhance writing) on describing people appearances .Using power point, I started off with showing them their very own snapshots that I had taken earlier during my classes. I got them to describe their own appearances. They responded well to the pictures shown as it were their very own. They had a good time laughing and at the same time describing at those candid shots I took. The describing went on and on for quite some time as they were describing from head to toe. Without realising, they have successfully described using adjectives…The final few photos were superimposed. I did some editing with adobe photoshop to make them look slightly older, darker, with long hair etc. They were simply in 'stitches'!

Another teacher shared the constraints of introducing a new programme to her students: SH: In one lesson, students were required to produce an itinerary of a place that they would like to visit… To make it more interesting, students were required to use the Publisher programme to produce an itinerary. As students were not familiar with Publisher programme, during the lesson, students asked many questions regarding the programme. Besides, there were many technical difficulties that I had to solve.

Level 4: Online Socialisation

This level is on online socialisation. At this level, the ability to create an online environment where interaction can be fostered is demonstrated. This level is closely linked to the next in that communicative competence must be nurtured for online socialisation to take place, as demonstrated by teacher C below.

Blogging in teacher professional development 81

Level 5: Facilitating Communicative Competence

This is an important skill to develop and practice in the teaching and learning contexts. Possessing knowledge and skills of online socialisation tools such as blogs, chatting, Facebook among others is necessary for a smart school teacher. One teacher created an activity that promoted interaction among her students by showing them how to create blogs for their mini project.

C: I got the students to create blogs based on their research on their favourite person for their project. I encouraged them to try something new and different with their own blogs such as adding in video clip, being creative with the fonts and colours and so forth. Teacher C had emphasised on netiquette of blogging to her students prior to carrying out the activity.

Level 6: Creativity and Choice

At this level CALL instructors must demonstrate that they possess creative skills when choosing to integrate IT in their teaching. This includes the ability to identify appropriate and relevant tools and applications for learning activities as well as to match these with the different types of students’ learning preferences and needs. The teacher cited below for example, designed her IT infused lessons to accommodate for the linguistically and IT challenged students as well as for the more capable students. She had selected blogging as the medium to be used for the journal writing project. Mindful of her weaker students she planned to motivate and introduce them to the task designed by phases. The blogs that the students eventually produced, as listed,

demonstrated her successful strategy. C: So with weaker students the challenge is to motivate them and to find areas of interest for them to "find themselves". With my students I am starting some unofficial work this year. First is to do journaling via blogging,…then another activity…this is still in the beginning stage, I am doing a blog for internet homework.… Here are the urls of my students' tributes. Just sharing. I haven't graded them yet. But I am impressed with some of the blogs.

http://tunkuabdulrahman-jnsz.blogspot.com/

http://3bakti09.blogspot.com/

http://ghandihateswar.blogspot.com/

Level 7: Own Style

At the most expert level, the CALL instructor should demonstrate the ability to create her own style in using and integrating IT for her teaching and learning purposes and goals. Among the CoP members, teachers C and S showed that they possessed this skill. Teacher C, for instance, had asked students to use blogs and hyperlinks to search and access knowledge on multiple subjects and had related the contents discovered online with the text to be read. This approach to the lesson clearly demonstrated her creative way of using web technology to provide students with multiple perspectives and input as content for discussion, comparison and comprehension. By using the tools and applications, she had developed her own style in using IT in her teaching the language. 82 IJEDICT

Teacher S also came up with interesting lessons that were creative, such as the one on describing appearances (the example shown in Level 3). She also suggested a creative lesson to one of the community members who admitted her lack of competence in incorporating IT in the activity she had planned: ST: …giving instructions, to be exact, writing instructions for a recipe. Students were also required to use sequence connectors in the instructions…I haven't tried this using the IT yet, don't know how to.

Teacher S provided an idea which could help elevate her IT competence: S: …to teach sequence, I have always wanted to teach how to put on make up - for sequence connectors (a complete make over class)...you could use a model (grab one the kids) :) make her look beautiful...show them the very first step to make up - let all your artistic talent out!!! Emphasize on sequence connectors when you model the steps..show them the 'before' and 'after' look...if you insist on bringing the IT elements..you could video cam the lesson...take candid shots..use the images on power point and get them to write the 'process and procedure' to apply good make up / to look gorgeous.

This section reveals that teachers, through blogging, are exposed to the various skills that are required for them to teach in a technology-based classroom. They also learn how to integrate them in their teaching.

Enhancement of Existing Skills

The blog interactions of the participants as reported above, reveal that the virtual space provided opportunities for them to learn about competences expected of them as teachers in an ICTenabled teaching environment. Besides exposing teachers to the skills, the blogging activity also provided them a means to build on these skills. The example of the interaction between teachers SH and S above depicts this. Their interaction enhances teacher SH’s existing competences as well as her self confidence in the new ways of integrating technology in educational contexts. In another discussion, teacher N described a lesson that only required basic IT skills (using a word document and emailing). Teacher S gave her ideas that would not only make the lesson more interesting but also enhance Teacher N’s competence level. Her (Teacher S) suggestions provided teacher N with alternative ways of using the Internet and its tools to approach the topic:

N: …look for the image of a type of house that they would like to live in. They were told to copy and paste the image into a word document…send in their entries as attachment via email to the teacher.

S: …showing the students pictures of various types of human shelters ranging from the old, ancient, poor one to modern, developed and owned by those filthy rich people, celebrity homes etc...then you can get them to design their own home. This way, you are actually gearing them to learn the poem.

