An STLI funded action research project investigating the use of blogging as a tool for prompting early engagement with the critical and contextual in project-based learning.

11. RESULTS
• “It get's me excited and it doesn't really
feel like academic work. I don't feel
pressure when I blog” (Student M),
• “it can be written pretty quickly and
spontaneously ” (Student B),
• “Working in a blog format allows me to
work much quicker by more easily
integrating research and case studies,
giving me more time to focus on finding
good sources” (Student J),
• “Once setup I found it easier to do and
keep track of my research” (Student J),
• “It’s interesting to analyse other peoples
work in that manner and compare their
approach to my own, identifying things
they did well which I might be able to
use in my own work” (Student J).

18. The model for delivery: starts with an
induction week session that gets
students to set up their blogs,
continues with a 4-5 week training
task on one unit, is then rolled out as
a two week cycle of tasks as per the
model description.
MODEL INDICATIVE DELIVERY

19. Week 1: launch the task objectives and make reading available
(maybe do reading in class and unpack concepts). Students are then
given homework to research the topic and select a subject/media to
write about.
Week 2: run a brief blog writing workshop and provide some
guidelines on best practice in a handout, make in-class time for a start
writing exercise (ideally on paper – no IT at this point). Homework for
students to draft and post by the following week.
Week 3: provide in-class time in front of a computer for students to
begin writing their blog posts, provide tech support and facilitate
learning how to post an image, a video, audio artefacts. Homework
for students to read the posts of students in their allocated group (4-
6) and post comments based on a question template to be provided.
Week 4: staff member to comment on posts following guidelines for
best practice (short general comment and a feedforward comment) –
it may be possible for this to occur in class – students work in groups
to discuss each other’s comments using a facilitation worksheet to
structure questioning and discussion.
TRAINING TASK

20. BLOGGING TASK – two-week cycle
Week 1: launch task and set reading (do in class and
run mini seminar to unpack concepts), give date for
posting blog. Homework research and write the blog
post, post it and comment on their groups posts.
Week 2: in class discussion in groups and tutor posts
comments [Tutors teaching more than one group may
want to stagger this cycle to spread the workload].
BLOGGING TASK