Talk at Public Engagement Network, UCL Institute of Education Blogging is slowly becoming a more popular mode of communication and public engagement among academics. Some of the obvious advantages of research blogging include increased visibility and dissemination of results, increased download rates and citation counts of scholarly papers, but also fostering a public debate of scientific results. The most commonly experienced barrier to blogging is lack of time. In this talk, I will reflect on my own experiences of running the blog http://spaceandorganisation.org/ including insights into the practicalities of posting, the time dilemma, and the impact it has on my research. In the second half of the talk I will briefly introduce my teaching approach in a postgraduate MSc degree at the Bartlett School of Architecture. As part of the assignment, students are asked to write a blog post every other week based on a visit to a building in London. The blog post covers a self-chosen aspect of that week’s teaching, and students are encouraged to apply theories to real-life examples. Immediately afterwards, students receive feedback from peers and tutor. At the end of the 10 week module they choose their 3 best pieces to turn into a 2000 word report, which is assessed. It will be shown how the blogging approach enables students to rapidly improve their writing and critical reflection skills, resulting in high quality report submissions. Both running a blog and teaching my students to do the same highlights how academic work benefits from the practice of blogging. It not only communicates research, it changes the very nature of it.

1. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
RESEARCH BLOGGING
EXPERIENCES FROM RUNNING A BLOG AND TEACHING MY
STUDENTS TO DO THE SAME
Dr Kerstin Sailer
Space Syntax Laboratory, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Institute of Education | Public Engagement Network | 23 February 2016 @kerstinsailer

2. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Research Blogging
Enhanced visibility, dissemination of results, reaching different audiences, more citations

3. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Research Blogging – my own blog
Hosted by Wordpress
Started in August 2011
Thematic blog
(commentary on
current themes, new
and existing buildings,
etc)

4. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Research Blogging – my own blog
Some stats
41 posts to date
More than 35,000
views
Average number of
views per month: ~800

5. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Research Blogging – Insights from my own blog
Commentary on current topics – develop a voice for scientific thinking
and arguing in the public debate
Sketch ideas in progress
Highlight relevance of my academic papers (including links)

6. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Research Blogging – Insights from my own blog
Impact: invitations, interviews, increasing media coverage

7. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
?
Research Blogging – Insights from my own blog
The problem of time
Write journal papers
Develop research grants
Manage existing
projects
Innovate on
teaching methods
Analysing data
Reading and
reviewing literature
Blogging and
tweeting
Engage with students
Marking
coursework
Peer review
Student supervision → Academics as entrepreneurs

8. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Blogging as a Teaching and Learning Tool
Writing and critical reflection as core skills of many programmes
• Evaluating ideas
• Applying concepts to real-life situations
• Solving Problems
→ Inherently difficult to teach
DEEP
LEARNING
SURFACE
LEARNING
UCL Connected Curriculum

9. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Background
MSc Spatial Design: Architecture and Cities (SDAC) at Bartlett School of Architecture
Leading 15 credit module ‘Buildings Organisations Networks’ (BON): covers relationship
between building layout, organisational cultures, and social dynamics of space usage

10. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Buildings Organisations Networks – Module Structure
10 week
programme
1 Weekly Lecture
Introduce
theories
and case
studies,
discuss
existing
research
Experience a
relevant building,
get information
from users, see
phenomena first
hand, observe →
‘Thinking Aloud’
2 Building Visit
3 Blog Post
Students
choose one
aspect or
theme and
write a blog
post every
other week
(500 words
max);
4 Peer Review
Students who
didn’t blog in a
given week
provide
structured
review to 3
peers; additional
tutor review

11. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Examples of Student Blogs

12. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Buildings Organisations Networks – Feedback System
Week 1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9
Blog
Blog
GROUPAGROUPB
Blog Blog Blog Blog
Blog Blog Blog Blog
review
review
review
review
review
review
review
review
Blog
Blog
Blog
Choice of 3
best pieces
Tutor
feedback
Tutor
feedback
Report

13. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Student Views
How useful did you find the following teaching methods in enabling you to learn new content
and develop your thinking?

14. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Student Views – On the Peer Review
“The best thing about the peer
review is the analysis bit,
because that helps me with
my blog as well and it
definitely highlights points that
I would incorporate in the
future. It would possibly help
the other person as well.”
Avg Score (1-7)
The feedback I’ve received
was very clear.
5.65
I understood what the
reviewers were trying to say.
5.96
The feedback was consistent
across reviewers.
4.74
The feedback from my peers
was of high quality.
5.22
I felt comfortable writing
reviews for my peers.
4.83
I felt encouraged to do better
next time.
6.04
I believe this process helps
me in achieving a better mark.
6.17

15. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Results
2015-2016
24 students
23 with English as
second language
2014-2015
12 students
11 with English as second
language
[no peer review]
“The weekly
blogging exercise
forces you to
quickly assimilate
the knowledge and
apply it.”

16. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
My own reflections
• Tangible progress in writing and
critical thinking skills in most
students
• Multiple opportunities for students to
‘get it’
• Turning students into content
producers in an increasingly social
media driven society → tech savvy
• Transferable skills for students;
invite to turn blog into online
portfolio
What works well What doesn’t work so well
• Initial barrier of getting students to
blog
• Students sometimes associate a
blog with subjective commentary
• Heavy student workload, especially
if students interpret task as
something ‘big’
• Heavy teacher workload

17. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Outlook
Changing role of academia: impact agenda
Changing role of teaching: research-based education & Connected Curriculum
Entrepreneurial activity: seeing blogging and tweeting as part of my role
Technology savvy – role model for students (the myth of ‘digital natives’)
Defining my own ‘googleability’

18. Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016
Thank you!
k.sailer@ucl.ac.uk
@kerstinsailer
Dr Kerstin Sailer
Lecturer in Complex Buildings
Space Syntax Laboratory
Bartlett School of Architecture
University College London
140 Hampstead Road
London NW1 2BX
United Kingdom