A similar example is demonstrated below. On the issue of curbing the use of the native language (L1) in a second language (L2) lessons, one of the moderators voiced her opinion.
H: …give them more 'contrived' or 'orchestrated' opportunities to use English…like chatting online with non-Malaysians or to get them to 'police' each other--make it a competition perhaps. Remember Doogie Howzer?

C: I remember Doogie Howzer!!!! Now that you mention it, yeah a good idea indeed. Blogging in teacher professional development 83
S: …that sounds pretty interesting...I might try it...get them to 'police' each other...okay I'll think of something to go with it, thanks!

It is apparent from these examples that the interactive space provided by blogs presents opportunities for teachers to learn about and build on skills required for online teaching.

Sharing and Collaboration through Blogging

Apart from sharing constructive ideas and successful IT infused lessons, the blog interactions also provided the participants with a common platform to voice out their emotional frustrations and the tensions they experience when using IT. The rapport created online as a community has given them the confidence to confide these tumultuous emotions experienced which they feel can impede their continuous learning and enhancement of CALL skills as presented in the Skills Pyramid.

In one example, a teacher assumed that her students knew how to use emails. Her lesson was affected when she found out that not all of them knew how to. This revelation may hinder the teacher’s motivation to incorporate more advanced tools in her lessons, especially in encouraging her students to use such tools in a CALL activity:

N: …I had actually overestimated the students' ability in using e-mails…some students did not have an e-mail account and neither knew how to create one. Some had an account but didn’t know how to send attachments via e-mails.…those who knew were only willing to help others after they had finished their work…So, I had to stop the students halfway and teach it.

Time constraint is another factor that a teacher highlighted. It can become a main influencing reason for not adopting IT into her lessons. In most cases teachers are hard pressed for time to prepare interesting and creative lessons. Hence, time and not competence in IT skills could become the hindrance in smart school teaching and learning contexts as cited by the teachers below:

S: We want to do so much stuff…we even want to bring 'the world' closer to the kids...its just that we are so bound with so many things to do in school…could not put ample time for planning our lessons.

One teacher, although keen to use a new programme, found that it was time consuming:

SH: …like to teach a group of good students I have to spend some time editing photo shots, still new to me. I learned that I had to be knowledgeable and confident in using Publisher in order to use the programme to teach. The discussion of common issues among the participants revealed their shared concerns; that is, the challenges in technology-enabled schools. The blogging activity as a medium for the CoP had created a sense of belonging among the participants as they could relate to each other. A sense of belonging to the community is crucial for the participants to feel free to voice out their opinions. Only with a strong community feeling will there be more active participation from members. Ongoing interaction and collaboration in learning through the blogs would make the CoP members feel connected to one another. These findings also imply that support for each other will encourage teachers to be more confident in the decision-making process to integrate IT applications in teaching and learning contexts. 84 IJEDICT

CONCLUSION

Two conclusions can be drawn from this study. On the matter of the current CALL related competencies of the smart school teachers, the investigation revealed that the blogging activity exposed teachers to the skills proposed by Hampel and Stickler (2005) and helped them in enhancing their existing competences. Through online collaboration, these skills were shared with others. Furthermore, it revealed other pressing issues such as unfamiliarity of tools, technologyrelated problems and time constrains that can hamper skill enhancement. These challenges must be overcome to ensure skill enhancement necessary for CALL instruction is promoted. Secondly, the findings of the study demonstrated that blogging, as an interactive tool was found to be effective when used as a medium of eliciting interaction and information in the CoP platform (eCPDelt). The blogs also demonstrated how new ways of doing IT in teaching was shared and learned by the CoP participants. The interactions that developed provided the English language teachers the opportunity to share, enquire, enhance and learn skills necessary for CALL instruction as an impetus towards their own motivation to continue to use IT in their own teaching contexts. It can be concluded that despite the challenges faced during the blogging activity, participants did learn and enhance CALL skills. Therefore, improving and consolidating on such online activities would mean helping teachers to equip themselves with the relevant ICT skills useful in their daily practice. Further research is necessary not only to substantiate these claims, but also to give more insights on the potentiality of online discussions in enhancing pedagogical, content and technological knowledge.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This article is based on a research project (Code number: UKM-GUP-TMK-08-03-310) funded by a research grant provided by the National University of Malaysia.

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Article 2

Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector

Jeremy B Williams Universitas 21 Global

Joanne Jacobs Queensland University of Technology

'Blogging' - a contraction of the term 'web logging' - is perhaps best described as a form of micro-publishing. Easy to use, from any Internet connection point, blogging has become firmly established as a web based communications tool. The blogging phenomenon has evolved from its early origin as a medium for the publication of simple, online personal diaries, to the latest disruptive technology, the 'killer app' that has the capacity to engage people in collaborative activity, knowledge sharing, reflection and debate (Hiler, 2003). Many blogs have large and dedicated readerships, and blog clusters have formed linking fellow bloggers in accordance with their common interests. This paper explores the potential of blogs as learning spaces for students in the higher education sector. It refers to the nascent literature on the subject, explores methods for using blogs for educational purposes in university courses (eg. Harvard Law School), and records the experience of the Brisbane Graduate School of Business at Queensland University of Technology, with its 'MBA blog'. The paper concludes that blogging has the potential to be a transformational technology for teaching and learning.

