Case Study: the Pedagogical Value of Blogging in the Primary School Classroom
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Case Study: The Pedagogical Value of Blogging in the Primary School Classroom Aisling Murray Master of Arts in Digital Media Development for Education University of Limerick Supervisor: Catríona Lane Submitted to the University of Limerick, October 2013 Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis is entirely my own work and has not been submitted in whole or in part, by me or another person for the purpose of obtaining any other university award. I agree that this thesis may be made available by the University of Limerick to future students. Aisling Murray 29TH August 2013 i Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge and thank my tutor Catríona Lane for all of her encouragement and advice. I would also like to thank my partner Sebastien, my daughter Alicia, my parents, family, friends and colleagues for their patience and support. I would like to thank the class teachers and pupils who took part in this research project. I would especially like to thank Deirdre and Lisa without whom it would have been a lonely journey. ii Abstract Case Study: The Pedagogical Value of Blogging in the Primary School Classroom Aisling Murray This study aimed to investigate the educational benefits of blogging, the effect on students’ attitude to learning and the importance of an authentic audience. Blogs offer an opportunity for students to work in a constructivist way, building new knowledge through connecting with others and reflective thinking. Blogging also capitalises on pupils’ inherent interest in and familiarity with digital media. The study involved a fifth class of 29 students from a co-educational rural school blogging for a period of four months. Students posted to the blog and read posts of other bloggers regularly. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to gather data. The study found that pupils had a positive attitude towards computer use and the majority spent time on social media sites. The blog served as a platform and enabled students to become independent learners, facilitated social learning, collaboration and global connections. The blog motivated students to read online and invest more in their writing. The presence of an authentic audience had a significant effect on student motivation and investment. The use of blogs in the primary classroom fulfils many of the objectives of the primary school curriculum and is an important tool for teachers in light of the new Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People, 2011 – 2020 issued by the Department of Education and Skills which affirms the importance of digital literacy and aims to include as part of national assessments, assessments of primary students’ ability to read digital material. iii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ IX CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 RELEVANCE .............................................................................................................. 2 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION .................................................................................................. 2 1.5 RESEARCH CONTEXT ................................................................................................... 3 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY........................................................................................... 3 1.7 STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH STUDY ............................................................................. 4 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 6 2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 6 2.2 LEARNING THEORIES ................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 BEHAVIOURISM ................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 CONSTRUCTIVISM ............................................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 CONSTRUCTIONISM .......................................................................................................... 8 2.2.4 SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM .................................................................................................. 8 2.3 LEARNING THEORIES AND THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM ............................................. 8 2.4 STUDENT MOTIVATION ............................................................................................. 10 2.4.1 INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION ............................................................................. 10 2.4.2 STRATEGIES FOR MOTIVATING STUDENTS ........................................................................... 11 2.5 AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ICT IN EDUCATION IN IRELAND .............................. 12 2.5.1 SCHOOLS IT 2000 .......................................................................................................... 12 2.5.2 SCHOOLS BROADBAND INITIATIVE 2005 ............................................................................ 13 2.5.3 DEVELOPMENTS FROM 2008 TO PRESENT TIME .................................................................. 13 2.6 ICT IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM ................................................................... 14 2.7 WEB 2.0................................................................................................................ 15 2.8 BLOGGING ............................................................................................................. 16 2.8.1 A HISTORY OF BLOGGING ................................................................................................ 16 iv 2.8.2 FEATURES OF A BLOG ...................................................................................................... 17 2.8.3 GROWTH OF BLOGS ........................................................................................................ 19 2.8.4 TYPES OF BLOGS ............................................................................................................. 19 2.9 BLOGS IN EDUCATION ............................................................................................... 21 2.9.1 TYPES AND PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL BLOGGING ............................................................. 21 2.9.2 EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS OF BLOGGING .............................................................................. 23 2.9.2.1 Capitalising on Students’ Media Literacies ............................................................. 24 2.9.2.2 Ease of Use .............................................................................................................. 25 2.9.2.3 A New Learning Environment ................................................................................. 26 2.9.2.4 Critical and Analytical Thinking ............................................................................... 26 2.9.2.5 An Audience for Writing and Student Investment ................................................. 27 2.9.3 GOOD PRACTICE IN EDUCATIONAL BLOGGING ..................................................................... 28 2.9.4 BLOGS AND LEARNING THEORIES ...................................................................................... 28 2.9.5 BLOGGING AND THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM ........................................................... 29 2.10 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY................................................................................. 31 3.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 31 3.2 RESEARCH QUESTION ................................................................................................ 31 3.3 RESEARCH SETTING .................................................................................................. 31 3.3.1 TARGET POPULATION ...................................................................................................... 31 3.3.2 PHYSICAL SETTING .......................................................................................................... 32 3.3.3 ONLINE SETTING ............................................................................................................ 32 3.4 RESEARCH APPROACH ............................................................................................... 33 3.4.1 BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH PARADIGMS ........................................................................... 33 3.4.1.1 Postivist Research ................................................................................................... 33 3.4.1.2 Postpositivist Research ........................................................................................... 34 3.4.1.3 Mixed Methods Research ....................................................................................... 34 3.4.1.4 Research Paradigm Chosen for this Study .............................................................