Miranda Bella’s case study entitled Weblogs and Their Effects on Writing Skills focuses on the use of blogs and its effects on the writing of upper elementary-aged students. Specifically, twenty students from two fifth-grade classes (ten students from each class) participated in the study to determine if blogs enhance student writing. During a three-week period, students kept daily blogs about class events. These blogs were then analyzed using a coded system. Whenever evidence of a predefined writing criteria (i.e. concept, description, explanation, synthesis, etc.) was found in a post, a notation was made. The results of the analysis were then displayed in a table and as a column graph.
The blogs in both classes showed that students used explanation and description in their writing more than any other writing criteria. Although to a lesser degree, they also reflected students’ use of analysis and inference, as well as grade-appropriate vocabulary. In addition, students used voice and expression in their posts and often shared their opinions. Although many spelling and grammatical mistakes were made, the blogs still exhibited high-quality writing.
Bella concluded from her study that the use of blogs do, in fact, enhance student writing. Students are motivated to write in a blog because they know others will be reading what they wrote, and they want to make sure that their readers are engaged. They also tend to write more than they would in a traditional writing assignment.
This study supports much of what I've already read about student blogging. Students tend to write more and write better when they have an authentic audience. I was surprised, however, that more was not written about the collaborative aspect of the blog and its potential effects on student writing. I would have liked to know how that component played out in the study.
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4 comments:
I agree with the premise that blogs will generate student writing, but my concern is the spelling and grammar errors. How would one address that? My students are enrolled in my course because they lack basic grammar skills - if I allow blogging and do not correct the grammar and usage errors, the students will not learn what they need to progress. Does the study mention this issue?
Thanks for sharing this article. I wonder if the other skills would show-up more often if the premise for blogging solicited high-level thinking. It seems to me that blogging about classroom events leads to explanation and description. I would like to see if changing the blog prompts lead to more analysis and synthesis.
As a writing teacher, the part that stands out to me is that because students know that others will be reading the post they are writing better. I think that is great because the goal of writing is to have an audience. I just made the same comment on Laura Kay's blog that it really gives writer's purpose. Great this just validated my thoughts.
Kirsten - The study only mentioned that students made many grammatical and spelling mistakes, although their writing skills were much improved.
Laura - I hadn't thought about that. That's a great point! The prompt that the teacher used may have been the reason why the posts showed more evidence of explanation and description instead of analysis and synthesis.
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