Assessing Student Blog Projects

When considering the assessment and evaluation of student blogs first think about what the overall outcomes of the assignment are. Is it for learning new technological tools, promoting discussion, or is it for applying concepts? Or, all of the above?

In my case, I wanted students to apply what they knew about psychological theory to their own experiences. To accommodate their learning preferences, students were invited to work individually, as a pair, or in a group. They were then asked to sign-up for a course reading that they would summarize and support with additional research. They were to integrate issues, questions, alternative perspectives, opinions, applications, and experiences for how the theory applied to their reality. I emphasized that they needed to personalize their blog to help illustrate the application of the concepts. So, I needed criteria that would reflect these outcomes.

Here is a list of sample criteria that I used for the assignment:

Content

- Explains the main, supporting concepts and ideas in the readings

- Includes additional research to extend or contradict the content of the readings

- Examples and application to real-life scenarios support the key ideas

Voice and Perspective

- Unique voice of the writer(s) is evident

- Compelling and engaging use of ideas

- Questions related to the readings help the reader consider other perspectives

- Perspectives, issues, and opinions are relevant and extend the discussion

Conventions and Organization

- Text is organized in a logical manner that is easy to understand

- Ideas are expressed clearly

- Correct spelling and grammar

- Uses APA referencing

Blog Design

- Overall design reflects the theme and content of the readings

- Background colors and fonts are pleasing to the eye

- Links and video clips are accessible

- Images help illustrate the topic

- A variety of widgets were used to promote interactivity 

A site that I have been recently been introduced to is Meg's Blogology. She has some points  for creating assessments for student blog projects. Kathy Schrock's site has always been a favorite of mine. She has a host of material on assessment and using technology in the classroom.

What are your thoughts about assessing blogs?

Ten Steps to Setting Up a Blog

After reviewing several blog hosts, the host that I decided to use with my students was Google Blogger. I thought that Blogger would be the best as it is relatively easy to use and free. I wanted a program that would not intimidate students who were not as familiar with using web-based tools yet had enough complexity for more advanced techies. That way, they could focus more on the content of the blog rather than trying to figure out complex digital tools.

If you want to set-up your own blog, you can do so in ten easy steps:
1. Decide what your blog will be about
2. Choose a host (e.g., Blogger, Word Press, TypePad)
3.Create an account (make sure to review the terms of agreement and privacy policies)
4.Name your blog
5.Choose a template
6.Choose your widgets (e.g., poll, text, links, RSS feeds)
7.Type a blog entry, spell check, preview it, and publish
8.View your blog
9.Post often
10.Add photos, video, audio as you go along

You may also want to consider creating a blog as a test space to explore the options for postings and widgets. I did that first and it helped me become comfortable with the Blogger tools. After, I was more prepared when demonstrating how to set-up a blog with students.

In the end, start small as you can always add widgets later. As you blog, you will be introduced to other tools and it will become easier to expand on your existing blog.

Good luck blogging!

Getting Started with Students

Once you’ve committed yourself to creating blogs with students, where do you begin? For me this was the hardest step of all. I had a few nagging questions that needed to be explored. First, I had only recently learned to blog myself. How would I demonstrate how to do it when I barely knew how to do it myself? Second, I was unsure about how I would assess the students.  Would blogging be an appropriate assessment task for the course?  Third, at times motivating college students isn’t easy. Could blogging even capture their interest to want to learn psychological theory?  

In the end, I figured that my students probably knew more about using technology than I did considering the amount of time they are on their laptops, cell phones and engaged with social media. I found out that many of them even had their own blogs at one time. So, I decided that this activity would be a true collaborative one where we shared ideas and learned from each other as a group. I would design the blogging activity so that students maximized their textbook and other resources in applying the outcomes through the blogs they create. Instead of myself as “sage on the stage” I would use a more learner centered approach.  Applying the best practices of assessment would ensure that the assignment was well structured and the criteria clearly outlined for the students.  Aligning the goals of the assignment with the learning outcomes was essential.

Once I had resolved my initial issues, I created a list of steps that I followed to help me plan and implement this assignment with the students. Watch for my next blog that outlines these steps…:)

Case Study in Using Blogs with College Students

This past year I have had the opportunity to teach applied theories of psychology to students at a college in Ottawa, Canada. My goal was to introduce a learning space for students that would extend their technological skills and motivate them to apply psychological theory to their own experiences. Blogging seemed like the perfect opportunity to nurture a learning community and promote psychological discourses for the purpose of deep learning.

Students in the course Applied Theories of Psychology II (PSY1774) were asked to create and present a blog that explores issues related to the prescribed course readings. They were encouraged to provide 3 to 4 significant posts of research, commentary, and probing questions, on how the reading related to their personal experience.

Students personalized their blogs by including a variety of graphics, web links, videos, polls, and audio links that represented their research findings. Blogging allowed students to both share their research findings and apply their critical thinking skills. It was important for me to emphasize that critical thinking and exploration of issues were integral components of this assignment. I chose to use Google’s Blogger tool for its user friendly interface.

Generally, the students thought the assignment was fun, engaging, creative, and helped them learn about psychological theories in an innovative way. “It was a great way to explore psychology through real-life examples,” says student Karina. “Not only were the blogs useful for studying,” says student Zak, “but now more that 100 people know how to make a blog online.”

I'd love to hear about your experiences about blogging with students!