Blogging began as a way for Internet users to communicate with each other through an online journal.
Now Ball State University students and teachers have started using blogs as a way to extend learning outside of the classroom.
Associate Professor of English Victoria Barrett said she started a blog for her English 285 class because she believes it will help give her class a sense of community. Although this is her first semester using a classroom blog, Barrett said she has noticed that students are articulating thoughtful, inventive responses.
"One of my goals in requiring blog participation is to keep creative writing as a craft and a discipline at the forefront of students' attention for one more day a week than I have them captive in the classroom," she said.
Junior telecommunications major John Rozewicki, a student in Barrett's English 285 class, said, "It's nice that everyone can give their opinion and be heard. ... As [Barrett] said in class, it's hard to have a conversation with 27 people."
Rozewicki said the downside of blogs is that they may be used where other means would be better.
"Blogs have good sides and bad sides, and they can't be used for everything." He sees blogs as a trend, and thinks that Ball State's interest in them will mirror the public's. So when the general public's interest in blogging fades, so will classroom blogging.
Assistant Professor of Multimedia in the telecommunications department Dr. John Dailey has been using a classroom blog since September of 2004.
"I use blogs because it allows me to extend the discussion beyond the normal class time," Dailey said.
Dailey said his graduate students have to read an assignment and get a "big idea question" and post it on the blog 24 hours before the next class meeting.
"[Those students are] going to have to step up because everyone's going to see their comments," Dailey said. Dailey often starts class discussion by looking at the posted comments on the blog, he said.
Loren Malm, of University Computing Services, said the university will provide blogging capabilities for both students and faculty in the next few months.
It is uncertain as to what impact blogging will have on Ball State as a whole. Currently, there are less than half a dozen teachers using classroom blogs now, but Dr. Dailey is doing his best to spread the word to other Ball State faculty by offering workshops.
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