DocumentCode :
479390
Title :
Assessing Peer Support and Usability of Blogging Technology
Author :
Chang, Yao-Jen ; Chang, Yao-Sheng ; Chen, Chu-Hui
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. Eng., Chung Yuan Christian Univ., Chungli
Volume :
1
fYear :
2008
fDate :
11-13 Nov. 2008
Firstpage :
184
Lastpage :
189
Abstract :
Blogs provide the contextualization of the information which is vital to the process of peer support. Through dialogues initiated by blog authors and followed by readers, blog platforms build a viable base of shared experiences and mutual relationships. We employ blogs as interactive learning tools for communities of practice in higher education. Content analysis based on empirical data is used to gauge the blog technology´s potential for encouraging interactions between students and the degree of peer support exhibited through educational blogs in hybrid learning environments. Investigation on the implications of students´ academic achievements on learning preferences is conducted to further assess the usability of blogs with particular reference to educational settings. Findings also include observations and user survey that are also used in a triangulation strategy for the use of multiple methods and data sources to produce a reliable evidence base for this study. Results reveal that students demonstrate reflective interactions and offer peer support in the online discussions between class members. However, the usability study shows a statistically significant difference in learning preferences among students of varying academic performance.
Keywords :
Web sites; computer aided instruction; social aspects of automation; academic performance; blog platforms; blogging technology usability; content analysis; educational settings; higher education; hybrid learning environment; interactive learning tools; learning preferences; mutual relationships; peer support; reflective interactions; triangulation strategy; Blogs; Context awareness; Data analysis; Education; Educational technology; Information technology; Social network services; Usability; Vehicles; Writing; Blogs; Evaluation; Peer Support; Social Learning; Usability; e-Learning;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Convergence and Hybrid Information Technology, 2008. ICCIT '08. Third International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Busan
Print_ISBN :
978-0-7695-3407-7
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/ICCIT.2008.93
Filename :
4682023
Link To Document :
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