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Evaluation of Blogs as Reflective Learning Tools

Niall Watts

Educational Technology Officer

Learning Technology for the Social Network Generation

ALT-C, Nottingham, September 2007

What is Reflective Learning?

• Reflection describes the processes where learners explore their experiences to gain a better understanding and appreciation of their learning (Boud, 1985).

• Many students find reflective learning difficult and initially resist it… Properly implemented blogs can help bring about reflective learning(Bartlett-Bragg, 2003).

Research Aims & Methods

• Can blogs facilitate (reflective) learning?

• Blog Text Analysis • Heuristics – Reflection & Collaboration• Subjectivity

• Learning Style (Kolb)• Quantitative

• Active/Reflective & Individual/Collaborative

• In literature• Validity?

• How do I evaluate this?

Kolb’s Learning Styles

Based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory– Accommodating: intuition, people– Assimilating: logic, theory– Converging: practice, technology– Diverging: imaginative, group work

Which would you expect to be reflective/collaborative ?

Reflection

• Assimilating

• Diverging

Collaboration

• Accommodating

• Diverging

Case Study

• Students using blogs for course work

• Multimedia & Communications

• Minimal scaffolding

• Develop critical writing and thinking skills

“Tool for creative thought perceived electronically”

Methods – Text Analysis

• Posts coded for reflection using heuristics– Writing categorised as reflective (or not):

Student Blogs

Student Blogs

Methods – Collaboration

• Count number of comments made/received by classmates

• Count classmates listed as ‘Yahoo! Friends’

• Online community?

Methods – Learning Style

• Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory– Statements match a phase in Kolb’s Learning Cycle– Results plotted on graph– Students scored themselves– Class discussion

Methods – Triangulation

• Kember’s Questionnaire on Reflection– Agree/disagree 16 questions on their learning

• Blogging habits questionnaire (10 questions)– Do you enjoy blogging?– Does it help you to learn?– Do you read/comment on your classmates blogs?– Do they/you appreciate the comments?

Results – Blog Analysis

• One third of posts reflective

• One third of comments reflective

• 1 comment for 3 posts suggests collaboration

• Yahoo! Friends suggests online community

BLOG POSTS COMMENTS MADE RECEIVED

Total

Total Refl. Total Refl. Total Refl.

6 92 33 31 12 69 14

Results – Learning Style

Converging dominant LS :– 4 keenest bloggers – 1 non-blogger

Conclusions

• Bloggers reflective & collaborative learners

• Unexpected Result – Converging Learning Style– Not associated with Reflection or Collaboration– Skills with Hypermedia (Kolb)– Practical, hands-on

• Sample bias?– Students existing community– Teaching & learning practices– Lecturer well-known blogger