Blogs and Emerging Technologies to Build Virtual Learning Communities

Blogs
An innovative educator consistently searches for new ways for students to learn, apply and evaluate knowledge acquired throughout the course or curriculum. Blogging is a written exercise an individual post on a website of their opinions and reflections about a certain topic. Others are allowed to comment on the blogging commentaries thus allowing for interaction of ideas between persons. Blogging is an exercise beneficial to both the student and the educator.
Blogging allows the student to reflect, apply, analyze and internalize the information they have learned. Blogging is a type of reflective journaling in which the student exhibits an understanding and application of concepts, enhances critical thinking and supports effective acquisition and transferability of cognitive and metacognitive skills (Dunlap, 2006). Collaboration with other students and educator can facilitate greater understanding and enhance learning.
Blogging allows the educator to evaluate the students understanding of concepts and ability to apply concepts learned. In addition the educator can view the student’s progress of understanding in the course of study.
I have observed in our class blogs myself and classmates write reflectively on the readings and then apply the concepts to personal experience to demonstrate application and internalization of information. Cynthia writes:
“In online learning, since there is such a diverse group, or can be, we can all learn from each other. Collaboration is essential. Why should we reinvent the wheel when someone out there has already tried everything we have? We need to gain knowledge from those out there who have been doing this longer than we have. In health care, sometimes you never see certain diseases or conditions. Then, one day you have a patient come in with something you have read about in nursing school 15 years ago. I would turn to someone who deals with the disease on more frequently and knows the ins and outs. You don't learn everything from books. Experience is a great teacher and if you can learn from another, why not?”
Here she discusses online collaboration and how the concept of collaboration can apply to her own personal experience. This process assists the student in developing a better understanding of the readings. Another aspect of comprehension from our class blogs is the responses of classmates to our own blogs. This process aids both individuals in their own learning. An example of this was in my personal blog:
“My least enjoyed chapter was Chapter 7 “Mask and Identity." This was a difficult chapter for me. I understand the overall concept of the chapter (I think) is that the virtual world allows us to be anyone we want to be and that we should take advantage of this facet of the virtual communities to have a sense of connection with others within the community. Various theories of identity were discussed and um...dissected so to speak. Many of the theorists I have not heard. Any enlightenment from others on this chapter would be welcomed.”
Wendy responds:
“I also agree that chapter 7 was confusing. I think that the jest of it was that we are able to be portrayed any way we want on the internet and we are able to keep a sense of anonymity and this can enable us to express ourselves more openly.”
When I read Wendy’s response we both agreed the chapter was over the idea of anonymity but her statement “anonymity…enables us to express ourselves more openly” gave me a different insight in the overall message of the chapter. I could appreciate this explanation.
Our class’ blogging exercises and discussion forums builds our learning community so that we learn from one another in our reflections and our interpretation of information. The more we blog the more comfortable we become in expressing our ideas and thoughts. “Lave argues that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs (i.e., it is situated). Social interaction is a critical component of situated learning -- learners become involved in a "community of practice" which embodies certain beliefs and behaviors to be acquired. As the beginner or newcomer moves from the periphery of this community to its center, they become more active and engaged within the culture and hence assume the role of expert or old-timer (Situated Learning (J. Lave) ).
Bonk and Zhang has an interesting learning model R2D2 (readings, reflect, display and do) for designing and delivering online learning. In this model reflection exercises such as blogging on the information read helps the student “discern where book knowledge is not directly applied in the real world as well as how their knowledge must continually be modified and updated to fit the actual circumstance or situation” (Bonk & Ke, 2006).

Emerging Technologies to Build Virtual Learning Communities
I had looked at all the suggested technologies in the case 2 guidelines. It was very difficult to decide on one technology to write about. I may be behind the times when it comes to the technology that is available out there to assist in learning communities, but was in awe. I found myself saying “that is so cool” quite often during my exploration. I settled on discussing Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ .
Audacity is an audio editor and recorder that allow a user to do a multitude of tasks with pertaining to sound. Features of this technological tool include:
• Records live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from cassette tapes, vinyl records, or minidiscs.
• Import sound files, edit them, and combine them with other files or new recordings.
• Edits sound files. Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
• Convert recordings to other languages (Audacity).
The purpose the developers had for this technology was to provide free downloadable software in which the user record sound files such as audio podcasts, ringtones, basic recordings /mixes and editing or combing audio files.
In my analysis of this site I came across a couple of tutorials, one in which caught my attention. The tutorial was titled “Introduction to Audacity: mainly for guitarists.” I play guitar (as a hobby) so this interested me. I clicked on the site http://www.blind-summit.co.uk/2006/09/introduction-to-audacity. The Blind Summit: Guitar Players Community appeared. The guitarist is able to record music and share it with the guitarist online community. As an amateur guitarist I thought this was a great opportunity to collaborate with other more advanced guitarists. I could share my music and have other critique my recordings. This online learning community was not only text based through posting but also involved sound recordings which in this case enhanced the learner’s experience.
Another advantage I observed in this tool was the ability to convert recorded sound to another language. This would be a great tool to reach other students across the borders. An instructor/ teacher could make a podcast of a lecture and have the lecture converted to another language to be available to students in another country.
Audacity would appeal to the auditory learning style. Auditory learners prefer hearing directions, lectures, or verbal information (Bonk & Ke, 2006). If I were an instructor I could record an audio podcast of a lecture and make it available on an i-pod or MP3 (through conversion methods available at Audacity) for the student to listen at their convenience. Thus learning becomes mobile “the educational event or activity follows the learner, instead of the learner having to arrive at a designated place in which to acquire it” (Bonk C. , 2009). In addition, the students would create reflective podcasts recordings similar to that of reflective writing in a blog to share with other students to create a variety of learning techniques. However when the learning environment utilizes an instrument such as the guitar as stated above Audacity allows the student to share their recordings with others which would be essential the learning process because it exhibits modeling, listening skills and analysis skills which are observed in podcasts (Bonk & Zhang, 2008).
The issues the instructor needs to identify with this tool when used for educational purposes would be the accessibility of the software and difficulty of its use for the student. Audacity is free software available to many systems however the instructor must make certain the student has the basic system to run this program. Also the students that may not be “tech savvy” may get lost or not take part in the exercise because they do not understand the process. The instructor would have to provide sufficient guidance for the student to ensure success.




References
(n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2010, from Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Bonk, C. J., & Zhang, K. (2008). Empowering Online Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bonk, C. (2009). The World is Open: How web technologyis revolutionizing education. Jossey-Bass.
Bonk, C., & Ke, Z. (2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model:Online learning for the diverse learners of this world. Distance Education , 249-264.
Dunlap, J. C. (2006). Using Guided Reflective Journaling Activities to Capture Students’ Changing Perceptions. TechTrends , 20-26.
Situated Learning (J. Lave) . (n.d.). Retrieved March 2010, from http://tip.psychology.org/lave.html