An Unusual Relationship

Who would have thought to put research and blogging together in the same sentence? When I started this Introduction to Research course for the MALAT program, I was surprised and intimidated by the blogging assignment. I really questioned the value of this particular course requirement and questioned the need for putting my personal reflections in a public forum. Now that I am at the mid-point of this course, I can see that these questions were grounded in my personal fears. My readings are highlighting some key features of blogs which make them the ideal partner for a novice researcher and I am excited by the potential spin-offs for use in my own teaching.

Essentially, a blog is a website in which "entries appear in a reverse chronological order... with the most recent entry appearing first" and a blogger is "a person who writes content for a blog" (Gunelius, n.d.).  As a public forum that is accessible to anyone with access to the internet, a blog is a communication tool with the potential to enrich two-way communication in a traditionally static environment. According to Kathleen Asselin, in her research thesis Blogging: The Remediation of Academic and Business Communications, "blogging is adding a new dimension to the communications model that helps to promote the democratization of information by offering spaces for everyone to add to the ongoing conversation found in both academia and business" (Asselin, 2011, p. 2).

In reading Asselin's thesis, there were some key advantages that really hit home for me as an educator and a masters student. According to Asselin, blogs can:

• provide timely feedback;
• can act as a sounding board for ideas;
• extend networks on a global scale;
• provide broader perspectives; and
• facilitate dynamic interaction and collaboration (Asselin, 2011)

As an academic, one of the greatest disadvantages of traditional publishing is the time delays between research and development and the actual publishing of the research. Also, the access to journals and the ability to get published can be a significant hurdle. Blogs provide an avenue for expression and dissemination of information at a much quicker pace and without gatekeepers... which I find very exciting! So, in order to become a better academic blogger, I went searching for some online assistance... and found the ACW (Academic Coaching & Writing) blog. In particular, I really enjoyed the article by Amy Bensen Brown From the Classroom to the Page: Can Your Experience as a Teacher Help Define Your Voice? This blog is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their online writing skills!

As an educator, I see new potential for how I can use blogs in my own courses. After reading Asselin's thesis, I can see the advantages for use in the classroom which are:

• they allow for peer-to-peer and student-teacher interaction;
• students take more care in creating posts when they know their friends will be reading it (you have to love peer pressure!); and
• students pay more attention to detail, choice of phrases, expressions of emotion, and crafting of content (Asselin, 2011)

I'm currently in the process of restructuring a hybrid (online + face-to-face) class that I teach for my business and outdoor adventure students. The course is called Professionalism & Ethics. The students in this course complete a self-assessment project throughout the term in which they explore their personal learning and leadership styles, and how these relate to success in their industry. I am really excited about the potential of using a blog to improve the student experience of this project. I believe the peer-to-peer social interaction combined with the self reflection will increase the value the students will take away from the experience.

Although at first I felt highly uncomfortable beginning this blog, it is an unusual relationship that is becoming more comfortable with time and its advantages are quickly winning me over!

References:

Academic Writing and Coaching. (2015). Academic writing blog. Retrieved from http://www.academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/ 

Asselin, K. (2011). Blogging: The remediation of academic and business communications. Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing (UMI No. 1452706)

Gunelius, S. (n.d.). What is a blog? Retrieved from http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/p/WhatIsABlog.htm

Shakespeare [image]. (2014). Retrieved from http://cruxsolablog.com/2014/09/24/is-blogging-bad-for-your-academic-career-gupta/