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!