ECEL 2010 Porto: Students and Blogging

Monika Andergassen
David Moore
Andrea Gorra
Reinhold Behringer
[email_address]

Presentation Overview
Context of Study
Research Questions
Model of Learning
Empirical Study: Qualitative Interview Analysis
Results and Discussion

(1) Context of Study Source: Andergassen (2009), adapted version Learning Davies‘ (2008) Model of Experiential Learning Motivation Blogs Empirical Study: Participation 1 Quantitative Survey Why do students (not) blog? Participation Motivation Learning How many Students blog? 2 Ethnographic Decision Tree Modelling How does blogging link to learning? 3 Qualitative Interviews Informs selection of samples for 2 and 3 CaseStudy: Informal blogging of students at the blog service of the University of Technology Vienna (TU Vienna)

(1) The Case
University of Technology Vienna:
Around 23 000 students (2009)
Blogs for informal use since 2004
Blog service „twoday“
Picture: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knihovna_TU_Wien.jpg . By Dezidor

(1) The Case
Vienna University of Technology:
Around 23 000 students (2009)
Blogs for informal use since 2004
Blog service „twoday“
Picture: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knihovna_TU_Wien.jpg . By Dezidor
Motivations to Blog
To publish
To complement the communication channels
To receive information
 other than learning
Students and Blogs

(2) Research Questions
Can the learning processes of the students be mapped to a model of learning?
What, if anything, do the students learn?

(3) Model of Learning
Context of Study
Research Questions
Model of Learning
Empirical Study: Qualitative Interview Analysis
Results and Discussion

(3) Can Learning be Measured?
Students might not blog with the intention to learn.

(3) Informal and Incidental Learning European Commission (2001): Formal Learning Non-Formal Learning Informal Learning provided by training institution structured (in terms of learning objectives, time or support) leading to certification intentional from the learner's perspective not provided by a training institution structured (in terms of learning objectives, time or support) typically does not lead to certification intentional form the learner's perspective. resulting from daily life activities not structured (in terms of learning objectives, time or support) typically does not lead to certification. may be intentional but in most cases it is non- intentional

(3) Informal and Incidental Learning individual external conditions learning formal educational arrangement certification approved public regulations non-formal educational arrangement certification informal no educational arrangement explicit incidental implicit explicit incidental implicit Source: Straka (2004,p.12): „Types of Learning combined with formality of external conditions“

Informal and incidental learning

(2) Learning might occur beyond the cognitive dimension . Informal and incidental learning

(2) Learning might occur beyond the cognitive dimension . (3) Cause and effect in the learning process cannot be traced. Informal and incidental learning

(3) Cause and Effect in Learning
Reinmann (2005)
“ Learning means a change of perceptional structures (with cognitive, motivational and emotional properties ), which expresses itself in a changed behaviour , thinking, problem solving, perception or feeling.“

(3) Cause and Effect in Learning
Reinmann (2005)
Implies a ‚before‘ and ‚after‘ which need to be compared
A comparison of ‚before‘ and ‚after‘ cannot be made with informally blogging students through observation
Students‘ reflections of possible learning effects can be elicited from them through interviews
“ Learning means a change of perceptional structures (with cognitive, motivational and emotional properties ), which expresses itself in a changed behaviour , thinking, problem solving, perception or feeling.“

(3) Davies‘ Model of Experiential Learning Source: Davies (2008)
Davies (2008):
We constantly learn from experience.
By learning “we convert experience into lessons, concepts, or generalised ways of behaving which we can use in the future”.
Elements refer to cognitive, emotional, social dimensions.

(2) Learning might occur beyond the cognitive dimension . (3) Cause and effect in the learning process cannot be traced. Informal and incidental learning Multidimensional model of learning

(2) Learning might occur beyond the cognitive dimension . (3) Cause and effect in the learning process cannot be traced. Informal and incidental learning Measurement strategies focussing on students‘ perceptions Multidimensional model of learning

Qualitative Interview Analysis (4) Empirical Study

(4) Semi-Structured Interviews
Reflective questions to encourage the students to reflect on their blogging;
Starting with students’ concrete experiences, and reflection about how the various elements, such as emotions or expectations, influenced these experiences, and how new insights unfolded from there;
Questions based on Davies' (2008) Model of Experiential Learning.

(4) Interviewees
6 Students:
Active Bloggers
Blog at the blog service of the TU Vienna
Blog for at least 6 months
Int 1 Int 2 Int 3 Int 4 Int 5 Int 6 Age of blog (days) 414 816/ 1039 1047 173/ 170 1483 1487 No of entries 256 34/ 20 131 63/ 43 118 183 No of comments 115 18/ 7 89 5/ 21 87 49

(4) Codebook Experience The time devoted by the interviewee to consider an experience further Example „ [W]hile I make an entry or re-structure a bit, I think about what was good or not“ Expectation Emotion Opportunity Learning Orientation Observation Knowledge /Abilities Reflection / Insight Credibility Check

