Topic: “Blog vs. Discussion Boards"

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Is blogging the same as discussion board activity for a SDLer? Share your thoughts on what blog-based learning activities brings to a SDLer. 


So for me, these are really two different, yet related, topics.  First I will address blogging as it relates to self-directed learners and then I will address how blogging might be different than a discussion board.
Blogging has a number of benefits (Bush, Seibel, Corkins, & Elliott-Engel, 2019;  Celdran, Serrat, Villar & Mosterrat, 2020; Witte, 2007; Pettigrew, Archer, & Harrigan, 2016).  One of the most intriguing benefits for me is “heightened levels of mental stimulation” (Pettigrew, Archer, & Harrigan, 2016).  In the study, mothers who blog, the so called ‘mommy bloggers’ reported that they felt it was a creative outlet and a way to think and craft ideas.  Additionally, in the Valor program, blogs were found to be a reflective tool to organize thinking and extend ideas (Bush, Seibel, Corkins, & Elliott-Engel, 2019).  These two ideas are most impactful to me because when I was blogging I found both to be true.  I was able to reflect on my own understandings and then challenge myself to synthesize and develop my own voice as a writer.  As I was doing so I also found the benefits of “improvement in psychological functioning, coping and distress reduction (Baker & Moore, 2008a as quoted by Celdran, Serrat, Villar & Mosterrat, 2020). 

Blogging was an outlet for me in all the of ways that I stated above, but there was also an added benefit when I connected with others through comments.  When someone commented on my blog, I would go to their blog to learn more about them.  In this way a community was formed that helps reduce isolation by know that I was not alone (Bush, Seibel, Corkins, & Elliott-Engel, 2019; Pettigrew, Archer, & Harrigan, 2016).  I found blogging to much more preferable to writing in a diary because I was connected to others and as Witte found when talking with students, it felt like “everyone was doing it” (Witte, 2007).

This all connects to self directed learners because I (and many others) were blogging, not because we had to, but because we wanted to.  Despite the definition of self-directed learning sometimes being vague (Grow, 1991), this seems to be at the heart of self-directed learning.  I was doing it for myself, by myself, and when it fit my needs.  I learned to blog because I wanted to as it fit my need to reflect as well as to connect.  I did not have a timeline or requirements for blogging.  It fit Grow’s Staged Self-Directed Learning (SSDL) model for me to be a stage 4 learner (1991).

I chose blogging because it fit my needs.  I also see that blogging could fit any level of the SSDL model.  If the blog is required for a class (as this current one is) an instructor could gauge the level of the participants.  If they are a stage 1 (Dependent) then the instructor would have to offer more support as our instructor did with lots and lots of resources to learn more and being open to offering support.  Then the instructor could intervene at any level by asking students what kind of help they wish to have (Grow, 1991).

As for blogging vs a discussion board, I see they both are similar for all of the reasons I have listed and explained above.  The biggest difference is the audience.  As I am writing this piece, I am writing for the potential of the entire world.  In a discussion board I am only writing for fellow classmates and frankly the instructor. As Witte found in her study with high school students, the connections in a blog could go beyond the classroom if the blogger opened the blog to all (2019).  Additionally a discussion board ends when the class ends, while a blog has the potential to continue beyond a class or degree.  The comments can go on forever and there is a record of it that can be revisited over time.

In summary, blogging is very worthwhile for a SDL (self-directed learner) and I think I will prefer it over a discussion board despite their similarities.

 

Picture from Unsplash.com

References

Grow, G. (1991). Teaching learners to be self-directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125-149. doi10.1177/0001848191041003001.

 http://longleaf.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SSDL.pdf

Celdrán, M.,  Serrat, R., Villar, F., & Montserrat, R. (2021). Exploring the benefits of proactive participation among adults and older people by writing blogs. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. Online first. https://doi-org.er.lib.k-state.edu/10.1080/01634372.2021.1965688

Bush, S. A., Seibel, M. M., Corkins, C. R., & Elliott-Engel, J. (2019). Evaluating the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) program: Blogs as a reflection process. Journal of Agricultural Education, 60(1), 268

 

Pettigrew, S., Archer, C. J., & Harrigan, P. (2016). A thematic analysis of mothers' motivations for blogging. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20, 1025-1031. https://rdcu.be/bQadK

Witte, S.  (2007). That's online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51(2), 92-96. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A170234041/EAIM?u=ksu&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=5b39f19d  

Comments

  1. Elizabeth HealyNovember 4, 2021 at 6:58 PM

    Ed Musings—very clever….love the name.

    I appreciate how you applied this required blogging situation to all the stages of Grow’s SSDL model. It is important to note that “readiness is situational and it may even be task specific” (Grow, 1991, p.126). According to Grow (1991) readiness is a combination of a student’s ability and motivation. With school, I usually fall into the higher categories of self-directed learning. I am motivated to do things well, am a good student and will put in the work to get the end-product I am satisfied with. With this specific assignment, my lack of experience and comfort with technology puts me in a different category, which I am struggling with. I couldn’t help but relate to the description of Stage 2 learners, “confident but may be largely ignorant of the subject of instruction” (Grow, 1991, pp.130-131). I was very grateful for every video and link to help set up my blog!