Introduction

'Blogs' have evolved along similar lines to other forms of human communication in that they are a product of convenience rather than design. Based on the reverse chronological posting of news items, invariably containing hyperlinks to third party sites, and an opportunity for readers to enter personal responses to articles, this otherwise quite organic and unstructured format of delivering information via the World Wide Web (WWW) came to be known as 'blogging', after 'web log' was abbreviated to 'blog' (Jacobs, 2003, p. 1). The origins of the blog is the subject of some debate, but according to Blood (2000), the phrase 'weblog' was first used by Barger (1997) and the shortened version by Merholz in 1999 (Merholz, 2002). Blogging as a phenomenon started to increase steadily after this time, and then there was an explosion in the number of blogs when the first free, do it yourself blogging tools became available in mid-1999, most notably Blogger.com. The purists within the blogging community ('the blogosphere') would likely claim, though, that blogging really started in 1992 with the first web site (Berners-Lee, 1992), followed by Netscape's 'What's New!' page for users of its new web browser in 1993. However, neither really come close to the current notion of a blog, and in this sense Scripting News (the brain-child of blogger 'guru' Dave Winer), and Slashdot (both of which started in 1997) stand out as important precursors. Others might point to the fact that online collaborative workspace in the form of 'wiki' predated any  developments in the blogosphere. Wiki, a piece of server software that permits users to freely create and edit web content via any browser, supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages. The first ever wiki site was created for the Portland Pattern Repository in 1995, a site that now hosts tens of thousands of pages. Since this time, wiki has enjoyed varying degrees of success, partly due to variability in users' collective enthusiasm for creating content. Blogs, on the other hand, boast a level of participation not previously experienced by the earlier wiki initiative, and a greater sense of community and debate is encouraged as a consequence. Now firmly established as a web based communications tool, with an estimated number of users in excess of one million (Bryant, 2003), blogs have emerged from early email lists and instant messaging communities as a means of informing a dedicated reader base about items of interest to the authors, news, and personal information. But the blog is a whole lot more besides. It is also a means of reaching a wider audience; an unknown mass of 'netizens', ready and willing to respond to the opinions and commentaries of bloggers in a manner not dissimilar to that afforded a talkback radio host. With a 'soapbox' all to themselves, blogs provide their maintainers with the rare opportunity (for the vast majority, at least) to act as an oracle of information. More importantly, perhaps, the publication of one's personal thoughts for the public consumption of such a vast audience can be an uplifting and sometimes cathartic experience (Jacobs, 2003, p. 2). The key to the popularity of blogs, it seems, is the scope for interactivity. While, initially, a blog may be treated by its maintainer as little more than a 'news space', it is not uncommon, over a period of time, for a distinctive style to emerge, in the course of writing entries and responding to feedback, that reflects the personal character of the blog's creator. Significantly, rather than alienate a readership by exposing one's personal traits and idiosyncrasies, this adds to the very popularity of a blog. As Jacobs explains, this is part and parcel of the theatre of interpersonal communication, played out to an undefined, virtually infinite public space. Indeed, this 'exhibitionistic behaviour is encouraged, supported and even sought' by the 'cyber-voyeurs' of this theatre; viz. 'the readers of blogs, who post comments in reply to entries, often positively reinforcing the opinions of the blogger, but sometimes disagreeing on points of philosophy, politics or social comment, and occasionally 'flaming' the blogger for opinions expressed' (Jacobs, 2003, p. 2).

Blog pundit John Hiler has described the blog as 'the latest disruptive technology', the 'killer app' that has the capacity to engage people in collaborative activity, knowledge sharing, reflection and debate, where complex and expensive technology has failed (Hiler, 2003). Indeed, the great beauty of blogs is their versatility. They cater for a wide diversity of interests and uses and there is no rule that states a blog has to be owned and operated by an individual. There are group blogs, family blogs, community blogs, and corporate blogs, and then there are blogs defined by their content; eg. 'WarBlogs' (a product of the Iraq War), 'LibLogs' (library bogs), and 'EduBlogs', a new type of blog that has begun to emerge in educational circles. The simplicity of the mechanism of blogging as a public space for comment and information dissemination has also attracted the interest of the business community, culminating in the first international conference on the business use of blogs in the United States in June 2003, and in the development of commercially hosted blogging spaces such as the Socialtext initiative. Bausch, Haughey & Hourihan (2002) argue that while formal knowledge management tools are complicated to implement and may be deemed an imposition on the time of a worker, informal systems such as blogs provide an opportunity to capture knowledge where it is created in an organisation, sharing that knowledge throughout an organisation.

Furthermore, the nature of blogging engines allows for the creation of a legitimate warehousing of captured knowledge, and archiving for later retrieval (Bausch, Haughey & Hourihan, 2002). As a knowledge management tool, blogs provide the potential for relatively undifferentiated articles of information passing through an organisation to be contextualised in a manner that adds value, thus generating 'knowledge' from mere 'information'. Comments systems and democratic posting privileges allow employees in an organisation to give voice to ideas and provide feedback on procedures in a manner not previously possible in a distributed office environment. Further, personalised responses to news and messages are a simple means of developing an understanding of the collective knowledge of an organisation and a means of broadening that knowledge, thus creating 'intelligence' from 'knowledge' (see Pór & Molloy 2000). Thus, in a business context, blogs provide a forum for learning. It logically follows therefore, that the experience of collective knowledge generation can and should be applied to traditional educational environments.

The chief purpose of this paper is to comment, critically, on the potential for blogs as 'learning spaces' for students within the higher education sector. To this end, there will be reference to the nascent literature on the subject, how personal blogs have been harnessed for educational purposes in university courses (e.g. Harvard Law School), and how the Brisbane Graduate School of Business (BGSB) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) fared when experimenting with a group 'MBA blog'. The paper concludes that blogging has the potential to be a transformational technology for teaching and learning, and universities ought to give strong consideration to the setting up blog facilities within their learning management system (LMS).

