Tips from my research on blogging

After doing some thesis research, some tips I can share for now is that for a class blog, do not split into smaller groups. The students want to hear more voices and make comments on more than just a few people’s posts. Perhaps add another class to the blog. For example, add a similar writing class like two 191s here at SCSU or two classes that are studying the same novel or book. The students will welcome the interaction with students who are studying the same things.

Keep the guidelines simple. Ask for timely comments and for 2-3 sentences in their comments. Assign each student a specific week to make a post; they need the deadline. For grading, look at timeliness, length, and if they included thoughts about others’ comments or the post. Grading takes a long time if more criteria is given.
T
he biggest tip, I can give you, is to refer to the blog in the face-to-face discussion during regular class time. This encourages the shy people to speak up because they have already had time to think about the topic. It also allows people to clarify what they meant in their writing.

Individual blogs can substitute for the journal writing that I have done in the past. The blog will allow me to have a time stamp (helpful for grading) and a record of what the student has written. I would use the blog as the rough draft and ask my students to revise one entry. Individual blogs will give my students a safe place to write and more ownership of their online writing, but I have noticed it is a lonely place so I would like to have a class blog as well.