Dr. Rhoda Gitonga of Kenyatta University- Featured Exert Mentor at 2016 ELICE

<11/9/2016> September 2016 ELICE 2016 Copyright 2016 <KENYATTA UNIVERSITY>l

Student’s Experiences of Using Blogs to Promote Experiential Learning in a Blended Classroom: A

Case of Kenyatta University

Presenter Rhoda Gitonga (PhD)Kenyatta University

Kenya

Acknowledgement: Dr. George OnyangoDr. Thaddeus Rugar


Motivation, problem area

• In using technology such as blogs in the classroom, are there specific practices in the student’s use of technology in learning that can be linked with key concepts in learning theories in order to illustrate the value of technology in the classroom?


Research Objectives

• The aim of this paper was to explore the experiences of

students in using blogs in a blended classroom and importantly

to identify specific practices in the student’s blogging and link

them with four key concepts in the experiential learning theory

in order to illustrate the value of blogging in the classroom.

• The paper sought to;– Explore the students’ experiences in using blogs in the class room

– Identify specific practices in the students’ blogging and link them with key concepts in the

experiential learning theory in order to illustrate the value of blogging in the classroom.


Research approach, Methodology

• Research Design:– A case study design using an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL)

in Kenya was applied (Kenyatta University). – Through purposive sampling, a class of 50 students at Kenyatta

University was engaged in the study.

• The participants were those students involved in the Unit Applications of computers in recreation and sports management (January-April 2016), a third year unit where the instructor had joined an educational blog called Edublog and invited the students to use the platform for virtual collaboration and engagement in course work.



Edublog Design process



• Data Collection Instruments and Administration – A web based self constructed questionnaire and comments from

students on Edublog were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data.

– The data collection tool applied for qualitative data was a web questionnaire which had both open and closed ended questions. It was created with the help of software provided by https://docs.google.com/forms/. The questionnaire was linked to Edublog home page and also made available online on each students Email account to fill in data.

– The questionnaire aimed at finding out students’ experiences in using Edublog in their classroom.


Major Outcomes/Results

• About 40 students responded to the questionnaire by the end of the semester, providing a response rate of 80 percent

Summary of students experiences in using Edublog in the classroom



• There were some comments made by students made on the open ended questions on the questionnaire that were worthy highlighting. When students were asked on their opinion about using blogs in the classroom, some felt that immediate feedback was lacking from the lecturer.

• Some students also felt that the initial entry into the platform and engagement was a bit difficult.



• Students also found out that they could have performed better if infrastructure like provision of free Wi-Fi in the classroom was always available.

• Other students felt that the class could have been encouraged to embrace their devices such as mobile phones, I –phones and i-pads to access the platform in the comfort of their homes or hostels without necessarily going to the student’s computer labs.



Key Concepts in Experiential Learning

Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle



• Specific Practices in the Students’ Blogging that were Linked to Key Concepts in Experiential Learning

• Concrete Experience • According to Kolbs (1984), learning is best conceived as a process. • In this case, students were engaged at the beginning of the semester in

a process that was believed to enhance their learning by engaging them in a blog throughout the semester.

• The process of blogging drew out students’ beliefs and ideas about various assignments. These ideas were examined by other students and integrated with new more refined ideas. In the blog, this would be seen in students’ comments about other students’ ideas.


Major Outcomes/ResultsConcrete experience: A student’s examination of another’s comment and integrating with new refined ideas

Task: Describe your recreation/sport interests and your career goals, and how you feel technology already/will impact them.





• Reflective observation• Students shared additional information on the blog, but one of the most impressive aspects is where they challenged others to build upon what they reported

Reflective Observation: A student being challenged to build upon what she had reported

• Resolution of conflicts, responding to challenges and disagreements drives the learning process. From this Figure, the student was being called upon to move back and forth in her reporting by reflecting and acting further to develop her ideas. This enhanced the learning process.



• Abstract conceptualization• Task: Using your camera, capture a series of photos from a

local recreation or sports event. Edit as you wish and organize into a slide show to emphasize a theme. Prepare this slideshow to submit in class.



• Abstract conceptualization• This is where in the learning process, students were able to reflect on their

ideas, assimilated then, and distilled them into abstract concepts from which new implications for action could be drawn. An example from the blogging class is where students were able to emphasize a theme about a topic given in class by capturing a series of photos and either creating a PowerPoint presentation or a YouTube video embedded on the blog to bring out a new experience.



• Active experimentation: • According to Glogoff (2005), learning occurs when students

are guided towards identifying appropriate conceptual processes and solving real life problems. In this blog, the instructor challenged students to create a 9-slide (minimum) presentation on any recreation or sports topic of their own and show how technology would have been used in a real life scenario. The expectation was that after exploration, students were to synthesize what they had learnt and describe those concepts using technology in a real world scenario. Students even went ahead to create videos on recreational activities they had within the semester and how they would have used technology in those recreational and sports activities.


Conclusion and outlook

• Borrowing from the cycle of interaction by Kolbs (1984) that brings about experiential learning, blogging activities in this particular class were linked to experiential theory


Conclusion and outlook

• When teaching online, there is need to remember:– Students require immediate feedback– Students require basic computer skills– Infrastructure is key– Moving towards Bring your own device rather than University

computers in the lab

Education

Dr. Rhoda Gitonga of Kenyatta University- Featured Exert Mentor at 2016 ELICE