From AJET 20(2) Williams and Jacobs (2004) - exploring blogs as learning spaces in higher education [Local copy]

Allen, M (1999). Don’t be a troll! Using the Internet for successful higher education. [Word document][Verified 6 June 2004] http://smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies/docs/allen/AllenHighered1999.doc
This article focuses on the application of the internet to higher education learning, and argues that cooperative systems and online communities present universities with the best opportunity for universities in the commodification of knowledge.

Ferdig, R. E. & Trammell, K. D. (2004). Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere’. Technological Horizons in Education Journal, February. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4677
This article is the first of the new wave of research focusing on the scholarly arguments for conversational learning, and argues that the intellectual ownership of ideas promoted by the blog structure, as well as feedback and challenging systems integral to blogging environments, allows for a more sophisticated form of active learning and encourages higher-order thinking. The article also offers examples of blog implementation in learning
environments.

Wagner, C. (2003). Put another (b)log on the wire: Publishing learning logs as weblogs. Journal of Information Systems Education, 14(2), 131-132.
This article draws on the research of Baker (2003) on learning logs, and Barger (1997) on weblogs, and argues that the benefits of blogs include ease of publication, sharing of results, and instructor monitoring.

Weblogs in Higher Education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.mchron.net/site/edublog.php This blog is a collective resource for academics sharing knowledge about use of weblogs and wikis in higher educational contexts.

Teaching Online in Higher Education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://blogs.panam.edu/wbl/
This blog is focuses on current topics in web based learning and promotes various relevant articles.

E_Learning Centre’s Guide to e-learning. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/guide2elearning/2-10/2-10-3.htm
This archive records a series of examples of blog use in higher education contexts, and has a link to a matrix of uses of blogs in education.

Roberts, S. (2003). Campus communications and the wisdom of blogging. Syllabus Magazine: Technology in Higher Education, January. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=7982
This article considers the range of contexts in which blogs may be utilised to improve the learning experience of students in the higher education sector. It also offers links to opinion based pieces on the matter, and to blog development tools for implementation of a web log.

Carraher, D. (2003). Weblogs in education. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/carraher/stories/storyReader$6
This short blog post from a Harvard University pedagogue reflects of the potential value to be added by use of blogs in higher education institutions.

Schroeder, D. (2004). Blogs in Higher Education: Pedagogy, Practice and Really Simple Syndication (RSS). [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/powerpoint/MWR0408.pps
This PowerPoint presentation investigates the value of RSS syndication techniques for aggregation of data, and provides many links to relevant resources on blogging in educational contexts.
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AJET 20(2) Williams and Jacobs (2004) - exploring blogs as learning spaces in higher education Education blogs from the Blog Search Engine. [Verified 6 June 2004] http://www.blogsearchengine.com/education_blogs.html

Journals
Oravec, J. (2003) Blending by Blogging: weblogs in blended learning initiatives, Journal of Educational Media, Vol. 28, Nos. 2–3, October 2003

Bartlett-Bragg A. (2003) Blogging to Learn, The Knowledge Tree e-journal
[Comments from Knowledge Tree]
Anne Bartlett-Bragg describes the phenomena of blogging, the process of blogging and how it can be used to enhance learning. The theoretical underpinnings of blogging are discussed and an explanation is given of how blogs can be used to enhance learning, so that learners may progress beyond surface learning to self directed deep learning. It is only when learners achieve deep learning will they seek out connections between concepts and be able to contextualise meaning.

This is a well written article which is timely and appropriate for flexible learning practitioners. It is soundly based on theory, as well as grounded research.

Anne provides a “5 Stage Blogging Process” and explains how blogs can be incorporated into pedagogical practice. References are provided to a number of useful sites that will explain what a blog is and how it can be used. It is acknowledged in this article that there is no shortage of technology options for educators but do they enhance learning? It is argued that blogs do.

Blog entries
James Farmer’s post on how to use blogs in education, with a useful link to his potential ASCILITE paper and his post on how not to use blogs in education.
There is some excellent stuff here about blogs in action with a great set of references from him and others.