Academic literature on blogging

Surprisingly, there is not a lot of refereed published material on the subject of blogs in general, let alone work that focuses specifically on blogs in education. Combined searches on ProQuest, EBSCO and Gale yielded only 30 results in peer reviewed scholarly journals, and the bulk of these are focusing on the influence of blogging on journalism and reporting. Given that blogging can be reasonably described as a form of micro-publishing, it is no great shock that blogging is a phenomenon that grabs the attention of this particular academic community (see, for example, Welch, Jensen & Reeves, 2003). It should also come as no surprise that many journalists view blogging with a touch of cynicism, understandably sceptical, perhaps, that a bunch of amateurs could possibly be a serious threat to their profession (see, for example, the pessimistic view espoused by Thompson 2003). The fact remains, however, that blogging is no passing Internet fad, available data showing that, while bloggers come and go, the blogosphere continues to expand unabated (Whelan 2003). The latest forecasts suggest that the number of hosted blogs created will exceed five million by the end of 2003, and ten million by the end of 2004 (Henning 2003). Another observation one might make of the existing academic literature on blogging is that in those instances where educational applications of the blog are considered, this literature tends to be concentrated in the areas of teacher training and other professions where the use of reflective journals as a learning tool is accepted custom and practice, and where, as a consequence, there is an increased likelihood of a favourable disposition to blogs in the first place (eg. Stiler & Philleo, 2003; Wagner, 2003). Another area that has responded positively to blogging is librarianship, where information search and retrieval skills are integral to the job. Here, again, one might expect a natural predisposition to the idea of the blog (see, for example, Embrey, 2002; Clyde, 2002).

One article that reflects a little more deeply on the potential of the blog as a tool for the promotion of deeper learning on a variety fronts is that produced by Oravec (2002). In addition to commenting on the advantages of using a tool that serves as an online journal encouraging personal reflection, and as a means of encouraging collaboration through the sharing of links to resources and up to date information, Oravec (2002, p. 618) observes that the blog has many dimensions that are suited to students' 'unique voices', empowering them, and encouraging them to become more critically analytical in their thinking. The reason, simply, is that in order to develop and sustain a clear and confident voice of one's own, one has to carefully formulate and stand by one's opinions. Writing a blog assists here because it forces a student to confront their own opinions and contemplate how their views might be interpreted and reflected upon by others (Mortensen & Walker, 2002, cited in Lamshed, Berry & Armstrong, 2002).

The research of Ferdig & Trammel (2004), drawing on educational theories of Vygotski (1978), is also significant in assessing the educational value of blogs. They argue that the discursive nature of knowledge construction is best addressed by the immediacy and commentary based system of blogging. They observe that there will be a natural tendency for reflection and analysis on the part of the student, given feedback systems are integral to the blogging interface, but also note that the contextualisation of learning through hypertext links to other materials encourages revisiting and revising of learned concepts, enriching the learning experience. Compared to asynchronous discussion forums such as newsgroups and bulletin boards, Ferdig & Trammel (2004) contend that blogs are more successful in promoting interactivity that is conversational; a mode of interaction more conducive to improved student and teacher relationships, active learning, higher order thinking, and greater flexibility in teaching and learning more generally.

The dearth of scholarly journal articles on the blogging phenomenon notwithstanding, 'non-refereed' commentary is quite voluminous. The phrase 'non-refereed' appears in a set of inverts here quite deliberately, because much of this commentary (as one might expect!) is located on various EduBlog sites around the world (see, for example, Weblogg-ed and Weblogs in Higher Education, both of which incorporate high quality work along with an abundance of 'referees' only too willing to offer their constructive criticism. In summary, therefore, although one might be led to the conclusion that academics have been a little slow getting out of the starting blocks, the fact of the matter is that blogging, for all intents and purposes, is a grassroots phenomenon. For this reason, academic bloggers, if they are true to their ideals, may be more concerned about spreading their message in the blogosphere than in the 'Journal of Obscure Facts'! Meanwhile, for the non-blogging academic community, it may be a case of insufficient time having passed yet for blogging to penetrate the outer shell of their paradigm. For them, blogging seems to be working in practice, but does it work in theory?[1]

Weblogs at Harvard Law

A number of universities round the world have commenced with the use of blogging tools including, for example, the University of Iowa, Rice University and Harvard University. Plans to use blogs have also been implemented at Stanford University and RMIT University in Melbourne. The 'Weblogs at Harvard Law' hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School is, perhaps, the most impressive of these initiatives, due in no small part, one would imagine, to the influence of Dave Winer, a Berkman Fellow and long time blog guru. The first blogging initiative at a major educational institution, the initiative arose following a conference at the Berkman Center in November 2002 entitled: 'What Is Harvard's Digital Identity?' At this conference, Provost Steven Hyman challenged the assembled deans, faculty members and administrators to harness the power of the Internet to break down the silo mentality and build intellectual bridges that would facilitate the flow of information and ideas between the University's disparate schools and centres. While still in its infancy (commencing in early 2003), the Harvard Weblogs project has already made great strides. The Berkman Center hosts the blogs on a dedicated server, provides software and support, and aggregates and ranks blogging activity. Anyone with a harvard.edu email address can create a new weblog free of charge. Numerous personal blogs feed off the Weblogs at Harvard Law ‘group' blog co-edited by Winer and, indeed, off each other, promoting lifelong learning and helping to bind a community around the common theme of Harvard University and scholarly discourse.

