Blogging for Enhanced Teaching and Learning

In its most basic form, a blog is simply a Web-based journal in reverse chronological order. It allows the writer to post ideas and thoughts quickly using conversational language for many to read. It allows the writer to link easily to other sites for support as well as for examples. And it provides a repository for such items. Also, both readers and writers are unrestricted to time and place. One new add-on tool even allows one to call in to make audio posts. Other add-ons include photo albums, guest books, polling tools, quizzing capabilities, and several others. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the ability of readers to comment on posts, making it a forum for interacting. It can be an extension of a classroom, where discussions are continued and where every student gets an equal voice. Or it can be a place where new ideas are formulated through collaboration. Since a basic blog is free and can be set up in less than 5 minutes, using them for both teaching and learning has low cost and high return on investment. Thus, the author states that using blogs to facilitate group work is an appropriate and an excellent medium for student-centered learning. (Contains 12 resources.)