the effectiveness of collective group blogs as a tool for reflection within experiential learning...
TRANSCRIPT
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLECTIVE GROUP BLOGS AS A
TOOL FOR REFLECTION WITHIN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY OF SIMULATED WORK BASED
LEARNING WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION
E. Garcia1, M. Brown1, I. Elbeltagi2
1Plymouth College of Art (UNITED KINGDOM)
2University of Plymouth (UNITED KNIGDOM)
OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Experiential Learning
• Blogs & Experiential Learning
• Methodology
• Case Study
• Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusions & Recommendations
INTRODUCTION / CONTEXT
• Increase in general use of Social Media
• Limited effect on education particularly within Art and Design
• Increasing focus on employability, links with industry, vocational education
• Group sizes and need for efficiency but work placement can be costly
• Social Media may - support group work, promote technology, record
experiences
• Blogs would appear to support this well
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
• Two differing concepts
• Learning within an authentic setting
• Learning activity which takes place through everyday experiences
• David Kolb
• Learning occurs through the transformation of experience
• Emphasis is on the process rather than the outcome
• Process is transformational which results in knowledge being created, adapted and changed rather
than transmitted
• The learning cycle
KOLB’S LEARNING CYCLE
BLOGS
• Blogs enable flexible, interactive and easy to use of reading and writing
reflectively
• Blogs support the creation of social and peer learning communities which support
learning
• Allow others to read and comment – including authentic audiences
• Discuss experiences – primary and secondary – actual, recalled and artificial
• Any time, any place
• Flexible media – text, images, videos, links
• Collective and Individual blogs
BLOGS & EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
• Enable learning through – writing, reading, receiving comments and posting
comments
• Collective blogs allow collaborative learning – peer facilitated learning
• Sharing, creating analysing and evaluating knowledge
• Communication, interaction – social and conversational
• Four aspects • Writing – self reflective process
• Reading – reflection triggered by reading
• Reading and Commenting – reflection
• Commenting – reflective dialogue
KOLB’S LEARNING CYCLE WITH BLOG USAGE AND REFLECTION ACTIVITIES
METHODOLOGY
• Qualitative & Quantitative Approach
• Case Study
• Content Analysis
• Observation
• Coding:• type of post• number of images in the post• number of links• number of comments• time after post comment made• number of text lines in the post• whether the comments reflect any experiential learning
CASE STUDY• Plymouth College of Art
• BA(Hons)/FD Illustration – Year 2 Module
• Assignment: The Great Editorial Race• Create 10 Illustration within 3 weeks judged by “client”
• Student assigned teams by Programme Team (aimed to ensure evenness)• selected a captain who is responsible for the creation of a collaborative team blog to support in class
activities
• Blogs aims:• Create enclosed online “safe” space
• Develop online community
• Reflective learning space
• Peer review space
• 3 blogs analysed: Fubar (FB),The Increditorials (IN), We Will Shock You (WWSY)
FINDINGS
• Total posts – 64% in FB, 19% in WWSY, 17% in IN
• Comments – 78% in FB, 15% in WWSY, 7% in IN
However students also stated they kept in contact via:• Facebook • face to face• text (messaging)
• Experiential Learning – 67% in FB, 19% in WWSY, 15% in IN
• Therefore the greater the activity, the greater the learning
FINDINGS• Higher numbers of images
• 70% in FB, 20% in WWSY and 10% in IN
• Comments indicate higher levels of engagement within FB with other teams often posting after submission
• Within FB all members contributed
• Within IN and WWSY at least one team member failed to engage
• Maximum contributions from one individual: FB = 71, WWSY = 16, IN = 7
• Maximum posts from one individual: FB = 26, WWSY = 7, IN = 8
• Average comments per post: FB = 2.8, WWSY = 1.8, IN = 0.9
• Learning could possibly therefore be attributed to each of these aspect
DISCUSSION
• Experiential Learning has occurred to varying degrees
• Greater blog use appears to indicate greater learning
• Only within FB is the full cycle complete
• Within IN and WWSY the perception continuum appears to be less developed –
lack of engaged feedback
• Possible lack of reading within WWSY and IN
• FB evidence of reflective learning – respond, seeking feedback, encourages
other to seek feedback
• Assessment not part of task may have resulted in lack of engagement
• Art and Design context – more visual use of blogs
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
• Collective blogs can be used to support experiential learning
• Evidence of support for reflective learning
• Dependent upon individuals, and active engagement
• Need four key aspects - reading, writing, leaving comments and receiving
comments
• Triggers - self-reflection, reflection triggered by reading, reflective dialogue
• Appear to be useful in Art and Design for critique of visual images
• Need to consider assessment – will it inhibit effective reflective learning
• Future studies could consider engagement with authentic audiences