The BGSB MBA blog

In 1999, the BGSB introduced an innovative new MBA course offering prospective students greater flexibility and choice, and improved services such as study guides and online learning and teaching (OLT) sites for each course unit. This initiative has proved to be a major success, student numbers trebling at the same time as course fees have more than doubled and entry standards have been lifted. Funded entirely from student fees, the BGSB, like other institutions in the same position, is very sensitive to market perceptions of its services. One strategy actively pursued by the School has been to gain an international reputation for the flexible delivery of its programs. Flexible delivery is, by definition, a client oriented approach because it is a commitment, on the part of the education provider, to tailor courses to meet the various individual needs of its students. Furthermore, it is tacit recognition of the fact that the student profile has changed quite dramatically - socially, culturally, economically - and that, pedagogically, there is a need for a student centred curriculum to cater for this increasingly diverse student body. Integral to this strategy has been the development of OLT sites. The framework for OLT sites varies from course unit to course unit but, typically, there is a download facility where students can access PowerPoint lecture slides, WWW links, solutions to problems, past examination papers, chat space, and discussion forums (electronic bulletin boards). An important impetus for the introduction of a blog tool within this environment was a general feeling of dissatisfaction with participation levels in discussion forums. It was decided that an 'MBA blog' would be trialled with students from two course units being encouraged to participate by making contributions based on the subject matter they were studying; viz. macroeconomics and international political economy. While no specific instructions were given to students one way or another, the administrators of the blog fully expected there to be some crosscourse unit discussion, and this is precisely what happened. Indeed, very little advice was given to students as to how they should proceed, other than how to log on, and how to use the blog editing facilities. In short, it was decided that the blog ought to be as student centred as possible, with the students themselves determining what shape and form the blog should take. Participation in the blog was optional, but students were advised that five 'meaningful' contributions in the six-week period of the unit would be sufficient to earn them five marks (within the flexible assessment system used in both course units). Ultimately, around one half of enrolled students elected to participate.

Tables 1 to 5 present the results of an online questionnaire open (over a 4-week period during June and July of 2003) to all students who had been enrolled in the two course units (GSN414 and GSN451) involved in the trial. There were 51 respondents, a response rate of exactly 50% (there being 102 students enrolled in the two classes). Note that the 'no answer' response was removed from percentage calculations and these percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

Table 1: Reasons for not participating in the blog

Question 1: If you elected not to participate in the MBA Blog, which of the

following options best describes the reason for your decision: Score %

A. For the marks available, it wasn't worth the effort. 8 33

B. I would have liked to participate, but I wasn't sure I'd have anything

valuable to contribute.

8 33

C. I would have liked to participate, but I had difficulty coming to terms with

the technology.

1 4

D. I just preferred to read what other people were writing. 2 8

E. Other reason. 5 21

F. No answer. 27

given an answer in Question 1. As students were provided with the option of adding comments to elaborate on their responses to each question, it transpired that this may be explained in terms of students' interpretation of the word 'participate'. 'Lurking' on the blog is participation in some people's minds. As one student put it: 'Reading what other people were writing was valuable. It was therefore not so much a choice of not participating, it was more a choice not to contribute. I viewed myself as having participated, and will therefore answer the rest of the questions.'

To support this, Allen (2002) has argued that by observing the behaviours of participants in a computer mediated community, 'lurkers' can become familiar with the ways of participating and overcome fears. Indeed, Nonnecke & Preece (2001) maintain that lurking is an imperative aspect of an online community and should be regarded as a form of passive or vicarious participation that not only serves to increase the understanding in the lurker, but provides a sense of belonging regardless of whether they ever intend to participate. There is also the possibility that active participants in an online community 'perform' to a potential readership that may or may not eventually become active participants in a community. Thus, active participants may well assume a lurking audience as part of the accepted risk of rebuttal, in creating an argument or expressing a theory in making a blog entry. This risk, in turn, develops skills among active participants in critical thinking and argument creation.

Table 2: The blog as a medium for facilitating learning

The quantitative data in response to Question 2 would appear to lend reasonably strong support for the continued use of blogs, some two thirds of blog participants either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the MBA blog assisted their learning (only 12% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing). The following comments provide further endorsement: 'Even though at first people were afraid to take the risk and blog, I found it a good way to discuss concepts and participate in further discussion. It also allowed the sharing of up-to-date information that would not have been possible in lecture time.' 'I spent time prior to each blog constructing an entry. To do that I did need to have a good understanding of what I wanted to blog about. I also spent time reading and considering the blogs of other students and found their comments and perspective thought provoking.' 'I particularly enjoyed seeing the almost daily observations of students of the applications of the 414 theory and [the] "thinking about things" technique. 'Question 2: If you did not participate in the MBA Blog you do not need to answer any further questions. Thank you for your input. If you did participate, please answer this question and questions 3-5. Do you think the MBA Blog assisted with your learning in GSN414/GSN451?

Score %

A. Strongly agree 6 17

B. Agree 17 49

C. Neither agree nor disagree 8 23

D. Disagree 2 6

E. Strongly disagree 2 6

F. No answer. 16

'I felt that it offered a method to give comment on a wide range of macroeconomic issues that started debate and interesting conversation. 'There was stronger endorsement for the view that the MBA Blog increased student interactivity, some 77% of students either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the MBA blog increased the level of meaningful intellectual exchange between students (only 3% or one person disagreeing with this statement). The written comments in response to Question 3 were equally emphatic: 'It provided a medium for intellectual exchanges, and with further use I think that the quality of these exchanges would only get better.'

