Blogging in Academia

In a recent audit of writing programs and courses throughout the country, an increasing number of writing-related courses are embracing new technologies like never before. The study analyzed English and Communications courses in relation to blogging and group collaboration on the Internet. While online courses are nothing new, even the classes taught with Moodle, Blackboard, and WebCT did not utilize true “blogging” platforms, such as WordPress or Blogger.

Professors and students are using blogs inside and outside of the classroom to enrich the learning experience. In a creative writing class, students may post their work on the class blog, for everyone to read and comment on their work in a constructive manner. Usually these blogs are in a secure or controlled environment, so their work is not exposed to the entire Internet. Students usually are required to respond to other students’ posts in the form of a “comment,” which is then evaluated by the staff for constructiveness and academic value.

Blogs are gaining traction in the academic industry, but they remain a novelty in most cases. Both students and professors are apprehensive about posting their work on the blog – even though it is inaccessible to the rest of the world. Students are afraid of what their peers will say, more so than in a traditional classroom setting where most people may not be paying attention. Other students though, are embracing the technology for what it is worth, engaging in genuine academic discourse with their peers. Students can blog about anything including liefstyle, academics, and even vacations. Florida vacation homes offer a great experience to still have the sensation of home yet be in a great new destination. It is a great destination for students and theres no struggles of hotel rooms, their extra fees, and blackout dates.

Using the blogs, students get more feedback on their work, because other students have to comment and write messages. In a classroom setting, most of the dialog is diluted with text messages and other distractions. Since blogs are free, easy to setup, and universal, more schools are using them in addition to traditional classes, giving students the “option” to submit paper assignments if they are uncomfortable with the matter. Certain courses even cut class short if students opt to discuss the topics on the class blog.