Blogging Pros and Cons for Adult Learners - Module 2

This Week's Question from Dr. Kang: 

Is blogging the same as discussion board activity? Based on this week's readings on blogging, discuss about the difference between blogging and discussion board activity (if any) and  the pros and cons you think blogging brings to adult learners. 

As is the case with any technological tool used in learning, there are pros and cons to blogging within Adult Education.  Weblogs (commonly referred to as blogs) are internet-based sites for posting journal-like entries that are date cataloged.  Authors can add dynamic links to websites, videos, or any other web-based content.  In contrast with personal websites or home pages, blogs can be commented on by readers, creating an interactive online dialog (Carter, 2011, p. 90).  While discussion boards allow similar functionality and are restricted to members only, blogs are available to the public.  This open access can be viewed as both a pro (expanding the community and reach of the discourse) or a con (adding risk to the learning experience especially for younger users).  Still, additional benefits of blogging can be found in an ability to transfer the power of knowledge creation to learners; facilitation of cross-generational engagement; and support for apprenticeship teaching. Other risks or concerns with adult education blogging include a lack of face-to-face interaction and technology skills gaps.

The ubiquitous availability of free blogging software has distributed the power of knowledge production to the masses.  As such, the creation, synthesis, and validation of new content is no longer limited to those at universities and other formal educational institutions.  This democratization of knowledge creation is a benefit of incorporating blogs into the adult learner experience. Santos (2011) argues that, "the freedom that the internet grants its users is unheard of in the old world of written, spoken, and broadcasted media, as less and less scrutiny, bias and pressure to conform is experienced.  Freedom of expression is uncurtailed" (p. 15).  Blogging also moves the critique of new knowledge to a more organic level.  This is important as Foucault (1976) describes how "local" criticism has the power to question "institutions, practices and discourses" (p. 80).  He calls this type of knowledge creation, "an autonomous, non-centralized kind of theoretical production, one that is to say validity is not dependent on the approval of the established regimes of thought" (p. 81).  Thus, the distribution of knowledge power is a benefit of blogging in academia.

What's more, blogging enables a collective approach to knowledge creation, review, and sharing even among differing generations that have not traditionally worked together.  Witte (2007) described a program in which she paired middle school students with pre-service teachers to write, "two-way journals collaboratively" (p. 92).  While there were some frustrations and improvements to be made to the process, both age groups found value in the blogging project (p. 94-96).  In another example, Lincoln (2013) described a cross-generational blogging experience where students from three high schools and senior citizens in a lifelong learning program participated in web-based discussion about Gerda Kliens book (pp. 1-2).  This ability to link groups of people who would not otherwise share in a learning experience is a clear benefit of incorporating blogging into any education curriculum.

Finally, blogging, by nature of its capacity to encourage reflection, feedback, and synthesis of material, is an outstanding tool for use in apprenticeship based adult learning.   Pratt and associates (2002) explain that an apprenticeship perspective sees learning as both a product and a process.  While the product is a change in the learners understanding, the process involves the, "testing, building, revising, and integrating of schemas within context of application" (p.86).  The steps of this process match well to the capabilities found in blogging.  Not to say that blogging would removed the need for hand-on, in-person learning with one's master, but it can serve as a canvas for critical thinking and an organizing space for knowledge related to one's field.  Pratt et al. provide further support for this idea when they explain how the situated learning inherent in apprenticeship is "reciprocity between individuals and social groups" (p.87).  Clearly, the comments functionality in blogs made this reciprocity readily available to a broader group of people regardless of physical location.

As with any technological solution in an educational setting there are limitations or cons to consider when adding blogging to curricula.  As mentioned above, there is no privacy in a blog.  The posts and materials included are available publicly to anyone with access to the internet.  Adult learners must be attentive to safety by limiting personal information in posts.  In academia, authors must also consider protection of unique knowledge, research, or ideas that could be used without proper consent or recognition.  Both Witte (2007) and Oravec (2002) highlight the issue of privacy in blogs.

Also true for any technology integration with learning is the problem of skills gaps in some students.  While fairly intuitive and definitely simplified with the increasing availability of free, user-friendly blogging solutions, the technological capacities of some adult users will be strained with the introduction of blogging to their curriculum.  Carter (2011) warns that there is a, "disconnect between students' adept use of technology in their personal lives and their lack of savvy with digital media in the classroom" (p.95). This disconnect may be larger for some learners than others depending on their previous exposure to technology, socioeconomic group, or age.

Finally, their are limits to how much learning can be done using blogs, without tacit experimentation and face-to-face interaction.  As explained in the discussion above on apprenticeship, it may be necessary for a student to have situated, tacit learning opportunities with their master.  A blend of technology-enabled and traditional learning events may be required for some types of material.

Therefore, as educators, we can gain much through the addition of blogging into adult curriculum.  It allows a shift of the power to create knowledge, in a public forum that allows broad interaction across groups not normally connected, and a canvas for growing one's expertise,.  As long as the learner is advised of the privacy concerns, and instructors provide necessary skills building in the blogging technologies and blended curriculum approaches when required, blogging can be a powerful addition to adult learning.

REFERENCES:
Carter, T. J. (2011). Blogging as Reflective Practice in the Graduate Classroom. In K.P. King & T. D.
Cox (Eds.) The Professor's Guide to Taming Technology (pp.89-104). United States of American: Information Age Publishing Inc.

Foucault, M. (1972-1977). Two Lectures. In G. Colin. Michael Foucault: Power/Knowledge (pp.78-108). New York: Vintage Books.

Lincoln, M. (2007). All But Her Life. School Library Journal, 53(11), 1-5.

Oravec, J. A. (2002). Bookmarking the world: Weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(7), 616-618).

Pratt, D. and Associates (2005). Five Perspectives on Teaching in Adult and Higher Education. Malabar, Florida: Kreiger Publishing Company.

Santos, N. E. (2011). Blogs As A Learning Space: Creating Text of Talks. Contemporary Issues In Education Research, 4(6), 15-19.

Witte, S. (2007). "That's online writing, not boring school writing": Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51(2), 92-96.