(4) Individual Interview Analysis Tom‘s Interview Well, I mean, if you are confronted with a [software] problem, of course you also search on the internet. Opportunity: Software problem And when you find the solution, Experience: Finding of a solution You are happy about it. Emotion: happiness And perhaps it helps somebody else, when they find the solution on my blog. Credibility check: Is the solution helpful for others When you see that a few people read along, you see this in the page views, or in the link statistics, where you see how people came to the page, and then, Observation: Some people find the solution helpful this builds you up, I think. Then as I said, you are happy, and you don't want to lose this happiness any more. Emotion: happiness Therefore it [the blog entry] might have been quite useful. Reflection/insight: positive credibility check: blog entry was useful

(4) Generalised Analysis: Commonalities and Differences among Interviews Bob Marc Jeff Beginning of Blogging (items assigned to credibility check) I have started [the blog] to try out how it fits to me. I think, at that time I searched for a simpler way to inform other people through a homepage. I started by copying a bit how other people blog, to post some news which they might be interested in Shortly after starting to blog (items assigned to observation) [The first few days, I've communicated that I have this blog] now, and then, some people have visited the blog. A lot of people started with [blogging], and there were a few friends who also wrote different kinds of blogs. Well, as I said, I got just very little feedback, just very few people. Development over time (items assigned to reflection/insight) It has definitely changed, because now I don't do [blogging] spontaneous any more, but in some way structured. I'd say, I have then provided the information which the others wanted. And not what I originally wanted to transport through my blog. Now the content is just what interests me, and what is my own direct output. Now I don't adapt myself [to the readership] any more at all.

(5) Results and Discussion

Research Question (1): Can the learning processes of the students be mapped to a model of learning?
Learning processes can be mapped to Davies‘ Model of Experiential Learning:
Applicable to informal and incidental learning
Multi-dimensional
Interview Analysis based on elements of model

(5) Tom‘s Learning Processes

(5) Blogging in 5 Stages Over Time
The stage before blogging
The starting stage of blogging
The stage of expansion of activities
The stage of consolidation
The stage of shifting away

Research Question (2): What, if anything, do the students learn? Development of one‘s own blogging through observation of the audience

(5) What, if Anything, do the Students Learn? Blogging as ‚credibility check‘ Careful ‚observation‘ of the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: adaptation of content to the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: development of writing style

(5) What, if Anything, do the Students Learn? Blogging as ‚credibility check‘ Careful ‚observation‘ of the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: adaptation of content to the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: development of writing style I write something to the blog, and of course I pre-estimate what impact this might have on the people who read it. (Andrew)

(5) What, if Anything, do the Students Learn? Blogging as ‚credibility check‘ Careful ‚observation‘ of the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: adaptation of content to the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: development of writing style [T]hen others write as a comment 'wow, this has helped us', and then you are happy. On the other hand, if you get hardly any reactions in your blog, in the sense that almost nobody writes something, then it is a little bit frustrating. (Tom)

(5) What, if Anything, do the Students Learn? Blogging as ‚credibility check‘ Careful ‚observation‘ of the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: adaptation of content to the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: development of writing style I then provided the information which the others wanted to have (...) And not what I wanted to transport through the blog originally. (Marc) I have started with, I almost a little bit copied how other people blog (...) But I have migrated to just blog about things (...) which I have done myself, my ideas, and less to be a news relay, well this has changed a bit. (Jeff)

(5) What, if Anything, do the Students Learn? Blogging as ‚credibility check‘ Careful ‚observation‘ of the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: adaptation of content to the audience ‚ Reflection and insight‘: development of writing style I try to design it [weblog entry] appealing for other people, so that I make a short paragraph, then a picture, then a short paragraph again, then again a picture (Bob) I have approached this in a very structured and logical way, I built it [the entry] like they wanted to have it. An opener, a few pictures, a picture description, a joke, finished. (Marc)

(5) Discussion
+ Blogging in informal contexts triggers various learning processes;
+ Davies’ model supports the research of informal learning processes by breaking them down into elements.
Limitations:
Conducting semi-structured interviews might lead students;
The number of informants was small; are they typical representatives?
Some terms in Davies‘ model have been experienced as ‚unsharp‘.

(5) Revision of Davies‘ Model

Thank You ! Monika Andergassen David Moore Andrea Gorra Reinhold Behringer [email_address]

Literature References
Andergassen, M. (2009) How can Aspects of Informal Learning Through Blogging be Measured? Presentation at Mini-Conference 2009 at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Davies, L. (2008) Informal Learning: A New Model for Making Sense of Experience. Gower Publishing Ltd.
European Commission (2001) Communication from the Commission. Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality , European Commission. Available at: http://www.bologna-berlin2003.de/pdf/MitteilungEng.pdf [Accessed February 4, 2009].
Reinmann, G. (2005) Blended Learning in der Lehrerbildung . 1st ed. Dustri.
Straka, G.A. (2004) Informal learning: genealogy, concepts, antagonism and questions , Bremen: Unstitut Technik und Bildung, Universität Bremen. Available at: http://www.itb.uni-bremen.de/downloads/Publikationen/ Forschungsberichte/fb_15_04.pdf [Accessed March 7, 2009].

ECEL 2010 Porto: Students and Blogging

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ECEL 2010 Porto: Students and Blogging — Presentation Transcript