Martin demonstrated how his College has used blogging as an interactive e-portfolio. By utilising mobile technology the teaching team has successfully blogged (shared) tutor and learner experiences. The blogs are used to capture practical and classroom teaching and learning evidence. Such evidence includes photographs, voice recordings and written text. Lin and Ihar showed how blogging has been introduced across a whole course at their College. This opens the content of the course to the learner contribution; addresses different learning styles and needs; creates a community of learning; and advances learners’ IT & information skills.

1. Ihar Ivanou &
Lin Armstrong
BLOGGING North
FOR LEARNING Warwickshire
and Hinckley
College

2. CONTENT
 Why blogging?
 Aspects of collaborative working
 Learners’ experiences
 Outcomes
 Q&A

3. WHY BLOGGING
 Personal
 Collaborative
 Independent
 Participative
LEARNING

4. HOW BLOGGING
We tried What worked
 Wiki
 Module booklet
 Moodle
alerted students to
 Edublogs topics
 LiveJournal  No set words or
styles
 WarwickBlogs
Blogger award each
 Blogger term

5. COLLABORATIVE WORKING: TUTOR
 Managing change
 Encouragement and support
 Reading picnics
 Blogging embedded in the classroom activities
and course design

6. COLLABORATIVE WORKING: LIBRARIAN
 Information skills sessions: digital literacy
 Blogging: introductory session and remedial
support
 Reading blogs: RSS
 Award ceremony

7. COLLABORATIVE WORKING: STUDENTS
Growth of Blogging
35
30
25
Number of blogs
20
Week 1
15
Week 10
10
5
0
L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13 L14
Learners

8. EXPERIENCES: BLOG CONTENT
Categories Number of learners
 Emotional state 45
 Own interests 78
 Gender film 5
 Gender writing 10
 Nature vs. nurture film 19
 Nature vs. nurture writing 17
 Race film and writing 9
 ICT film 2
 ICT writing 6
 SEN film 8
 SEN writing 6

9. EXPERIENCES: STUDENT VOICES
 It sets information into my own head and helps my
memory. Everything I have blogged [about] I have
remembered.
 Reflection on my findings and it gives structure to
save the stuff I have seen.
 It is a good way to nick a load of stuff off other
people’s blog.
 I like to look back and reflect how I have gone through
stress and transitions. I don’t look at others.
 It is good for knowledge on your own terms – dumbing
it down.

10. OUTCOMES
 Autonomy: growing as  Communication tool
independent learners taking the course
 Voices: becoming able outside the classroom
to speak confidently  Lived experience –
 Encourages a community family, parenting, work
of mutual support – becoming part of
 Gives perspective of learning
progression

11. CONTENT + CONTEXT
 Connectivism – explanatory framework
 Transliteracy – moving seamlessly back and forth
from analogue/printed sources to digital
ones, using variety of tools and solutions

12. CONTACT
nwhc-librarian.blogspot.co.uk
ihar.ivanou@nwhc.ac.uk
linarmstrong.blogspot.co.uk
linda.armstrong@nwhc.ac.uk