'6 week module timeframes can create significant challenges for opportunities for discussion and debate amongst participants - blogging offers an opportunity to express one's thoughts & to be party to the thoughts of others - often quite stimulating. The MBA in my view is about more than the "data" - it is the process of thinking which develops intelligence.' 'Yes, once I got the hang of it I could see it encouraged me to contribute and interact with other students in a way I wouldn't normally find time to do at Uni.' 'Students could put forth their ideas on topics after a little thought. The only other venue available most of the time is in-class comments, for which you do not have much time to really think about them in detail. When new to a subject, the extra thought time that blogging provides can really help students sort through some of the issues in our own head, before providing them for all to see.'

Table 3: The blog as a medium for student interactivity

Table 4: The blog as a medium for reflection

Question 3: Do you believe the MBA Blog increased the level of meaningful intellectual exchange between students more broadly?
Score %

A. Strongly agree 6 17

B. Agree 21 60

C. Neither agree nor disagree 7 20

D. Disagree 1 3

E. Strongly disagree 0 0

F. No answer. 16

Question 4: Having experienced the MBA blog, and knowing what you know now, would you participate in something similar in the future if the activity were purely for formative purposes (i.e. it did not count at all towards the formal assessment for the unit)?

Score %

A. Strongly agree 8 22

B. Agree 17 47

C. Neither agree nor disagree 4 11

D. Disagree 6 17

E. Strongly disagree 1 3

The responses to Question 4, meanwhile, revealed perhaps the most satisfying finding from the point of view of an educator; viz. that more than two thirds of blog participants would still have taken part had there not been the incentive of marks counting towards their final score. Some students were quite dismissive of the idea of having the exercise count towards summative assessment: 'I participated when I felt that I had something to say, not because I was receiving marks for it.'

'Learning is for ourselves not just for marks.'

'Yes, I found it very interesting what other student found relevant of the course and the

newspapers (a bit like a Readers Digest).'

'Yes, I felt the pressure to construct some high level comment detracted from the

spontaneity of the blog. Other students commented to me that it was not as

conversational as they expected - for the reason that it was part of the formal

assessment.'

While it would overly optimistic to assume that this is the case in every degree course, it is a reasonable assumption to make in a full fee paying MBA course, where the bulk of students are mature age students, primarily motivated to learn skills rather collect letters after their name. Importantly, as Wrede (2003) observes, 'if professors want students to become autonomous, creative, helpful and cooperative, educational institutions must actually allow students to practice exactly these skills ... by designing curriculums and courses that really value these qualities.' The inherent creativity of blogging and the distinctly open environment for topic advancement allowed students to direct their own learning in a manner that transcended the existing curriculum.

Table 5: The transferability of blogging as a learning tool

On the question of the transferability of the blog as a learning tool (Question 5), student opinion was more divided, only 57% confirming that they thought a blog could be used in all or most of the course units in the MBA program, 37% conceding that it could be used in some units. A common theme in the written comments associated with this question (and others) was that a little more structure and coaching on how to blog would have been useful: 'I think more linkages could be made in class time between blog-postings and course content. Rather than sitting on the side, I think the blog could form a central element of the teaching that ties together the lecture material and individual students' own explorations. I think it was an excellent experiment that should be continued.'

F. No answer 15

Question 5: Would you like to see blogging used more widely in the MBA as

a learning/assessment tool? Score %

A. It should be used in all MBA units 9 26

B. It should be used in most MBA units 11 31

C. It should be used in some MBA units 13 37

D. It should be used in no MBA units other than GSN414 and GSN451 1 3

E. It should be not be used at all beyond this trial 1 3

F. No answer 16

'I would have felt more comfortable contributing to the blog, if perhaps in the first week, it had been compulsory to make an entry. I found it took a lot of courage for me to make an entry, and as such, did not start participating until week 4. However, once I participated I found it very beneficial.'

Summary and conclusions

The analysis of both the quantitative and qualitative data collected in the BGSB study shows students to be broadly in favour of the continued use of blogs as an effective aid to teaching and learning. It is clear, though, that results would likely have been more positive had there been greater direction at the beginning of the project as to how one went about blogging, and what students could expect to get out of it. With the benefit of hindsight, it was probably a mistake to include contributions to the MBA blog as an optional assessment item. Some students clearly submitted solely for the sake of getting the marks (invariably the weaker students) and this detracted from the overall quality of the experience for some students. It would appear from a review of the literature on the subject and of current practice at universities that blogs and academic discourse are natural allies. As Allen (1999) puts it: (T)he really important step forward that universities can take is to begin fostering communities that are less specifically connected to units and are, instead, about issues, subjects, disciplines or professions and which are distinct from those already forming in the virtual world of the Internet by being associated with overall courses offered by that university. Student membership of these communities should become integral to their course completion; where necessary, whole components of the course should become (instead of 'study') knowledge-based community participation (Allen 1999). Blogs are perhaps the most obvious realisation of Allen's vision to provide a forum for academic discourse that reaches beyond the scope of a university subject and which augments the knowledge creation occurring throughout a student's enrolment in a higher education program. Students have long learned as much from each other as they have from an instructor or a textbook - it's just a question of finding an appropriate vehicle for facilitating this learning. The 'cut and thrust' of the MBA classroom has performed such a function for many years and will likely continue to do so for some time to come, but the blog provides another such forum, one that successive generations of students will feel increasingly comfortable with, as it becomes more commonplace for people to engage with one another online rather than on campus. (Indeed, some might argue that we have already gone past this point.) In short, blogs have the potential, at least, to be a truly transformational technology in that they provide students with a high level of autonomy while simultaneously providing opportunity for greater interaction with peers. A blogging tool would be a valuable addition, therefore, to any LMS.

