Abstract

Globalization is irreversible and the Internet is increasingly used to connect people and share information worldwide. The proliferation of digital information allows us to make choices about how we gather information and use technology to enhance learning. This is especially true in an academic environment, where the Internet is often used as a tool to facilitate deeper learning.
 The focus of this study is to investigate whether and how to use blogs to boost student learning in a traditional learning environment where lecture based (didactic) instructional practices still prevailing. This paper will also look at Al-Ain University of Science and Technology (AAU) student perceptions of the benefits of blogs for enhancing college learning. 
 To explore these issues, Blogging was introduced to students in the Internet Technology class. A combination of one hundred and ninety-nine graduate and undergraduate AAU students answered an online questionnaire exploring their perceptions of blogs as a learning tool. Quantitative and qualitative data was also collected through open-ended questionnaires, student journals and reports, and end-of-class e-portfolios. 
 All statistical analyses were carried out with SPSS. Results indicate that blogs have the potential to empower and enhance student learning. Student response to using blogs in the course has been overwhelmingly positive.

Highlights

  • A blog is an online platform where an individual, or a number of people, is able to upload text, photo, video and other multimedia content, and share it with an unlimited amount of internet users

  • The ability to comment on a blog, and transform a blog post into an active discussion, creates a space for ideas to flow, grow and change, and for feedback to be received from anywhere in the world

  • By requiring your students to maintain a study-related blog, you are encouraging them to think critically about the information they are consuming within the classroom, and encouraging them to place that information into a wider context

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Summary

Introduction

A blog is an online platform where an individual, or a number of people, is able to upload text, photo, video and other multimedia content, and share it with an unlimited amount of internet users. Blog pages set themselves apart from other online platforms for their interactive nature. Blogs can be introspective and personal, as the creator(s) tends to be the sole moderator(s) of a selfcreated page, they can be a tool to connect with the outer world and exchange ideas. The ability to comment on a blog, and transform a blog post into an active discussion, creates a space for ideas to flow, grow and change, and for feedback to be received from anywhere in the world. With a simple URL link, anyone can access a blog post, no matter by whom, when or where it was created. Readers can feel involved in the content that they are consuming

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