Our position is that the implementation of knowledge blogging is particularly well suited to introductory programming courses if such blogging demands meta-cognitive activities through continued engagement with the course work. Making use of objective measures in search of a relationship between the use of knowledge blogs and performance outcome, this paper asks the question if students who participated in knowledge blogs performed better in the summative assessment than students who did not blog. Of interest were the relationship between a student’s blogging mark (BM) and exam mark (EM). Using data extracted from the intuitional database for a period of 5 semesters, the authors are encouraged by some results which showed a significant difference to exist between the EMs of students who blogged and students who did not blog. This finding held true regardless if students passed or failed the course. For this reason, we suggest knowledge blogging to be a constructive learning tool in a programming environment since it promotes metacognition and differentiated instruction by nurturing multiple learning skills. http://academic-conferences.org/icel/icel2014/icel14-home.htm

1. Employing Objective Measures In Search Of
A Relationship Between Knowledge Blogs
And Introductory Programming Performance
Outcome
Dalize van Heerden and Mac van der Merwe
University of South Africa

2. “It is well known in the Computer Science
Education (CSE) community that students
have difficulty with programming courses and
this can result in high drop-out and failure
rates”
Bergin & Reilly (2005)
Problem

3. For the ODL instructor who wishes to
enhance his/her online teaching and learning
strategies, many Internet-based tools are
available.
Of these, the web-log (or blog) is increasingly
being employed as a collaborative tool.
Blog Tool

4. a) as a learning journal or knowledge blog to gather
specific information pertaining to specific topics
(students),
b) to record personal views of everyday life (students),
c) to express emotions or feelings (students),
d) as an assessment tool (instructors),
e) to interact with other people (students and
instructors),
f) as a task management tool (instructors).
Sim & Hew (2010)
Students or instructors use blogs
in 6 major ways

5. • Blogs allow for different learning styles of students,
thereby improving their academic performance
Saeed, Yang, and Sinnappan (2009)
• Blogs in education do not favour learners with
particular learning styles
Derntl & Graf (2009)
• Blogging enhances students’ critical thinking and
literacy skills
Sim and Hew (2010)
• Students who engage in the process of posting about
their concurrent work become more active in the
reflection of their work and are able to improve their
practical work
Safran (2008)
Literature

6. • The effect of blogging on performance outcome
has been studied by various authors, the majority
of data was collected via self-reporting (e.g.
questionnaires or interviews), and in some cases,
through content analysis of blogs
Sim and Hew (2010)
• A reliance on self-reports or subjective measures
may well suggest a potential and important
research limitation
Gonyea (2005) and Baker (2010)
Research Concern

7. Different Approach
• Quantitative data was extracted from the institutional
assessment database and the student database for the
period 2010 to 2012
• This paper reports on a knowledge blog mark (BM) and
exam mark (EM)
• These data sources are considered objective
– EM cannot be subjective – the programming code output and logic
offered is either correct or incorrect
– The BM is driven by a marking rubric containing very precise
measurements, both the nature of the blog content presented and
the level of blogging is assessed.
• Because blog requirements and assessment were
consistent during this period, this study only report on
data extracted for the period 2010 (semester 1) to 2012
(semester 1).

8. Setting
• Module under study is an undergraduate introductory
programming course presented in a National Diploma in
Information Technology
• Aim of the course is to introduce students to introductory
programming concepts through the use of a scripting
language
• Students were tasked to activate and manage their own
personal knowledge blog in the institution’s Virtual
Learning Environment

9. Blogging
• On a weekly basis, after studying a particular chapter
(inclusive of exercises and tasks from the prescribed
handbook and additional learning materials), students
were required to reflect on, and describe their
understanding of work completed.
• Each reflection had to contain a minimum of 100 words,
and was not allowed to include summaries drawn from the
prescribed handbook or additional course material.
• Students were encouraged to think about what they have
learned, and to write down what they found interesting,
easy, difficult, new, and old.
• Students were required to self-reflect, self-question and
self-explain their personal experiences in studying a
particular chapter.

11. Assessing
• Metacognition allows students to take charge of their own
learning
• The instructor is not exempt from evaluating the
effectiveness of employing this particular learning tool and
strategy
• The importance of awarding a BM is thus underscored

12. Criteria Unsatisfactory – 0% Limited – 50% Proficient – 70% Exemplary – 100% Rating
Content and Creativity
Weight for this criterion:
50% of total score
Postings show no evidence of
insight, understanding or reflective
thought about the topic.
Postings provide minimal insight,
understanding and reflective
thought about the topic.
Postings provide moderate insight,
understanding and reflective
thought about the topic.
Postings provide comprehensive
insight, understanding, and
reflective thought about the topic
by
...building a focused argument
around a specific issue or
...asking a new related question or
...making an oppositional statement
supported by personal experience
or related research.
Postings present no specific
viewpoint.
Postings present a specific
viewpoint.
Postings present a specific viewpoint
that is substantiated.
Postings present a focused and
cohesive viewpoint.
Postings are do not stimulate
dialogue and commentary and do
not connect with the audience.
Postings are brief and
unimaginative, and reflect minimal
effort to connect with the
audience.
Postings are generally well written
with some attempts made to
stimulate dialogue and
commentary.
Postings are creatively and fluently
written to stimulate dialogue and
commentary.
Voice
Weight for this criterion:
20% of total score
Postings do not reflect an
awareness of the audience and it is
difficult to identify the author’s
voice.
Postings are written in a style that
does not fully consider the
audience, and the author’s voice is
difficult to identify.
Postings are written in a style that is
generally appropriate for the
intended audience and an attempt is
made to use a consistent voice.
Postings are written in a style that is
appealing and appropriate for the
intended audience and a consistent
voice is evident throughout.
Postings do not reflect the
author’s personality and word
choice does not bring the topic to
life.
Postings reflect almost no
personality and little attempt is
made to use effective word
choices to bring the topic to life.
Postings reflect a bit of the author’s
personality through word choices
that attempt to bring the topic to
life.
Postings reflect the author’s unique
personality through expressive and
carefully selected word choices that
bring the topic to life.
Timeliness and Tags
Weight for this criterion:
20% of total score
Does not update blog within the
required time frame.
Updates blog when reminded. Updates blog when required. Updates blog as often or more often
than required.
Does not categorize and tag the
topic appropriately.
The post is not categorized and
tagged appropriately.
Post is categorized and tagged. Post is categorized and topics are
tagged appropriately.
Quality of Writing and
Proofreading
Weight for this criterion:
10% of total score
Written responses contain
numerous grammatical, spelling or
punctuation errors. The style of
writing does not facilitate effective
communication.
Written responses include some
grammatical, spelling or
punctuation errors that distract
the reader.
Written responses are largely free of
grammatical, spelling or punctuation
errors. The style of writing generally
facilitates communication.
Written responses are free of
grammatical, spelling or punctuation
errors. The style of writing
facilitates communication.
TOTAL

13. Data Results
Subsections Statistic 2010-S1 2010-S2 2011-S1 2011-S1 2012-S1
SECTION 1: FAILED COURSE
Blog (No)
EM
n 239 144 212 144 241
Mean 28% 23% 24% 23% 27%
S.D. 9.237 9.719 11.471 9.719 10.091
Blog (Yes)
EM
n 65 60 63 60 102
Mean 29% 23% 25% 23% 30%
S.D 8.229 6.920 9.554 6.920 11.741
Blog (Yes)
BM
Mean 44% 52% 40% 52% 35%
S.D. 22.404 20.889 27.853 20.889 29.909
Significance p < .05 t(112)=0.814* t(153)=0.316 t(273)=0.381 t(64)=0.021 t(341)=2.705*
SECTION 2: PASSED COURSE
Blog (No)
EM
n 48 13 13 80 104
Mean 50% 52% 52% 47% 53%
S.D. 13.803 7.901 7.901 11.180 12.104
Blog (Yes)
EM
n(blog) 105 57 57 123 186
Mean 61% 52% 52% 50% 53%
S.D 12.945 12.332 12.332 12.276 11.978
Blog (Yes)
BM
Mean 63% 62% 62% 66% 55%
S.D. 21.057 23.063 23.063 28.787 27.897
Significance t (p <>.05) t(86)=4.726* t(68)=0.224 t(173)=1.342 t(180)=1.819* t(208)=0.510

14. Conclusion
• Despite the statistically insignificant findings reported,
there is a hint of evidence to suggest that effective
knowledge blogging (as expressed in the BM) result in
higher (but never lower) EMs for all students
• Encouraged by those results which showed a significant
difference to exist between the EMs of students who
blogged and students who did not blog
• Implementation of knowledge blogging in an ODL
environment is particularly well suited to introductory
programming courses when such blogging demands
reflective activities and continued engagement with the
course work
• We acknowledge that more research on other variables
that may influence performance outcome is required

15. Thank you!
Dalize van Heerden
vheerme1@unisa.ac.za
Mac van der Merwe
vdmertm@unisa.ac.za