Endnote

1. The appendix to this paper provides an annotated bibliography of source materials on the use of blogging in learning environments, and contains some links to examples of blog use in higher education contexts. This is designed as a guide for instructors on potential applications of blogging, and offers some insights into the educational theory supporting the use of blogs in any LMS.

References

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http://www.curtin.edu.au/home/allen/we3/igm/12050101.html

Allen, M (1999). Don't be a troll! Using the Internet for successful higher education. [Verified 6 June

2004] http://smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies/docs/allen/AllenHighered1999.doc

Baker, H.J. (2003). The learning log. Journal of Information Systems Education, 14(1), 11-14.

Barger, J. (1997). Robot wisdom weblog for December 1997. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.robotwisdom.com/log1997m12.html

Bausch, P., Haughey, M. & Hourihan, M. (2002). We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs. New

York: John Wiley & Sons, (Chapter 8). [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.blogroots.com/chapters.blog/id/4

Berners-Lee, T. (1992). What's new in '92. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.w3.org/History/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/News/9201.html

Blood, R. (2000). Weblogs: A history and perspective. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html

Bryant, L. (2003). Smarter, simpler, social: An introduction to online social software methodology.

[Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.headshift.com/moments/archive/sss2.html

Clyde, A. (2002). Shall we blog? Teacher Librarian, 30(1), 44-46.

Embrey, T. (2002). You blog, we blog: A guide to how teacher librarians can use weblogs to build

communication and research skills. Teacher Librarian. December, 30(2), 7-9.

Ferdig, R. E. & Trammell, K. D. (2004). Content delivery in the 'Blogosphere'. Technological

Horizons in Education Journal, February. [Verified 27 May 2004]

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4677

Henning, J. (2003). The blogging iceberg: Of 4.12 million hosted weblogs, most little seen, quickly

abandoned. Perseus Development Corporation, October. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.perseus.com/blogsurvey/thebloggingiceberg.html

Hiler, J. (2002). Blogs as disruptive tech: How weblogs are flying under the radar of the content

management giants. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.webcrimson.com/ourstories/blogsdisruptivetech.htm

Jacobs, J. (2003). Communication over exposure: The rise of blogs as a product of cybervoyeurism.

In Hatcher, C., J. Jacobs & T. Flew (Eds), Australian and New Zealand Communication Association

Conference Proceedings, Brisbane. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.bgsb.qut.edu.au/conferences/ANZCA03/Proceedings/papers/jjacobs_full.pdf

Lamshed, R., Berry, M. & Armstrong, L. (2002). Blogs: Personal e-learning spaces. [Viewed 12

January 2004] http://www.binaryblue.com.au/docs/blogs.pdf

Merholz, P. (2002). 'Play with words'. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.peterme.com/archives/00000205.html

Pór, G. & Molloy, J. (2002). Nurturing Systemic Wisdom Through Knowledge Ecology. [Verified 6

June 2004] http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/kd/KE.pdf

Nonnecke, B. & Preece, J. (2001). Why lurkers lurk. AMCIS Conference, Boston, June. [Verified 6

June 2004] http://snowhite.cis.uoguelph.ca/~nonnecke/research/whylurk.pdf

Oravec, J. (2002). Bookmarking the world: Weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent

and Adult Literacy, 45(7), 616-621.

Stiler, G. M. & Philleo, T. (2003). Blogging and blogspots: An alternative format for encouraging

reflective practice among pre-service teachers. Education, 123(4), 789-797.

Thompson, W. (2003). All over for blogs?. BBC News, 8 August. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3134629.stm

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wagner, C. (2003). Put another (b)log on the wire: Publishing learning logs as weblogs. Journal of

Information Systems Education, 14(2), 131-132.

Welch, M., Jensen, M. & Reeves, J. (2003). Blogworld and its gravity. Columbia Journalism

Review, September/October, 42(3), 20-26.

Whelan, D. (2003). In a fog about blogs. American Demographics, 25(6, July/August), 22-23.

Wrede, O. (2003). Weblogs and discourse: Weblogs as a transformational technology for higher education and academic research. Blogtalk Conference, Vienna, 23- 24 May. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://owrede.khm.de/publications/weblogs_and_discourse_backup

Appendix 1: Resources on blog methods and blogs in learning

Allen, M (1999). Don't be a troll! Using the Internet for successful higher education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies/docs/allen/AllenHighered1999.doc

This article focuses on the application of the internet to higher education learning, and argues that cooperative systems and online communities present universities with the best opportunity for universities in the commodification of knowledge.
Ferdig, R. E. & Trammell, K. D. (2004). Content Delivery in the 'Blogosphere'. Technological Horizons in Education Journal, February. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4677

This article is the first of the new wave of research focusing on the scholarly arguments for conversational learning, and argues that the intellectual ownership of ideas promoted by the blog structure, as well as feedback and challenging systems integral to blogging environments, allows for a more sophisticated form of active learning and encourages higher-order thinking. The article also offers examples of blog implementation in learning environments. Wagner, C. (2003). Put another (b)log on the wire: Publishing learning logs as weblogs. Journal of Information Systems Education, 14(2), 131-132.

This article draws on the research of Baker (2003) on learning logs, and Barger (1997) on weblogs, and argues that the benefits of blogs include ease of publication, sharing of results, and instructor monitoring.

Weblogs in Higher Education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.mchron.net/site/edublog.php

This blog is a collective resource for academics sharing knowledge about use of weblogs and wikis in higher educational contexts.

Teaching Online in Higher Education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://blogs.panam.edu/wbl/

This blog is focuses on current topics in web based learning and promotes various relevant articles.

