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This article explores the use of blogs and journals in online learning.

What Are Blogs and Journals?

A blog, short for “Web log,” is a website where an individual can post their thoughts. Entries are dated and displayed with the most recent post first. Readers are provided with a mechanism to post comments on the original post, and the original author may write replies to those comments. The tone is informal, much like an online journal. 

Journals are used for personal communication between individual students and the instructor. 

Why Use Blogs and Journals?

Young and Sullivan (1984) make a case for the act of writing as that which “enables us to think in ways that are otherwise improbable, or difficult, or even impossible” (p. 216).  Blogs are an effective means of gaining insight into students' activities and provide a way to share the knowledge and materials collected. Blogs and journals provide an opportunity for interaction between students and/or the instructor. 

Best Ways to Use Blogs and Journals?

Blog learning activities include journaling (perhaps as 1-minute reflections on the reading or more detailed reflections during a major project that spreads across an entire course or program), internship logs, discussions with subject-matter experts in the discipline, sharing resources and current affairs, as well as peer sharing of and commenting on writing assignments. Students can also use a blog to share their thoughts through a vlog (video blog entry) recorded on a smartphone.

Blog, Journal, or Discussion? 

While the LMS does not have a built-in tool for blogs and journals, students do have access to Google tools like Google Sites to create their own blogs. The site link, then, can be made limited viewing for purposes of the class and the link shared in an assignment submission. Journals are typically private between student and instructor, so some faculty like to use Google Docs or the assignment function in the LMS for activities that take journal form. All of these options allow for instructor feedback when grading.

Planning for Blogs and Journals

Planning a blog or journal activity should begin by considering its purpose in helping students achieve one or more learning objectives. Blogs tend to be used for formative rather than summative assessments, although the latter is still feasible. Rather than asking for factual, conceptual, or procedural knowledge, blogs and journals are well suited to student writing on a metacognitive level. To advance the learning process, "Learners must be able to reflect upon what they currently know and consider how the new information is applicable to them or the task they are completing." (Clapper, 2012)

Designing for Blogs and Journals

Richard Paul (cited in Online Classroom, 2007) suggests discussion prompts may also apply when designing blog assignments:

  • Ask students to clarify concepts.

  • Invite students to probe their assumptions, rationale, reasons, or evidence.

  • Consider other viewpoints and perspectives.

  • Explore implications and consequences.

  • Turn a question in on itself.

Be sure to provide clear directions to students on how to create blog posts and your expectations for students to read and make comments on others’ blogs.

OPTIONAL: If you wish, explore these resources to learn more about designing blog prompts:

References

Examples of Blogs and Journals

Example Journal Assignment

Course Reading Journal Assignment from UF100 Intellectual Foundations Course at Boise State University 

After completing each assigned reading on the schedule, you should post an entry in your course reading journal of at least 250 words in which you respond to the reading by exploring ideas, asking (and answering) questions, and looking closely at passages from the text. Your journal can be informal and unpolished; use it as a place to record and explore your thoughts about the reading you have done.  I encourage you to interact closely with the texts themselves; ask yourself questions about their language, their format, their meanings, etc.

Your journal is private, which means only you and I can see it, so feel free to be personal and honest in your postings.  I will read and respond to your journals periodically during the semester, so please make sure each entry is labeled with the reading it covers.

Journal entries will contribute up to 20% of your final grade.

Examples of Blog Assignments

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