Using NUS Module Blogs

Using NUS Blogs:Module andStudent blogs

N. SivasothiDepartment of Biological Sciences, NUS

http://tinyurl.com/siva-nusblogs

How I use blogs - a quick and useful tool for communication (2003-present)

Content matters

Elusive links

Useful archive

Appearance helps

General readership

General readership

First natural history blog

First museum blog

First cycling blog (group)

News blog

Useful archive

How useful?

Active readers and searchers

Wider readership: twitter and facebook

Facebook

Science journals follow suit

Cats and content

Something to share

Point to interesting links from your reading.

Your take.

Personal touch.

Module blogs: pointers not discussions (2008)

Text

http://blog.nus.edu.sg/lsm1303/

Point to links

Local relevance

Local relevance

Pull or Push?

Pull or Push?

Audience?

Will it come out in the exams?

The more enthusiastic read

A way to support the very interested student

Archive link to good articles

Email still easier and has a better reach

Student blogs: writing and communication

Fun,Search,Read,Write,

Communicate

Will blog for marks!

Structure, brevity, credibiliy

Someone has to mark!

Pros and Cons• No lag time - just use

their existing userid.

• Focus on writing.

• Full name at bottom of each post - marking, pride.

• Posts were public - real world judges.

• Mannual addition of class userids (CIT or FTTA helps).

• You will have to setup guidelines.

• Someone has to mark.

Guidelines & Marking

Text

What about plagiarism?

• Export entire blog as a pdf

• Submit to turnitin

• Pre-empt: students can self-evaluate and improve - they will learn from their results

Archive Posts, Field journals

• E.g. LSM1303student posts - export to file.

• Upload to archive (LSM1303-2009).

• Delete all posts; start afresh.

Field journals for 1st years?

Thank you!

N. SivasothiDepartment of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore

http://tinyurl.com/siva-nusblogs