E_Learning Centre's Guide to e-learning. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.elearningcentre.

co.uk/guide2elearning/2-10/2-10-3.htm

This archive records a series of examples of blog use in higher education contexts, and has a link to a matrix of uses of blogs in education.

Roberts, S. (2003). Campus communications and the wisdom of blogging. Syllabus Magazine: Technology in Higher Education, January. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=7982

This article considers the range of contexts in which blogs may be utilised to improve the learning experience of students in the higher education sector. It also offers links to opinion based pieces on the matter, and to blog development tools for implementation of a web log.

Carraher, D. (2003). Weblogs in education. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/carraher/stories/storyReader$6

This short blog post from a Harvard University pedagogue reflects of the potential value to be added by use of blogs in higher education institutions.

Schroeder, D. (2004). Blogs in Higher Education: Pedagogy, Practice and Really Simple Syndication (RSS). [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/powerpoint/MWR0408.pps

This PowerPoint presentation investigates the value of RSS syndication techniques for aggregation of data, and provides many links to relevant resources on blogging in educational contexts.

Education blogs from the Blog Search Engine. [Verified 6 June 2004]

http://www.blogsearchengine.com/education_blogs.html

This index of education blogs is the result of a search in one of the major search engines focusing exclusively on blogs.

Authors: Dr Jeremy B. Williams

Director of Instruction and Assessment, Associate Professor in E-Learning,

Universitas 21 Global, 5 Shenton Way, #01-01UIC Building, Singapore 068808

Web: http://www.u21global.com/

Personal web: http://www.jeremybwilliams.net/ Email: jeremy@u21global.com

Joanne Jacobs

Brisbane Graduate School of Business, Queensland University of Technology

GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia

Email: j2.jacobs@qut.edu.au Web: http://www.joannejacobs.net/

Please cite as: Williams, J. B. and 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.http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet20/williams.html

HTML Editor: Roger Atkinson [rjatkinson@bigpond.com]

This URL: http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet20/williams.html

Created 19 Jul 2004. Last revised 1 Dec 2004.

Article 3

1.       How long have you been using the Internet? 
   less than a year 
   1-2 years 
   3-4 years 
   5-6 years 
   7-8 years 
   9-10 years 
   11 years or more

2.       How many hours do you spend online every day on average? 
   less than an hour 
   between 1 and 2 hours 
   between 2 and 3 hours 
   between 3 and 4 hours 
   between 4 and 5 hours 
   more than 5 hours

3.       How long have you been blogging? 
   less than 3 months 
   3 to 6 months 
   6 months to one year 
   one to two years 
   more than two years

4.       How many personal diary/journal type of blogs do you maintain? 
   one 
   two 
   three 
   four 
   five or more

5.       When you post entries in your blog, what name do you use for yourself? (Please only pick one that you use primarily.) 
   I remain totally anonymous (no name, no personal information at all) 
   I use an obvious pseudonym (e.g., graveyard or catlover) 
   I use a non-obvious pseudonym (e.g., John Philips, which sounds like a real name but is not your real name) 
   I use a partial real name (like your real first name, or last name, or initials only) 
   I use my full real name 
   I use my full real name, and also reveal further personal info (like age, location, job etc.)

6.       What type of photos do you primarily use when you post entries in your blog? (Please only pick one that you use primarily.) 
   I do not use any photos. 
   I use obviously fake photos (e.g., a borrowed picture of celebrities) 
   I use non-obviously fake photos (readers may mistake them for real pictures of mine) 
   I use partial actual photos (e.g., my real pictures but with my face doctored or hidden in the shadow) 
   I use actual photos (real pictures but not quite revealing about my life, e.g., mug shots) 
   I use revealing actual photos (real pictures about you in your real life, even with my family or friends included)

7.       What is the primary target audience of your blog? 
   people that I know offline (in real life) 
   people that I don't know offline (in real life) 
   both people I know and people you don't know offline (in real life) 
   other. Please specify.

8.       Do you believe that your blog reaches your target audience? 
   absolutely 
   probably 
   not sure 
   probably not 
   absolutely not

9.       To what extent are you afraid that you blog may be read by people you know offline (in real life).
   Not afraid at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely afraid

10.   To what extent do you think you are anonymous on your blogs? 
   Totally anonymous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Totally identifiable

11.   To what extent do you write something intimate about yourself in your blog? 
   Not at all intimate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely intimate

12.   To what extent do you show your softer, more sensitive side in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

13.   To what extent do you reveal things about yourself that you are ashamed of in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

14.   To what extent do you let down your protective "outer shell" in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

15.   To what extent do you write things that secretly make you feel anxious or afraid in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

16.   To what extent are you willing to reveal that you dislike someone you know in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

17.   To what extent are you willing to reveal that you hate someone you know in your blog? 
   Never 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Always

18.   To what extent are you willing to reveal that you like someone you know in your blog? 
   Not willing at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Totally identifiable

19.   To what extent are you willing to reveal that you love someone you know in your blog? 
   Not willing at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Totally identifiable

20.   Imagine you had kept a personal diary or journal that is exactly the same as your blog, to what extent were you willing to show it to people you know? 
   Not willing at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Totally identifiable

21.   Please tell us about your motivation(s) to start this blog:

22.   Do you have any concerns about what you write on your blog? If you do, what are they?

23.   Age 
   under 18 
   18-25 
   26-35 
   36-45 
   46-55 
   56-65 
   above 66

24.   Sex 
   male 
   female

25.   Education 
   high school or GED 
   some college/university 
   college/university 
   postgraduate degree

26.   Please provide the URL of your blog: