1. Table 1: Technical features, affordances and pedagogy – analysis of technology
Features of the technology Affordances (activities and practice)
Affordances (examples of pedagogy and
designs)
Can be “private”, open to a select group
or open to all.
Encourage conversations with discussion boards
(collaboration)’
Great for introverts who may not feel confident
in a class setting. Advantages for those who are
not on campus
Promotes a community of practice.
Allows for reflective practice
Allows for comments/feedback on posts
Cognitive dimension -blogs allow the student to
explore an area/topic fully. Blogs allow for self
reflective learning and sharing content with peers and
support critical and creative thinking.
Encourages self directed learning
Social Dimension – Collaborative learning (working in
groups)
Self-directed Learning – allows for reflective practice
Social Support– provides a social network and
support amongst students.
Can follow conversations easily
Sharing of ideas. Easy to see how a topic
“evolves” and change over time.
Most recent posts are located at the top
Easy to update and keep current.
Able to tag – Assessment activities.
Help with organising posts when searching
Can set up an account easily
Encourages everyone to use especially those who
may be reluctant to use this type of technology
Can integrate other mediums.
Ability to embed videos, photos, graphs,
diagrams etc..to enhance learning.
Assessment activities
Provide evidence of learning through the
collection of artefacts (portfolio assessment)