    It is funny but I didn’t directly address the audience, and that is the most obvious difference between the discussion board and the blog. I was thinking from the perspective of writing a blog post versus writing on the discussion board. Maybe that is because I don’t expect anyone outside of our class to read my blog. Ha! This is an obvious example of my lack of experience with blogging, but I look forward to exploring blogs more moving forward. I may even keep blogging….like you said the discussion board ends with the class, but the blog can go on!

    I appreciate you sharing your previous experience with blogging and the community you developed sounds amazing. Did you miss it when you stopped blogging? Do you think a blog for your class about education will give you the same feeling of community as one where you shared purely personal reflections?

    Source:
    Grow, G. (1991). Teaching learners to be self-directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125-149. doi10.1177/0001848191041003001. http://longleaf.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SSDL.pdf (Links to an external site.).

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  2. ANovember 5, 2021 at 5:49 AM

    Elizabeth, Thank you for your comments. What struck me is that you said "assignment", and that is how I feel about blogging here. I am not self-directed for this activity and so for me it is not much different from a discussion board. I have the technical skills, but I do not have the interest, motivation, or choice to be blogging. So for this assignment, I too am a stage 2 with you. I also am having some issues because my personal account is getting mixed with my school account and I keep losing comments that I have posted. This is my third attempt to respond to you and none of my comments are showing up on others blogs. I am working on figuring it out, but it is very frustrating.

    So right now, I candidly would prefer the discussion board. BUT, as I am reading blogs of colleagues, I am very interested in how they are embracing blogging and I am working to see all of it through their eyes. Have you seen Aaron's blog? It is very clever and has come very good points. Specifically he mentions the creativity that seems more apparent in blogs and that discussion boards are very sterile. I do agree with this.

    I do miss the relationships I made while blogging, however none of us still blog. It was a personal blog for a specific time of my life. In a professional blog, I feel that my writing needs to be much more researched and language carefully chosen since it will reflect on my work -- even if I make a disclaimer that it is my views. With a dissertation looming I don't have time to do that kind of writing for pleasure, but maybe I will soon. Also through this practice I hope to love blogging again that I want to continue!

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    Replies
    1. Elizabeth HealyNovember 6, 2021 at 9:22 AM

      I'm sorry about your technology issues. That is so incredibly frustrating!

      You make a good point that if your blog is for work, you will choose to use a different voice and presentation than if the blog and topic were purely personal. Just like in our class, our blog discussion topic is defined and our blogs and responses are graded, which changes the way we may respond. I have enjoyed seeing the personality and design elements within the blogs that is different from the discussion board.

      Delete
  3. AaronNovember 5, 2021 at 8:22 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. AaronNovember 5, 2021 at 8:26 AM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. AaronNovember 5, 2021 at 8:30 AM

      "Ed" and Elizabeth, Interesting comments and I think you both raise a number of really good points. One of the things you point out is that learners 'want to' participate in blogging versus feeling more forced in discussion board posts. I feel that same way. Blogging feels more like an activity that we can control and direct more. Self-directed learners want the freedom to control the experience.

      Blogging to me seems more first person and personal. While it is written for an audience to consume, it really focuses on experiential learning and the experience of the author. I get a chance to learn from and with the author, versus simply in many instances, just reading a discussion board that is heavily academically cited and directed. When I read blogs, I think about the experiences shared and my own experiences versus thinking about the college course per se. Blogs make me consider ways I apply the content and allow me to ponder experiences better.

      The last piece that really struck me was along the lines of the audience. When I post in a discussion board, I know the audience is fairly limited like you shared. Knowing that a post may be read by the world, definitely makes me take more time, give more thought, be extra careful and ultimately more engaged.

      Keep up the great blogging and look forward to reading more

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  4. ANovember 6, 2021 at 6:26 AM

    Hi Aaron, this is Adelyn. The Ed is Educational -- I need to be more clear. I am having a terrible time with blogger reverting to other email addresses and block me from posting. This is my third attempt here and I have had 5 on your blog. I am headed back to your blog to address your blog post and comment. I hope I have it figured out.

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  5. Chase WiseNovember 6, 2021 at 7:17 AM

    Adelyn,

    Thanks for sharing such a thought provoking well written blog post. It is great to see that you are considering continuing this blog after the course had ended. I hope you do that, because your writing is great! I am sorry to hear that you are having some difficulties with blogger reverting to other email addresses. I was having similar experiences, because I was a part of a sports blog a few years back. Blogger seems to complicate things when you try to make any changes to your profile, email, etc. I would be more than happy to try and problem solve with you if the issues keep happening. Let me know! I think it was a very interesting point that you brought up that while the content is similar to a discussion post, this is open to the entire world. Individuals from all walks of life, not only our class, can view this post and interact. Do you feel that puts more pressure on us to create high quality content? Or perhaps less pressure because it is in a more relaxed setting? Thanks again!

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    1. ANovember 7, 2021 at 5:04 PM

      Hi Chase. Thanks for your comment and offer for help. I think that I have finally figured it out. I have to log out of everything -- work, K-State, personal account -- and then log in to my personal account only to make it work. A bit of a pain, but I am so thankful I have a work around!!

      Your two questions give voice to what I am contemplating. Right now in education, there are a number of issues that seem to be "hot topics". So in the last few years for sure I have felt more pressure if I publish something the whole world reads. If I am just musing and using the blog to sort out my opinions and ideas then I would think something more personal is better. I can feel more relaxed in that respect. I know that I could keep the blog private, but I am thinking that defeats the purpose. What do you think?

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