Blogging as a tool for learning

As I wrote these bogs over the last few weeks, I have wondered whether my educational experience was improved because of the experience  Did I create new entries because I had something to say, or merely to check an activity off the task list?

My study group recently worked to define Community of Inquiry as a framework for the design of a distance education course. During that process, we discussed the cognitive, teaching and social presence in an instructional design and how those three elements can interact within a course. Blogging is  good example of an activity that can meet both a cognitive and a social presence. The social is fairly obvious, we have the opportunity to view, share, comment, and discuss our entries with our peers right within the blog itself. We can deepen our understanding or adapt our view as we examine the topic from different perspectives. My blog was late to start, so I denied myself the experience of having a peer view mine, and my partner's blog never seemed to get started, so I was not able to comment on hers. However, the element was part o the course design, and represents missed opportunities from the learner experience.

The cognitive presence was felt because of the heightened engagement with the material. Writing a blog requires having something to say. This forces the student to personally reflect on the readings and the class discussions to see how the concepts fit into their emerging knowledge about the subjects and the application of those ideas. The blog becomes an vehicle to reach further than the analytical approach that may be prevalent in the research heavy, data-centered classroom culture. It offers a forum for concepts to settle, to grow, even to change as I present my thoughts and then receive input from readers. This level of interaction with the learning material and my peers would not happen  in a traditional one-direction-plus-exams distance education format.

So, to answer my opening questions. I did have something to say because of the blog task. The requirement increased both my level of interaction and understanding of the topics being learned. It gave me the ability to discuss the topics in a meaningful way and seek feedback. The experience did enhance my educational experience and will be added to my growing arsenal of educational tools to be applied to instructional designs.