Blogs make perfect aids to learning

BBC News: Blogs are increasingly being used by academics and students. Until a few months ago, the attention paid to web logs, or blogs, focused mainly on politics and the media business. […] Now, the technology that has been an alternative source of news to many academics is being incorporated more fully into university life. Blogs are giving departments, staff and students the freedom and informality of tone impossible in scholarly journals or even the student newspaper. Blogging lecturers say the technology provides them with easy online web access to students and improves communication outside of the classroom.

This should be no surprise to anyone. The academic world has long been at the leading edge in embracing communication technology, both as an aid to education as well as in academic research.

A great example of how such blogging is already in action is Robert French, a lecturer in public relations and multimedia at Auburn University in Alabama, USA.

Last year, Robert started the InfOpinions blog as a means to enable his students to use a tool that’s integral to their studies. Robert says:

I started this blog, initially, in preparation for a class in Fall, 2004. I am continuing the use of blogs/CMS in subsequent classes. My students will be creating, and working with, blogs, wikis and portal sites.

Indeed, take a look at the depth and breadth of how blogs are used in Robert’s curriculum – lots of student blogs there, too.

Undoubtedly, there will be other examples, too. But this is one I know about.

3 thoughts on “Blogs make perfect aids to learning

  1. Thank you, Neville. Appreciate the kind mention.
    As I wrote in my email to you, there is the PR Studies blog, too.
    http://prstudies.typepad.com/weblog/
    Richard Bailey of the Leeds Business School & Centre for Public Relations Studies has been blogging about PR for some time.
    The three prime benefits to our blogging efforst are to (1) encourage students to write and hone their writing skills, (2) begin to develop a voice and expressing opinions about current PR topics, and (3) interacting with practitioners through their blogs.
    Another positive aspect is learning how to use CMS platforms, too.
    Great article … thank you for sharing it with us.
    Take care.

  2. Thanks Robert.
    PR Studies! How could I have missed mentioning it? Closer to home, too 😉
    I read Richard’s blog and he’s in my blogroll. Sorry, Richard!

  3. PR Students Learning About Blogs

    I should have mentioned this before, but I am one of many contributors to Marcomblog.com. MarcomBlog is a collaborative effort between six terrific public relations and marketing professionals and students in Auburn University’s Department of Communica…

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