Using Blogs as a Technology Tool to Promote Teaching Goals in Education

Abstract

This qualitative study explored graduate students’ use of blogs to support the achievement of teaching and learning goals. Blog postings and comments were analyzed and coded with the aid of HyperRESEARCH qualitative data analysis software. Once the blogs were coded, themes emerged from the data. The blogs were found to function in an integrated manner as a forum for students to engage other learners in discipline-specific conversations, espouse theory, reflect on professional and academic experience, and cogitate. Study results demonstrate the potential for blog technology to enhance the development of higher order thinking skills.