1. Blogs - Technology Affordances Analysis Table: Features, Activities and Affordances
Technology Affordances – Features by Author and User plus Affordances by Learning Design versus Learning Space Blog
Features Activities Learning Design Learning Spaces
Author Groups Types Large Small Practical Virtual
Mobile -
Independent
Single author  Generally single
author setup
 Chronological
entries
Engagement
Stimulation
 Health professional can embed image
and or video of best practice evidence-
based technique to support text for
either/or colleagues or community
members
 Not restricted to desktop use – mobile
compatibility high
Design elements  Templates enable
personalisation of
visual
 Options for font/s
 Post-entry edit
possible
 Privacy settings
actionable – public v
private
Narrative
 A health professional is able to detail their treatment and
support approach for a de-identified patient over time
enhancing constructivist learning outcomes for both author
and followers
 Ease of use in line with common
workplace/ domestic software tools
Embed multimedia  Options to include a
range of multimedia
(image, video)
 Link to both internal
(within blog) and
external content -
collaborative
 Widget addition
Authoring
 Personal or organisational visual feel
created to suit author expressive
freedom and/or proposed audience
engagement
 Advanced
authoring features
allow expansion
of design options
Authoring methods
/options
 Visual (WYSIWYG)
and/or html options
 Ease of use
Empathising
Labelling  Enables
categorisation and
focus
Knowledge
Construction
Collaboration
 Settings use enables variation of learning space size to accommodate a cognitive learner-coach
relationship through to true constructivist peer interaction and learning collaboration
 Allows constructive learning approaches for both user and in turn, author; Expert clarification realised
on issues of concern
Conceptualisation
User Inquiry
 Links within a post draw community
reader to earlier blog entries; Situated
links act as recommendations to
external (outside blog) content of
perceived expert collaborative value
 Ease of access via browser across
operating platforms generally suits both
workplace and community level
interaction
Multi-platform
/device access
 Access independent
of platform
 Multi-device
compatibility
Reflection
Research
 Labelling (tags) ease content
categorisation and thus assist the
community user searching for valid
health information
 Compare to a news feed in order to
access both emerging published
research content and associated
comments
Lists  Reading lists to
access new/updated
content
 Current thoughts
Representations
 Possible to both follow experts in a field (eg. Respiratory
Specialist) and be aware of the active community health
voice

2. and practice –
expert opinion
Commenting  Post comment/s –
collaborative;
recommend
 Feedback - queries
and clarification
Figurative
Learning Design versus Learning Spaces grid adapted from Burden, K. and Atkinson, S. (2008). Evaluating pedagogical affordances of media sharing Web 2.0 technologies: A case study.
Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/burden-2.pdf