AJE: Blogs and Wikis Paul Bradshaw Senior Lecturer in Online Journalism UCE Birmingham Media Department

1. AJE:Blogs and WikisPaul BradshawSenior Lecturer in Online JournalismUCE Birmingham Media Department C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

2. Blogs and wikis • Some definitions • Personal blogging experience • Blog experiences - online journalism 2005; online journalism 2006 • What was changed and why - looking ahead to OJ 2007 • Outcomes and objectives • Issues • Why wikis? • Wiki experiences - production event 2006; interactive promotion 2006/07 • Outcomes and objectives • Issues • Conclusions C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

3. Bloggledegook? Some explanations… • Blogs, vlogs, photoblogs, podcasts • RSS • Wiki • Social networking – YouTube, MySpace • CAR • Crowdsourcing C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

4. Blogs? What?? • Blogs = web log; an online diary • Online journal or news diary • Links, commentary, thoughts • Have led to book deals, columnist jobs, TV appearances, and pure profit C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

5. Personal blogging experience Maintain various blogs including: • Ojournalism.blogspot.com • Interactivepr.blogspot.com • Webandnewmedia.blogspot.com C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

6. Why blog? • RSS feed can be used in Moodle • Students can subscribe • Build contacts and profile – and knowledge • ‘Scrapbook’ approach – noteworthy items • ‘Analysis’ approach – explore topic • Effort to publicise and improve pays off – comment, register, use tags, feedster C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

7. Educational blogging experiences • Online Journalism 2005: students asked to blog about specialist area, and medium of online journalism • Online Journalism 2006: more prescriptive, better results • Citizen Journalism 2007: simple news operation • Online Journalism 2007: part of a wider news operation (‘editor’s blog’) C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

8. Examples http://andyprice85.blogspot.com/ http://wrdmatt.blogspot.com/ http://richardsblog1985.blogspot.com/ http://jakbull.blogspot.com/ http://eliotmullett.blogspot.com/ http://deanheeley.blogspot.com/ http://simoned.blogspot.com/ C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

9. Blogs in teaching: outcomes • Clear split between First Class (30%) and 2:2 reflected depth of engagement • Mixes practice with theory • Medium itself part of learning experience • Produces legacy for future students • Connects with world outside classroom; contacts with industry • Some carried blog through beyond module C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

10. Empowerment? "I find it a really good way to shout off at things as well as a way to improve my writing skill. And, now that more people are commenting on my posts, it is very rewarding to discover that some people care about what I have to say." C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

11. Issues • Clear focus/subject needed • How to quantify required contributions – 12 posts? 20? • Blog literacy – importance of linking, etc. • internet connectivity • Public access – public image, legal issues • Moodle blog – not public C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

12. Wikis? What?? • Wikis = online resource which users can add to, and edit • E.g. Wikipedia, wikinews, wikispecies, wikiquote, memorywiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wikis) • Collaborative, self-correcting • But can be open to accusations of bias – or over-conservativism – and error C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

13. Experience with wikis • Production Event 2006: collaborative schedule • Interactive Promotion 06/07: assignment – defining interactive promotion C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

14. Experience with wikis • Schedule allowed all group members to amend roles and plans asynchronously • Important that changes are communicated • Medium itself part of learning experience • Collaborative learning – importance of groupwork • Editorial process – importance of rewriting and amending • Legacy for future students C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

15. Issues with wikis • How to assess contributions • Logbook? • Interim assessment? • Wiki literacy – do they know how it works? • Moodle wiki not public • Moodle wiki buggy • Public wikis and legal issues C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

16. Social media • Is the new journalist serving an online community? • Teaching the skills to navigate this virtual world • Where to go • Evaluating information • “The former audience” (Dan Gillmor) – crowdsourcing and campaigning • Using online tools – RSS readers, mailing lists, search term RSS feeds • Self-promotion? • How do we fit this in with everything else? C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

17. Conclusions • Important tools in themselves for students to learn • Can engender creative thinking around assessment from educator • Can build skills around collaboration, online research, communication, and reflection • Legacies for future students – not ‘archived’ • Should be built on pedagogical aims, and with clear focus C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw

18. Questions • For a copy of this presentation email paul.bradshaw@uce.ac.uk (x5367) C39 Internet Production : P Bradshaw