Research Blogging - Experiences from Running a Blog and Teaching My Students To Do the Same

Research Blogging Dr Kerstin Sailer, February 2016

RESEARCH BLOGGINGEXPERIENCES FROM RUNNING A BLOG AND TEACHING MY

STUDENTS TO DO THE SAME

Dr Kerstin Sailer

Space Syntax Laboratory, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

Institute of Education | Public Engagement Network | 23 February 2016 @kerstinsailer


Research Blogging

Enhanced visibility, dissemination of results, reaching different audiences, more citations


Research Blogging – my own blog

Hosted by Wordpress

Started in August 2011

Thematic blog

(commentary on

current themes, new

and existing buildings,

etc)

http://spaceandorganisation.org/

http://spaceandorganisation.org/


Research Blogging – my own blog

Some stats

41 posts to date

More than 35,000

views

Average number of

views per month: ~800


Research Blogging – Insights from my own blog

Commentary on current topics – develop a voice for scientific thinking

and arguing in the public debate

Sketch ideas in progress

Highlight relevance of my academic papers (including links)



Impact: invitations, interviews, increasing media coverage


?


The problem of time

Write journal papers

Develop research grants

Manage existing

projects

Innovate on

teaching methods

Analysing dataReading and

reviewing literature

Blogging and

tweeting

Engage with students

Marking

coursework

Peer review

Student supervision → Academics as entrepreneurs


Blogging as a Teaching and Learning Tool

Writing and critical reflection as core skills of many programmes

• Evaluating ideas

• Applying concepts to real-life situations

• Solving Problems

→ Inherently difficult to teach

DEEP

LEARNINGSURFACE

LEARNING

UCL Connected Curriculum


Background

MSc Spatial Design: Architecture and Cities (SDAC) at Bartlett School of Architecture

Leading 15 credit module ‘Buildings Organisations Networks’ (BON): covers relationship

between building layout, organisational cultures, and social dynamics of space usage


Buildings Organisations Networks – Module Structure

10 week

programme

1 Weekly Lecture

Introduce

theories

and case

studies,

discuss

existing

research

Experience a

relevant building,

get information

from users, see

phenomena first

hand, observe →

‘Thinking Aloud’

2 Building Visit

3 Blog Post

Students

choose one

aspect or

theme and

write a blog

post every

other week

(500 words

max);

4 Peer Review

Students who

didn’t blog in a

given week

provide

structured

review to 3

peers; additional

tutor review


Examples of Student Blogs


Buildings Organisations Networks – Feedback System

Week 1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9

Blog

Blog

GR

OU

P A

GR

OU

P B

Blog Blog Blog Blog

Blog Blog Blog Blog

revi

ew

review

review

review

review

revi

ew

revi

ew

revi

ew

Blog

Blog

Blog

Choice of 3

best pieces

Tutor

feedback

Tutor

feedback

Report


Student Views

How useful did you find the following teaching methods in enabling you to learn new content

and develop your thinking?


Student Views – On the Peer Review

“The best thing about the peer

review is the analysis bit,

because that helps me with

my blog as well and it

definitely highlights points that

I would incorporate in the

future. It would possibly help

the other person as well.”

Avg Score (1-7)

The feedback I’ve received

was very clear.5.65

I understood what the

reviewers were trying to say.5.96

The feedback was consistent

across reviewers.4.74

The feedback from my peers

was of high quality.5.22

I felt comfortable writing

reviews for my peers.4.83

I felt encouraged to do better

next time.6.04

I believe this process helps

me in achieving a better mark.6.17


Results

2015-2016

24 students

23 with English as

second language

2014-2015

12 students

11 with English as second

language

[no peer review]

“The weekly

blogging exercise

forces you to

quickly assimilate

the knowledge and

apply it.”


My own reflections

• Tangible progress in writing and

critical thinking skills in most

students

• Multiple opportunities for students to

‘get it’

• Turning students into content

producers in an increasingly social

media driven society → tech savvy

• Transferable skills for students;

invite to turn blog into online

portfolio

What works well What doesn’t work so well

• Initial barrier of getting students to

blog

• Students sometimes associate a

blog with subjective commentary

• Heavy student workload, especially

if students interpret task as

something ‘big’

• Heavy teacher workload


Outlook

Changing role of academia: impact agenda

Changing role of teaching: research-based education & Connected Curriculum

Entrepreneurial activity: seeing blogging and tweeting as part of my role

Technology savvy – role model for students (the myth of ‘digital natives’)

Defining my own ‘googleability’


Thank you!

[email protected]

@kerstinsailer

Dr Kerstin Sailer

Lecturer in Complex Buildings

Space Syntax Laboratory

Bartlett School of Architecture

University College London

140 Hampstead Road

London NW1 2BX

United Kingdom