The purpose

Today’s Blog

The purpose of this blog is to explore the possibilities of blogs as an e-learning tool.

This blog was started to fill a requirement for the class in my Master’s program – Teaching and Learning with Technology. The first class in the program covers the broad concepts of e-learning. As I progress through this program I will be exploring the different aspects of learning with technology and how it applies to e-learning.

The best way to view blogs as an e-learning tool is as a experience model. The reason for this is that most blogs are personal in nature, that is, the Blogger is sharing their “life experiences” with those that choose to read the blog. Because of this, it is best to keep in mind that much of what is on a blog is opinion and conjecture. Some bloggers cite sources to back up their statements many do not. This is not saying that their statements are not valid, but one must be careful about content on the web.

A simple example of using a blog as a learning tool would be sharing cooking recipes, but then explaining the steps involved. This could be in the form of a step by step text or even add graphics to show the steps. The blogger could also have a section for feed by and questions.

At best a blog can be a very effective informal learning tool in the area of e-learning. It can also be a powerful learning tool in the area of personal experience.