“Blog vs. Discussion Board”

 An overarching goal of many educational institutes is empowering students to become “life-long, self-directed learners” (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020, p. 137). In universities, students are classed using age, financial dependency, progression of studying, etc. as distinctions between categories. The term ‘non-traditional’ is used to categorise students who do not fit the standard age cohort of 18-24 years of age. I fall within this ever-growing diverse student population (Kasworm, 2003), based on my age (in my forties) and the circumstance of being a returning student, to a formal higher educational institute. With changing student demographics of increased adult learners (those 25 years and older; Kasworm, 2003), many researchers have become progressively more attentive to our growing student population. Leading to studies grounded on the concept of self-directed learning, exploring and examining perceptions and  variables that may inspire and sustain adults’ deliberate learning actions and pathways.

Expanding on research that identified the pursuit of professional or occupational goals as a leading reason for adult learners’ presence in formal educational programs, Kasworm (2003), presents personal transitions and changes, proactive life planning and a combination of the former two, as “life-contexts” driving adult learner participation (p. 6). Furthermore, she credits the presence of a more diverse student population to educational institutes’ inclusion and equity initiatives such as widening their recruitment scope and making learning more accessible to all individuals.

In my deliberate efforts toward academic learning achievements, I acknowledge my personal traits of independence, taking initiative, driven, responsible; as well as my desire to continuously grow, improve and change my circumstances. Moreover, I realise that even though I have a wealth of educational experiences; clear expectations and detailed outlines of tasks, seem a requisite criterion for my successful completion of a course. Directiveness according to Freire et al. (1994) is the nature of education. Education follows aims, plans, designs, aspirations, and activities. In their mode of directivity, educators should work towards supporting and engendering learners’ analytical, innovative, and creative capabilities (Freire et al., 1994). 

Grow (1991) recommends educators’ select teaching methods and strategies that promote a balance between their students’ sense of self-sufficiency, self-awareness, and power; and their assertiveness and directiveness. He established the Staged Self-Directed Learning (SSDL) model, demonstrating stages of self-direction that students may progress along, supported by educators’ positionality, and instructional design and implementation approaches. But progression to a stage does not guarantee learners’ staying at the stage or moving ahead, revealing the “non-linear and iterative” nature of this concept of self-directed learning (Grow, 1991, p. 17; see Figure 1 for an overview of  the SSDL model). 

Figure 1

 The Staged Self-Directed Learning (SSDL) Model

Note: This figure demonstrates the stages of the SSDL model, the assumed position of the student and the supporting role of educator in promoting self-directed learning. Adapted from “Teaching learners to be self-directed” by G.O. Grow, 1991, Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), p. 6. (http://longleaf.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SSDL.pdfLinks to an external site..). 

Freire et al. (1994) further expands on educators’ obligation to integrate into instruction (or teaching) whatever may be critical or significant in the period and circumstance of both educator and learners. Thus, in this digital age, marked by a perpetual and rapid churning of new technologies, digital inequalities in adult student populations, and student strife in transitioning, and/or transforming their existing and future contexts (Kasworm, 2003), a challenge arises for adult educators. This entails an educator’s commitment to transcend their “traditional instructional designer roles associated with early computer‐based learning to roles that stimulate and sustain computer‐supported collaborative learning through the use of various tools (for example, wikis, blogs, and discussion boards) and social media" (Ross-Gordon et al., 2017, p. 96).

During compulsory and part of my post-secondary periods of being a student, most of my education fell within the banking concept of education (Freire, 2017). Although I had bouts of strongly stating my alternate views, adapting a design to include my spin on tasks; my overall stance was of docility and meekness to the teacher. So, my enjoyment for open-ended tasks has grown exponentially over the years through transformations brought on by knowledge, experiences, critical thinking, critical reflection, and my development of a robust self-concept. Engaging in this task of starting a blog with clear directions and a topic to help guide the post, I was both excited and worried. Excited to interact with social media technology. My concerns for the blog post task were about user-friendliness of the technology. Although the performance of discussion posts was becoming monotonous, it was comfortable. As I explored and reflected on studies which captured perceptions of both educators, students, and other users of blogs, and self-directed learning, my enthusiasm and eagerness succeeded over my initial trepidation.A summary of my realisations and analyses of the research articles are expressed using a graphic organiser  (see figure 2). 

Figure 2

A Venn diagram comparing the benefits of using Discussion boards and Blog Posts.

In promoting self-directed learning as an approach to learning, discussion boards serve as a safeguard to those students who depend on the educator to set specific dialogic parameters, to initiate, prompt, and guide their depth of posts and responses. Blog posts on the other hand puts the learner in a position of control, encouraging individuality, independence, and broadmindedness. Moreover, it's editable even after someone comments and allows hyperlinks, features not available with discussion boards. Both blog posts and discussion boards foster personal development, a goal of self-directed learning (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020). Students sense of responsibility is increased when creating blog posts. The need to be more proactive is also intensified with blog posts. A brief lapse of negligence or inattention to readers comments or creating more blog posts, may hinder readers interest and following. In discussion boards I have experienced and followed suit of once the minimum requirement of the task is fulfilled, my responsibility to be proactive wanes or comes to a dead halt. Using both these technologies expose learners’ propensities to set goals and follow through with initiatives and learning tasks; demonstrates their level of responsibility, dependency, autonomy, readiness and self-direction. Contextual and situational factors threaten the linear progression of self-direction (Grow, 1991). For example, in completing either a discussion board or blog post students require digital literacy, literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, creative, collaborative and communication skills. Students' accomplishment is dependent on their levels of competencies essential to the task at hand. 

References

 

Bush, S. A., Seibel, M. M., Corkins, C. R., & Elliott-Engel, J. (2019). Evaluating the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) program: Blogs as a reflection process. Journal of Agricultural Education, 60(1), 268-282. http://dx.doi.org.er.lib.k-state.edu/10.5032/jae.2019.01268Links to an external site. 

 

Celdrán, M., Serrat, R., Villar, F., & Montserrat, R. (2021). Exploring the benefits of proactive participation among adults and older people by writing blogs. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. Online first. https://doi-org.er.lib.k-state.edu/10.1080/01634372.2021.1965688Links to an external site. 

 

Grow, G. O. (1991). Teaching learners to be self-directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125-149. doi10.1177/0001848191041003001. http://longleaf.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SSDL.pdfLinks to an external site.. 

 

Freire, P. (1970/2013 or 2017 reprint/original 1970) Pedagogy of the oppressed. 50th 

Anniversary Edition. Bloomsbury.

 

 Freire, Freire, A. M. A., & Freire, P. (1994). Pedagogy of hope: Reliving pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

Kasworm. (2003). Setting the stage: Adults in higher education. New Directions for Student Services, (102), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.83

Merriam, S. & Baumgartner, L. (2020). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Ross-Gordon, J. M., Rose, A. D., & Kasworm, C. E (2017). Foundations of adult and continuing education. Jossey-Bass 

Witte, S.  (2007). That's online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51(2), 92-96. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A170234041/EAIM?u=ksu&sid=bookmark-EAIM&xid=5b39f19dLinks to an external site.