Learning through Blogging: Use of Blogs to Enhance Percieved Learning of Pre-service ICT Teacher in Undergraduate Course

Author(s):

Eylem Kilic(presenting / submitting)İbrahim Gokdas

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

16. ICT in Education and Training

Format:

Paper

Session Information

16 SES 08 B, Social Media and Learning

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-20

09:00-10:30

Room:

FCT - Aula 13

Chair:

Ton Mooij

Contribution

Blogging has become an increasingly popular technological tool in educational context. Blogs provide opportunities for people to publish their thoughts, opinions and feelings in online environment (Deng & Yuan, 2011). There is no need for special technological skill to develop, update and publish entries while using blogs. (Lang, 2005). However, it is revealed that ease of use and perceived usefulness are important factors affecting use of blog (Pi, Liao, Liu, and Hsieh, 2010). Even though the potential of blog use in increasing student interactivity and collaboration has been explored by many educators, the research conducted on effectiveness of blog use in educational context is still quite limited and is considered as contradictory research area (Kim, 2008). Recently, considerable research has been conducted to find out the value of blog use in educational context. In one of the study, it is found that using blogs is an effective tool to engage teachers in reflection and communication with their colleague (Ray and Hocutt, 2006). Blog also has potential to enhance social networking and meaningful discussion among practicing teacher (Luehmann and Tinelli, 2008). In another study, it is found that blogging contribute to perceived learning for students in different contexts (Churchill, 2009; Halic, Lee, Paulus & Spence,2010). However, the result has not provided similar result for the value of peer feedback in that peer comments were not considered valuable for learning (Ellison &Wu,2008; Halic, Lee, Paulus & Spence ,2010).

Use of blog in educational context has been investigated among researcher recently. It has been embedded courses to increase perceived learning and collaboration among people. In the current study, it aims to find out the effectiveness of blog use in instructional design course. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of blog use for ICT pre-service teacher in instructional design course. The research questions are as follows:

How do students perceive learning with blogs in instructional design course?
What pre-service ICT teacher variables influence perceived learning?
How does learning with blogs impact students ‘sense of communıty in instructional design course?
Does sense of community predicts perceived learning in instructional design course?

Method

In this study survey research design was used. 75 (22 female and 53 male) sophomore students participated the current study. A blogging survey instrument developed by Halic, Lee, Paulus and Spence (2010) was used to collect data. The instrument consists of two dimension, perceived learning and sense of community, with 13 five-point likert type (from 1 to 5 recorded as strongly disagree to strongly agree) items. It has also other questions part with 15 likert type and self-reported items. The pre-service teachers were required to design a course with an instructional design model through blogging. As a part of their course, they got their 75% final grade from course design with blogging. Also, they were required to post messages to their classmate blog and they got 25% of final grade from the post messages. They worked in pairs or individually during six weeks. The first four weeks, the pre-service teachers were required to design course/lesson with an instructional design models and then they had to post messages to their classmates’ blog during the last two weeks. The instructor acted as a blog facilitator, commenting post and answering questions.

Expected Outcomes

Cronbach’s alpha for the “Perceived Learning” dimension was 0.767, while the “Sense of Community” dimension produced a similar reliability estimate which was 0,754. Factorial analysis was conducted to ensure validity of the instrument and it was found valid. An independent sample t-test was conducted to find out the effect of gender on perceived learning. The t-test result produce non-significant result, showing that there is no difference in perceived learning based on gender. The difference in perceived learning between the teachers with a high sense of community (values of 4 and higher) and the teachers with a low sense of community (values of 3 and lower) was also investigated with independent sample t-test. The t test revealed that there was a significant difference (t=−2.14, p<0.05) in perceived learning between the pre-service ICT teacher with a low sense of community (M=3.28, SD=0.79) and those with a high sense of community (M=3.88, SD=0.58). One way ANOVA was conducted to investigate the effects of computer expertise on perceived learning.The ANOVAs yielded non-significant results, showing that there is no difference in students' perceived learning based on computer expertise. A linear multiple regression analysis was conducted with Sense of Community and Computer Expertise as predictors of perceived learning. Sense of Community was identified as independent predictors of perceived learning.

References

Churchill, D. (2009). Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(1), 179−183. Deng, L. & Yuen, A. H. K. (2011). Towards a framework for educational affordances of blogs Computer & Education, 56, 441−451. Ducate, L. C., & Lomicka, L. L. (2008). Adventures in the blogosphere: From blog readers to blog writers. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(1), 9−28. Ellison, N. B., &Wu, Y. (2008). Blogging in the classroom: A preliminary exploration of student attitudes and impact on comprehension. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 17(1), 99−122. Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T., &Spence, M (2010). To blog or not to blog: Student perceptions of blog effectiveness for learning in a college-level course. Internet and Higher Education, 13, 206–213 Kim, H. K. (2008). The phenomenon of blogs and theoretical model of blog use in educational contexts. Computer & Education, 51, 1342−1352. Lang, E. M. (2005). Would you, could you, should you blog? Journal of Accountancy, 199(6), 36-41. Luehmann, A. L., & Tinelli, L. (2008). Teacher professional identity development with social networking technologies: learning reform through blogging. Educational Media International, 45(4), 323–333. Pi, S.M., Liao, H.L., Lui, S.H. & Hseih, C.Y. (2010). The effects user perception oF value on use of blog services. SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY, 38(8), 1029-1040. Ray, B. B., & Hocutt, M. M. (2006). Teacher-created, teacher-centered weblogs: perceptions and practices. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 23(1), 11–18.

Author Information

Eylem Kilic (presenting / submitting)

Yuzuncu Yil University

Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology

VAN

İbrahim Gokdas

Aydın Menderes Univeristy, Turkey

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