getting the bloggers to write<a research story>

steve wheelerfaculty of education

what is a blog?• web log <online diary>

• others can read and comment

• conversation

Telemachus and Mentor

In Greek mythology Odysseus of Ithaca went to fight in the Trojan War and entrusted the care of his son, Telemachus, to an older and wiser friend, Mentor.

Telemachus and Mentor developed a strong relationship built on the foundations of guidance and support.

The word “mentor” has become synonymous with teacher, counsellor, coach, facilitator, motivator and friend.

Telematic Mentoring

Geographical Distance

Online reflective diary (shared between 2 people)

research question• interested in whether a 2-

person blog could be used to enable mentors and students to communicate when they are separated by distance

• how might the research question be phrased?

design• 3 face to face students and their

mentors <diaries>

• 3 remote students and their mentors <bloggers>

• interviews

• posting records

questions

• what problems could there be with this type of research?

• what do I have to avoid?

• what are the benefits?

interview transcript

• what are the issues/problems with interviews?

• what might you deduce from the conversation?

• how could the transcript be interpreted?

Results

One f2f student preferred to communicate face to face with her mentor. She stated: “the quality of contact is not at all effective in e-mails.”

Another f2f student found close proximity to her mentor a problem: She said: “it is difficult to stay composed in such close proximity.”

Results

Six months into the project, one blog student and his mentor have so far failed to initiate a mentoring relationship, possibly due to unfamiliarity with the system, time limitations, or perhaps due to perceptions that the blog is more impersonal or removed from the face-to-face mentoring experience.

Results

Two of the blog students changed the settings, ‘look and feel’ of their blogs early on in their usage to reflect their individual preferences.

One student has used the blog on a regular basis (weekly) with his mentor and said: “I find the blog extremely useful.”

He said that he found one of the most valuable features was the ability to revisit his postings as a recorded archive.

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

We have been looking at re-visiting the projects in your course and I created a mapping document showing which projects fulfil which learning outcomes. Was this helpful? How do you think the projects are going this year in Term One - I know we really only started them on structured projects in Term 2 last year - has the earlier start worked OK for the students do you think?

Posted by XXXXXXX at 01:10

1 comment

Yes it is a useful way of trying to envisage what can be a very confusing series of connections.I keep think that the fact that some of our Project map to so many L.O.s in different modules is making things difficult.I feel there should be a 'dBs Law of Mapping' which states that if it is difficult to encompass or understand intuitively the way the mapping works then the course module(s) needs rewriting!Still that is what we are talking about doing now anyway.

25 January 2008 18:00

Example of a blog postwith mentor response

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

We have been looking at re-visiting the projects in your course and I created a mapping document showing which projects fulfil which learning outcomes. Was this helpful? How do you think the projects are going this year in Term One - I know we really only started them on structured projects in Term 2 last year - has the earlier start worked OK for the students do you think?

Posted by XXXXXXX at 01:10

1 comment

Yes it is a useful way of trying to envisage what can be a very confusing series of connections.I keep think that the fact that some of our Project map to so many L.O.s in different modules is making things difficult.I feel there should be a 'dBs Law of Mapping' which states that if it is difficult to encompass or understand intuitively the way the mapping works then the course module(s) needs rewriting!Still that is what we are talking about doing now anyway.

25 January 2008 18:00

Example of a blog postwith mentor response

One factor to be considered is that blog mentors need to be proactive in seeking out their student’s posts online, whilst face-to-face mentors must respond to their students’ reflections in the meetings.

ResultsOverall, the distance group were more mixed in their responses to the use of blogs.

Significantly, the majority of posts have been provided by the student and most comments by the mentor.

• Both methods of mentoring have advantages and disadvantages• Both appear to equally fulfil their aims within their specific contexts • Blogging must be seen as non-threatening • Blogging should not imposed upon students by lecturing staff • Blogging should have a real pedagogical purpose

Conclusions

• Students should be given control over what is written and made accessible to their mentors • The mentor’s responsibility is then to respond with appropriate comments of a supportive and instructive manner and in a timely fashion. • Blogs are learning tools in their own right, and should not be seen as simply a way of providing information online• Blogging can be used when there is no other method is available or possible

Conclusions

Future ResearchWe intend to extend this project to a larger group of teacher trainees in the next academic year

We also intend to extend this project to include blogging using mobile phones (moblogging) so that nomadic students (e.g. military, health care workers) can also participate in mentor blogging.

Possible incorporation of micro blogging (e.g. Twitter) into the mentorial tool kit.