Assessment of Use of Blogs
As an online instructor, how would you assess students' use of blogging?
Hello Roger,
I completely agree that a blogging rubric is important. The rubric should be specific to the learning goal. Provide examples of writing that meet the standards of the rubric, and discuss these examples in the instructor live lab sessions.
Marie Osuna
Online Faculty
Hello Dr. Kelly,
I would write up a class blogging plan, taking into account the ‘dos and don’ts’ of class blogging. Write up an assessment rubric. What will be measured? Presence of the blog should include subjective or inappropriate items on the rubric. Make the blog specific to the learning goal. Provide examples of writing that meet the standards of the rubric, and discuss these examples in the instructor live lab sessions.
Marie Osuna
Online Faculty
I am not sure how to assess how students use blogging. I can only assess my own usage. I tend to be conservative, however, from what I see on various websites, some people really quite prolific. I do believe that this is a good thing. It is encouraging people to wake up, and not be followers, but not necessarily be leaders. I tend to think that people are become autonomous individuals. To me, and if I am correct, this is indeed a good thing.
As for employing rubrics, I think that it would be best if I did not reinvent the wheel. I would use the rubrics that I have learned from this course.
Donald L. Buresh
I would have it incorporated into a rubric. Information for the course must support a topic relevant to the course and it must be credible information. Typically I like to see some reference to anything that is not common knowledge.
My only issue with blogs are the grammatical errors I see over and over again for writer's who do not take the time to edit completely before posting. I wish there was a grammar check just for blogging that helped people post better.
A way I would assess the students’ use of blogging is to develop a rubric that evaluates the content of the blog, and the quality of the communication. Make sure the student is addressing the material, and is comprehending the material they are covering would be very important within the rubric. Make sure the material is appropriate for the audience, and that they are providing a clear picture of what they are discussing. The number of posts would also be important to assess. I usually have set guidelines in place which tells them my expectations in the number, which usually ranges from 3 to 6 posts. Each post must contain valuable information to further the discussion, and be supported with peer-reviewed analysis.
David Makin
Appropriateness of blog, use of critical thinking and consideration of alternative ideas, comprehensiveness of thinking and proper etiquette and spelling /grammar.
...and in the case of blogging or social media there's perceived benefits to the school and student: a) school being cutting edge by embracing a tool the student is already comfortable with; and b) encouraging students to become familiar with blogging in the industry (firms, and individuals) and associations for an advantage at time of employment.
I think the best way of assessing students' use of a blog is to develop a specific grading rubric. This rubric should define exactly what you are looking for from your students including: content, grammar, length, time, format, commentary and more. Also, I liked the idea of provided sample posts for students in order for them to have a baseline to follow. We want to set our students up for success.
I have not used blogging but I agree with the rubrics in this lesson as a great starting point. I agree the main goal should be the content and how the student’s comments relate to the learning objectives.
Eryn,
That is a great point. Do students really understand the power of the tool?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Suzanne,
I would! It really does depend on the objective you are trying to measure with the blog assignment. If you are establishing yourself as an expert, you may want to use good communication skills.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I use rubrics for all of my assessments. For blogging I would assess number of blogs, quality in terms of content, and how well it fits the topic we are studying. Although I prefer formal writing, I know blogging does not require it in general. Is it ok to require formal writing in a blog for an academic course?
I would post questions and minimum requirements for participation so I could assess if the student understood how to get credit for the assignment and how to use the blog. I also would provide an assessment to test on student's understanding.
Stephanie,
What a great post You want to make sure the blog will assess objectives of the course. You want to avoid the thought of the blog as busy work; it has a purpose in learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Stacy,
Find a couple of blogs that students can follow for a while that are experts. This is a great way to model certain behavior without recreating the wheel.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
For the particular courses I teach, I would focus on assessing content and writing quality. First and foremost, as we learn through this course, it is important to provide examples of a good blog post so students know what to model after and what the expectation is. I would also assess student sharing of ideas and reflections on other blog posts as I find this is equally as important as assessing for content. Of course, the use of rubric will help students to see the purpose of the blog as well as the expectations for participating in the blog. Rubrics are clear guidelines for students to follow in these cases and set the expectation from the start.
Stephanie
Garry,
What would be a part of the rubrics? What do you want to assess in using a Blog?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Creating a rubric to assess a student blogging is and effective method. Also, creating blogs that are engaging for everyone in the course. Follow each blog and provide positive feedback on student performance.
