Bridging the Distance: The use of blogs as reflective learning tools for placement students

1. Bridging the Distance: The use of blogs as reflective learning tools for placement students By: Matthew Short

2. Index • Author • About • Blog Defined • The Objectives • The test • The challenges • The results • Conclusion • Future plans for students

3. Author • Author: Katharina Wolf • Author Affiliations: School of Marketing, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia

4. About • The Professional Placement Unit is a compulsory requirement for all public relations (PR) students at Curtin University of Technology • Due to its format as a semester-long individual tuition a number of students have commented on feelings of isolation and loneliness due to the lack of interaction with their peers. • Additionally, despite the overall popularity of the placement, response rates to the university-wide ‘evaluate’ end-of-semester questionnairehavebeen comparatively low, both at a School and Faculty level.

5. Blog Defined • This paper reviews the effectiveness of web logs ('blogs'), or online journals, within the context of a compulsory final-year placement unit for public relations students • A blog is a frequently updated web site consisting of personal observations, excerpts from other sources, etc., typically run by a single person, and usually with hyperlinks to other sites; an online journal or diary’ (Oxford University Press, 2008).

6. The Objectives • To encourage ongoing, reflective practice via an exchange between students thereby limiting feelings of isolation commonly reported during the course of this individual tuition unit. Secondary objectives: • To encourage exchange between participating students based at different on- and off-shore campuses. • To create an opportunity that would aid in the early detection of potential problems and to provide a forum in which additional learning material could be provided in response to arising issues.

7. The Test • The blog used for this trial project was created on blogger.com • The blog was used for student reflection in semester 2, 2008 of the Professional Practice Unit, as part of the Public Relations Major at Curtin University of Technology. • 68 students were selected to be a part of this experiment. • The students were provided with a 4 page blogging guide, which emphasized the aims and objectives of the blog. • Students were required to post a minimum of 4 original posts and 4 responses over their duration of their minimum 20-working day placement.

8. Challenges • Monitoring and administration tasks have developed into a substantial burden on the Unit Coordinator. It’s recommended to recruit additional administrative help in order to maximize in-house resources. • Operating the blogs in a global forum isn’t a safe option and puts not only students but staff and the University itself under pressure. • Some students struggle with the idea that they’re operating in an open global forum, which can easily be accessed by both current and future employers. • Grammar and spelling and the quality of writing are some of the issues that need to be monitored in order to protect the reputation of the University and the course.

9. The Results • A feeling of isolation and disconnectedness was one of the problems traditionally identified with the PP Unit. 2.83% of participating students found that the blog assisted them in overcoming their geographical distance. • By the end of the semester the entire group, representing students from three different campuses (Australia, Singapore, and Mauritius) were fully involved, with up to 21 posts/day. The average post attracted 3.8 comments • 64% of students stated they would participate in a similar activity, even if it was formative purposes. • The dissatisfied students didn’t provide any feedback • The blog provided a platform to discuss insights gained and career choices made

10. Conclusion • The results from the study provide a strong encouragement to continue the use of blogs as part of placement units, as well as combat isolation in individual tuition units. • Students who maybe shy in the classroom can provide a voice and an opportunity to shine. • Students demonstrated that they can learn as much, if not more from each other than from an instructor or a textbook. Effectively supporting the shift away from textbook teaching to more interactive student focused learning opportunities.

11. Future for students • Blogging has now been introduced as an essential topic in a second year, media focused PR unit. • The success of the blog will have to be continuously monitored and re-evaluated. However, after the initial trial period, the blog has been embraced as an information portal for upcoming placement students. • The Unit Coordinator, updated a FAQ section on the University’s learning management system. The tool provides students with easily accessible support, independent of the Unit Coordinators availability. • By providing the initial group of students with extensive support and feedback, it is hoped that the quality of the blog posts will influence future students’ writing style, attention to detail and reflective practice.

12. Cited Source • Bridging the distance: the use of blogs as reflective learning tools for placement students • http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.online.dtcc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=108&sid=52654dc2-04a9-429b-9964-0520eac6995d%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=53539108