Blogs in Action Research

Robert Runté, University of Lethbridge

Blogs as research tool

inexpensive alternative to project management software

establish virtual communities in area of specialization

track developments in one’s field manage data brainstorm with colleagues document priority in formulation of key ideas supervise research assistants, pace one’s work disseminate results

Project management

increased productivity in collaborative projects all team members may post RSS informs when anyone posts communication not lost in sea of email

Project management

increased productivity in collaborative projects team members report and document

what has been accomplished each day backs up work in central depository track progress towards project goals

/deliverables

Project management

increased productivity in collaborative projects synergistic exchanges everyone’s contribution documented assistants supervised remotely

Concerns

Accountability for commentary‘stealing my ideas’

Private Research Blogs

Personal Knowledge Management Tool

Content management

Easier management of online clippings, resources, links, conference notes, musings

Public Research Blogs

Networking and Dissemination Tool

Content management

automatic archiving; use comment function to provide updates

use RSS to keep up with the latest news from colleagues or course-relevant websites

Networking with colleagues

“non-intrusive emergent collaboration” Blog attracts colleagues Readers critique and contribute updates Specialized community evolves

Networking with colleagues

Latest research speculation is in blogs not journals

stay in contact with practitioners in the field (e.g., classroom teachers)

Blogs as Data

diary research

millions of personal diaries available on-line spontaneous, non-reactive: “found data” pre-typed, formatted, date stamped,

archived, and indexed RSS feed allows for easy monitoring of

very large samples

diary research

snowball sampling postings hyperlinked trackback function comment function

diary research

three different types of samples blog content characteristics of the blogger linkages between blogs / bloggers

diary research

two sampling biases digital divide bloggers literate, habitual writers

factual inaccuracies drive for readership

ethical issues

published data (?) anonymity designated levels of privacy choice to include RSS registered with indexing services.

anonymity

quotations and googlereused aliasescummulative detailfailure to use anonymizing

technologies

informed consent

may not understand “public” tagmay be traced through links to public

blogsdeleted postings not gonepublic posting may not imply

willingness to participate in study

blogs as data collection tools

sustained asynchronous focus groupdirected journal entriesstudent assignment journals

Student blogs as data

Unlike class discussion, comments are recorded, pretyped, chronologically archived, titled, and indexed

can provide more authentic feedback on readings, teaching

authentic feedback

Check for understanding E.g., discovered % of students did not

recognize satirical readings

check for student reactions E.g., discovered which readings / topic

too challenging, too boring, too irrelevant (from student perspective)

authentic feedback

Students much more reticent in face-to-face class discussion Classes too large for more than vocal

minority to speak attempt to hide if they didn’t

understand or disapproved of reading /discussion

authentic feedback

Vectored viewing -- reading between the lines of student responses Commentary on class, on classmates, family,

etc., often included and provided key insights for adapting teaching

Ethical concerns

assigning blog for teaching purposes does not automatically allow use in published research need prior human subjects research

approval need prior informed consent need post-course informed consent