One of the aims in Project Blogstars is to see an improvement in students reading and writing through the medium of blogging. Evidence suggests through research, that blogging does enhance students literacy skills (Noytim, 2010, Weblogs enhancing students' English language learning). Students are given opportunities to communicate to an audience outside of their physical classroom environment. The audience that they interact with through a blog is an authentic, potentially global audience.
If we are to engage students in higher order thinking as part of their ongoing development as a learner, then blogs are an ideal way of helping in this process. A blog can be a way of documenting a student's learning experience, as part of reflecting on what they have learnt. The process of commenting can encourage further reflection upon the students learning. This enhances students critical thinking skills. Students also have the opportunity to become a part of a learner network through a blog, where they can communicate their thoughts and ideas.
As part of our project to show that there has been an improvement we started with a survey to establish an understanding of the way students use digital literacy in their writing. From the results that have been collated, the students in our project, are very familiar with digital literacy. There is a significant proportion that use it to communicate with those around them.
The results also indicate that students use digital communication as part of their social interaction. Most said they prefer a computer to write with and have a preference skills to edit their work using one. Where blogging would help with this is that it would develop the need for students to become much clearer in their communication skills. It would promote the need for the development of good editing skills because of the audience that they are writing for.
Further Reading:
- http://web.chu.edu.tw/~wswu/publications/papers/book_chapters/01.pdf
- http://www.personal.psu.edu/mfh152/blogs/meghan_horbal/Drexler.pdf
- https://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2006/jonesd17626/jonesd17626.pdf
- http://journal.acs-cam.org.uk/data/archive/2009/200901-article8.pdf
What do you think is interesting about our survey? How do you think blogging can help improve students reading and writing skills?
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