I attended the following presentation during the 3:00-4:30 p.m. session.

Du, H. S. & Wagner, C. (2005). Learning with Weblogs: An Empirical Investigation. In Thirty-eighth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-38), Los Alamitos: IEEE Press.

Abstract: The study investigates the impact of weblog use on individual learning in a university environment. Weblogs are a relatively new knowledge sharing technology, which enables people to record their thoughts in diary form and publish those diaries as web pages, without programming or HTML coding. The research sought to empirically determine whether the keeping of on-going (web based) learning logs throughout a semester would result in better overall student performance. This was hypothesized, because web based learning logs appear to promote constructivist learning, provide reinforcement, and increase accountability (non-anonymous idea sharing). Results from an information systems undergraduate course with 31 students indicate that weblog performance is a significant predictor for learning outcome, while traditional coursework is not. Weblogs appear to have highest predictive power for high and low performing students, but much less predictive value for medium performers. Results also suggest that there is a learning effect for weblog authoring.

The paper will be available on from the ACM archive at a future date. The paper was presented by Helen S. Du.

My notes from the presentation follow:

The authors are from the City University of Hong Kong

Weblogs were used as online learning logs. Students reflected their weekly learning experiences.

Weblogs provide a venue for assessing student learning, and active learning.

Weblogs are instant publishing, auto-archiving, allow hyperlinking, and allow others to provide comments and feedback.

Weblogs further enhance the effectiveness of a traditional learning log.

Examples shown from free Blogger accounts used by students.

RQ: Does the continuous use of web-based learning logs increase students performance?

Underlying theories:
constructivist
Cognative Constructivism
Collaborative Constructivism

Theoretical Development:
Promote student active learning
Reinforce individual accountability
Facilitates collaborative learning

Hypothesis
H1: Impact of weblog on learning performance
H2: Continuous impact of weblog use
H3: Learner group impact

Research Design:
Visual Organization course with 31 students
One semester (13 weeks) in 2003/2004
Weekly learning log exercises using weblogs
Learning assessment
Weblog performance. completion of exercises
Coursework performance
Exam
Data Collection and Measurement
9 weblog entries graded on scale from 4.0 (excellent) to 0.0 (fail)
Graded by one instructor
Based on Weimer's learning log, 2002
Richness
Evidence of thoughtful responses
Support provided for other students
Relevance to source content
Technical skill
Empirical results:
Grades of students who blog predicted final class grade.
Weblog performance over time correlate week to week, particularly from week 5 to week 9.
Discussion and Implications
Learner centered learning
More active outside the classroom
Benchmarking and self-assessment.
Predictability rather then causality
Empirical results show that weblogs impact learning
Promote new ways to teaching/learning.
Quantitative evidence for the usefulness of weblogs as a knowledge sharing medium and as a tool.

The authors used Blogger free accounts but plan to use Modblog.com in the future.

The authors have used Modblog in their most recent class. You can see the master blog, which acts as an aggregator for the student blogs, here.

Posted by prolurkr at January 5, 2005 09:36 PM

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